Essential Men’s Style & Fashion Lessons To Learn From Daniel Craig

A few men are born to dress; men who are meant to be wearing beautiful, expensive, and tailored clothes. And our James Bond aka Daniel Craig is one of them. It is therefore quite obvious when we think of those dandy Hollywood men who look effortlessly stylish Daniel Craig's name will definitely land in the list.

There was a time when not even the most lenient fashionista could vouch on Craig's styling sense. But gone are those days and now all we can hear about him is the rise-and-rise of his well-and-deservedly documented wardrobe. Be it an expensive, tailored suit-clad Bond or the Swedish lifestyle magazine co-owner from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo in his more casual civilian dress, Craig knows how to nail it with his sartorial appearance.

Here are a few style lessons you need to learn from the highest paid Mr. Bond ever.

Style Updating Doesn't Need Reinvention

We often think that updating our wardrobes needs reinvention, but it's far from the truth. If you carefully observe the Bond franchise, especially Craig you will see he can seamlessly nod at new fashion trends without sacrificing the character's integrity and iconic image.

Unlike the previous 007s wearing cutaway shirt collars with traditional double-vented suit jackets, which is more in line with the way a British gentleman dresses, Craig went for the more American version with single vents and button tabs in Skyfall. It was nothing like what we have with the previous Bonds, nevertheless the pocket square and French cuffs were enough to make him look spruce.

Again in the Quantum of Solace, we saw him wearing a Sunspel polo, which is very is modern yet classic. There are two lessons to learn here:

Never restrict yourself for the sake of traditionalism. Of course, we are not talking about strict formal dress-codes like a White-Tie or more conservative Black-Tie events. But for your regular clothing, wear something that is more comfortable and aligned to your personal style persona.

There are enough resources in your wardrobe to create your style statement, should you know how to combine them. Notice how Bond aka Craig moves unnoticeably and effortlessly between the different worlds he goes into. Chances are you are comfortable with the clothes you already have in the wardrobe. All you need is to combine a piece or two to look more stylish. For example, a white t-shirt and jacket are something almost all men have yet they are classic, effortlessly stylish and can never go wrong.

Never Confuse Fine Tailoring for Fashion

This is a very common mistake that Daniel Craig teaches men not to commit. It is true that 'off the rack' clothing is easier to buy and often lighter on your pocket. Such clothing has become a norm these days; everything is nipped and tucked. Buy them; wear them whether or not they compliment your size and structure.

Now Craig is a reminder how tailoring can make a man look at his best. Tailoring is usually associated with adjectives like beautiful and expensive. The later is an issue for many and often makes tailoring, especially the bespoke suites out of reach for many. But you cannot discard the fact that tailoring always looks better as tailored-pieces are made to your particular measurements.

If price is your major concern when buying tailored suits there are online retailers like OWNONLY offering full line of customizable tailored men's suits and formal wear at affordable rates. The company has online tailored measurement process and their team of designers can handle the printing and pattern making on the fabric according to your particular measurements, while making the silhouette more contemporary.

Wear Things the Way They're Meant to Be

This is especially applicable for Craig's more casual clothing. His polo is always taut without being too tight, just the way you should wear a polo shirt. In other words, your clothes should neither be too big and baggy or too tight leaving your breathless. It must be balanced and wearing the right-fit is a fantastic fashion feat in itself.

Remember the powder blue and black square-cut La Perla swimsuit that Craig wore in Casino Royale! He makes the importance of right-fit even more clear with this piece. It is not one of those awful baggy surf shorts; rather, something that makes through European beachwear. The short had most flattering fit and something you can adorn even if you lack Craig's washboard abs.

Steal Craig's Style

• Layer up with simple items like cardigans and scarfs. If you remember a blue sweater and knitted scarf cladded Craig in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, you know what we mean. It's a perfect look to steal in the winter season.
• For those swanky summer events, opt for an off-white or ivory suit with a basic blue dress shirt leaving the top two buttons undone and team up with a pair of brown loafer to steal his look from the Layer Cake.
• Invest in a quality white-shirt and a pair of dark denim and combine them with sweater, scarf and/or jacket for layering.
• Get a compelling eye wear that compliments you and wear it to make it your style.
• Carry a bag and invest in a quality piece to accent your look. They are functional too, especially during winters and offer ample opportunities to accessorize your look.
• If you are adventurous enough and want to add a little kick to your Daniel Craig look, consider putting on a cap. If rightly worn, it will surely add to your personality.

Conclusion

Many wrongly believe that pulling off a look like Mr. Bond aka Daniel Craig is only worth of runways. Though the statement has some truth in it, you can nevertheless wear them as everyday look. But you need to build your confidence to wear styles to look effortless while pushing the envelope. Craig and other celebrities know that they have to put on a show under the lights; similarly, you need to be comfortable with people staring at you as you walk into the room.

In other words, own your look. It is not every day we get to see a Daniel Craig among us.

Thanks to Nicola Reynor for this awesome guest post.

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