With Roger Moore as James Bond, clothes and accessories reflected the trends of 70s and 80s fashion.
Roger Moore played James Bond between 1973 and 1985, infusing the character with his signature blend of wit, charm, and refined elegance. His portrayal of 007 stood apart from his predecessors, leaning into a sophisticated and lighter tone. This sense of sophistication extended to Moore’s wardrobe, which became an integral part of his Bond persona. From tailored suits to casual yet refined casual outfits, Moore’s 007 was a masterclass in sartorial elegance.
The 1970s and 1980s fashion landscape
The fashion landscape of the 1970s and 1980s saw a shift towards more relaxed yet stylish attire. Moving away from the rigid formality of previous decades, men’s fashion embraced softer silhouettes, wider lapels, and a greater emphasis on comfort without sacrificing elegance. These trends significantly influenced Roger Moore’s portrayal of James Bond, shaping the wardrobe choices that became synonymous with his tenure.
During this period, costume designers like Cyril Castle and Douglas Hayward played crucial roles in crafting Moore’s on-screen look. Castle, known for his work on Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun, introduced a sense of flair with luxurious fabrics and bold designs. Hayward, who took over in later films such as For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy, brought a more understated, yet equally sophisticated touch to Bond’s attire.
Moore’s Bond wardrobe mirrored the broader trends of the era, featuring double-breasted suits, wide ties, and vibrant colour palettes. The choice of lightweight wools, silks, and linens ensured Bond remained impeccably dressed, whether navigating a cityscape or exploring exotic locales. These sartorial decisions were not merely about fashion; they demonstrated Bond’s ability to adapt and excel in any situation while maintaining his signature elegance.
The 1970s and 1980s provided a fertile ground for Roger Moore’s James Bond wardrobe. The fashion of the time allowed for a blend of traditional refinement and modern flair, perfectly suited to the character’s suave and adventurous spirit. This period of fashion evolution set the stage for some of the most memorable looks in Bond history, paving the way for the iconic outfits that would follow.
Roger Moore’s signature Bond looks
Roger Moore’s portrayal of James Bond is marked by several iconic styles that blend contemporary fashion with timeless elegance. He is often remembered, sometimes ridiculed, for the safari shirts and jackets from The Man with the Golden Gun, Moonraker and Octopussy. They added a practical yet stylish element to his wardrobe.
His suits were tailored by Cyril Castle, Angelo Roma, and Douglas Hayward, often double-breasted, with the wider lapels and flared trousers that were fashionable at this time. Moore’s Bond was fond of both single and double-breasted blazers and sometimes wears sports jackets too.
Formal wear was a significant part of Moore’s Bond, with impeccably tailored dinner jackets, usually double-breasted and frequently white. The white dinner jackets in The Man With The Golden Gun and Octopussy exemplify Moore’s elegance and debonair charm.
Suits
Cyril Castle was responsible for the early suits in Moore’s Bond films, creating iconic looks that defined the initial style of his portrayal. Castle’s designs were known for their comfort and elegance, crucial for the dynamic and often physically demanding role of James Bond. Angelo Roma took over as Moore’s tailors for The Spy Who Loved Me, bringing a slightly more contemporary feel to Bond’s wardrobe, with Douglas Hayward taking over in For Your Eyes Only.
In several films Moore’s suits are pinstriped, which doesn’t quite fit in with my idea of Bond based on the books and Sean Connery’s portrayal. These suits make him look a little too much like a stockbroker. Standouts for me are the single-breasted blue suit he wears in The Man With The Golden Gun, but less convincing are the more earthy colours he often wears in his films. But despite the awful flared trousers that really date these suits, Moore always wears his suits well. Probably the worst examples of bell bottoms can be found in Moonraker, where the amount of loose material is laughable. Starting when I was a kid in the 1970s, I have always hated flares with a passion.
Blazers and sports jackets
Perhaps Moore’s Bond is at his best when wearing blazers. Blazers offer a polished look without the rigid formality of a suit and work with trousers of various types, allowing for a versatile yet sophisticated appearance.
This flexibility makes blazers ideal for occasions where Bond needs to look put-together but not overly formal and more appropriate for the increasingly informal 1970s. Moore wears both single and double-breasted navy blazers. The latter lend him the more nautical air in keeping with a Royal Naval Commander, but I prefer the single-breasted blazers. They offer a look that is easy to wear and, worn with off-white trousers, one of my own signature looks.
He also dons sports jackets, another key element of his wardrobe that exemplifies his relaxed yet refined approach to fashion. As their name suggests, sports jackets are perfect for outdoor and leisurely settings and often made from patterned fabrics such as tweed or checks. Moore’s jackets are often in earthy tones, although there is one standout example from The Man With the Golden Gun, a checked jacket he wears at Scaramanga’s island lair that looks like it wouldn’t have been out of place as part of Octopussy’s clown outfit.
Dinner jackets
One of the looks often associated with Roger Moore is the white tuxedo, the first of which is in The Man With The Golden Gun. Like many of Moore’s jackets, this one is double-breasted but he wears white single-breasted dinner jackets in Octopussy and A View to a Kill. The first two feature peaked lapels, while on the last they are notched which is less common. Not being a fan of double-breasted jackets, I prefer the single-breasted Octopussy dinner jacket over the one from A View to a Kill simply because of the lapels.
In The Spy Who Loved Me, Bond wears more traditional evening wear in Egypt. 007 wears the dark double-breasted dinner jacket with peaked lapels as he faces Jaws. He wears a similarly designed dinner jacket in Moonraker at the carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
Perhaps white would have suited the warm climates of both countries better as he looks rather over formal in both. For Your Eyes Only finds Bond wearing a single-breasted dark dinner jacket with notched lapels as he dines with Kristatos, a look that is repeated in Octopussy. And he wears a dark double-breasted dinner jacket with peaked lapels in the Paris sequence of A View to a Kill.
Casual wear
No look at Roger Moore’s clothing can be complete without touching on his safari shirts and suits. I don’t love the look of 1970s and 80s safari suits, but the light green safari shirt he wears in Hong Kong in The Man With the Golden Gun is a great look. I’d wear that for sure.
Some other great casual looks Moore era Bond has are for his missions. The all black ensemble for Live And Let Die, consisting of a black polo neck sweater and black trousers looks fantastic, although perhaps he should have picked a black shoulder-holster in place of brown leather. Another great looking outfit is in For Your Eyes Only worn for the assault on St Cyril’s. Bond wears a light grey chunky knit sweater under what was known in 1980s Britain as a “body warmer” in blue.
Less successful is Live And Let Die’s faded denim over a white vest on Quarrel Junior’s boat. It is definitely not a look you associate with 007. Nor is the dark blue tracksuit he wears in A View to a Kill. And I’m not crazy about the rather loose fitting blousons and leather jackets he wears in For Your Eyes Only and A View to a Kill.
Morning suit
Finally a look that I really despise. While attending the races at Ascot, Bond and his companions are dressed in morning dress, which is obligatory in the Royal Enclosure. Since morning dress is obligatory there they had no choice, but the look always looks like a fancy dress costume and I don’t see the point in such needless formality.
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