If you’re standing in a fitting room trying to look like 007, you’ve probably already realized something. It's not just about the suit. It’s the vibe. The Daniel Craig James Bond tuxedo isn't a static thing—it changed more than most people notice over his fifteen-year run. Honestly, the way he wore a dinner jacket in Casino Royale is world’s apart from the "shrink-wrapped" aesthetic he pioneered in Skyfall.
Most guys think "Bond wears a black tux." Wrong. Sorta.
Actually, Craig almost single-handedly made midnight blue the default setting for modern formalwear. If you look at the posters for Skyfall, he’s in a suit that looks electric blue. That was marketing magic, though. In reality, that Tom Ford "O'Connor" model was a very dark midnight blue, designed to look blacker than black under the warm, yellow glow of a casino floor or a Macau floating palace.
The Brioni Breakup: A Rough Start in Casino Royale
In 2006, Bond was in transition. Daniel Craig was the "blunt instrument," and his first Daniel Craig James Bond tuxedo reflected that. It was made by Brioni, the Italian powerhouse that dressed Pierce Brosnan.
It was big. The shoulders were wide and padded. The lapels were massive peaks that pointed toward his ears. Vesper Lynd sizes him up in a hotel room and hands him the suit, claiming she "mentally fitted" him.
But here’s the thing: that Brioni suit was the most traditional Bond ever looked.
- Color: Pure black.
- Lapels: Peaked, faced in silk grosgrain.
- Vents: None. Zero. A completely flat back.
- The Shirt: A Turnbull & Asser waffle-weave with a fly front (hidden buttons).
It was a tank of a suit. It made him look like a brick wall. But after that movie, Bond moved on. He dumped the Italian boxy look for something much sharper, much tighter, and much more American.
Enter Tom Ford and the Midnight Blue Revolution
Starting with Quantum of Solace, Tom Ford took over the wardrobe. This is where the Daniel Craig James Bond tuxedo really found its soul. Ford brought in the "Regency" model—a midnight blue mohair-tonic blend with a shawl collar.
A shawl collar is basically a continuous curve. It doesn't have the "notches" or "peaks" of a regular suit. It’s softer. More "old Hollywood."
Then came Skyfall. This is the one everyone remembers.
The Skyfall tuxedo was tiny. Like, seriously small. The costume designer, Jany Temime, wanted Bond to look like he was bursting out of his clothes, emphasizing Craig’s physique. The jacket was short. The trousers were narrow. It had a single vent in the back, which is technically a "mistake" in formalwear etiquette—vents are for horse riding or sports—but on Bond, it just looked fast.
Why Midnight Blue matters
Under artificial light, black fabric can sometimes look slightly green or brownish. Midnight blue doesn't do that. It absorbs light in a way that makes the person wearing it look like a silhouette. When you’re looking for your own Daniel Craig James Bond tuxedo, go for the blue. Seriously. It’s more versatile and looks better on camera (and your phone's portrait mode).
The Controversies of "No Time To Die"
By the time we got to 2021’s No Time To Die, the Daniel Craig James Bond tuxedo had become a mix of classic and "who cares about the rules."
The final tuxedo was a black Tom Ford Atticus. It had a shawl collar, but Tom Ford did something that made purists scream: he put a buttonhole on the shawl lapel.
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In bespoke tailoring, you don't do that. A shawl lapel should be a clean, unbroken line of silk. Putting a hole in it for a flower (a boutonnière) is considered a bit "off." But Bond is Bond. He also wore a shirt with actual buttons showing instead of studs. Again, it’s a downgrade in formality, but it made the outfit feel more like a uniform and less like a costume.
How to actually get the look
You don't need $5,000 for a Tom Ford "O'Connor" dinner suit to pull this off. You just need to pay attention to the details that matter.
- The Fit is Everything: If your jacket is too long, you’ll look like a kid in his dad’s suit. Bond’s Tom Ford jackets often ended just at the thumb knuckle or even slightly higher.
- The Trousers: No belts. Never. Use side adjusters or braces (suspenders). Craig used Albert Thurston white moiré silk braces in Casino Royale.
- The Shoes: Don’t wear patent leather (the super shiny plastic-looking ones). Bond usually wore high-shine calf leather. Specifically, the Crockett & Jones Highbury or the John Lobb Luffield. They're "derby" or "oxford" shoes that he just polished until they looked like mirrors.
- The Bow Tie: Learn to tie a real one. Bond’s bow ties are never perfectly symmetrical because he ties them himself. It shows you have "the skill" but don't care enough to be perfect.
What most people get wrong about the accessories
Everyone focuses on the watch (usually an Omega Seamaster), but the real hero is the shirt.
A James Bond tuxedo shirt isn't a normal white shirt. In the Craig era, they usually had a "spread collar"—meaning the points of the collar are far apart. This allows a big, chunky bow tie to sit right in the "V" of the neck.
Also, skip the pocket square if you want the Skyfall look, or go for a very thin, straight white line (a "TV fold") if you want the Quantum of Solace vibe. Never use a patterned silk square with a tuxedo. It’s too busy.
Your Actionable Checklist for the 007 Look:
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- Color: Search for "Midnight Blue" instead of "Black."
- Fabric: Look for a wool-mohair blend; it has a slight sheen and resists wrinkles.
- Tailoring: Take your jacket to a tailor and ask them to "taper the waist" and "shorten the sleeves" so half an inch of shirt cuff shows.
- Footwear: Buy a pair of plain-toe black leather shoes and a tin of Sapphire wax polish. Skip the tuxedo-specific shoes.
The reality is that Daniel Craig’s Bond used his clothes as armor. The tuxedo wasn't for a party; it was for a mission. Keep it simple, keep it tight, and stop worrying about being "correct"—if Bond can wear a single vent and a button-front shirt, you can definitely get away with a few personal touches.
Get the fit right first. Everything else is just set dressing.