4 Ways To Wear The No Time To Die Matera Jacket

At Iconic Alternatives, we try to focus on affordable clothing that will help us get the Bond style we want without emptying our wallets. So it doesn’t make a whole lot of financial sense to invest in a piece and then only use it with one “screen accurate” look. Versatility is the name of the game. That’s where our “4 Ways to Wear It” series comes in. We take one piece of iconic Bond clothing and combine it with other affordable 007, Daniel Craig and Steve McQueen inspired alternatives to extend our wardrobe and get the most bang for our buck. In this post we look at Bond’s blue No Time To Die Matera jacket.

 

The No Time To Die Matera Jacket

As almost every fan of Bond-style now knows, he’s wearing the Connolly Giubbino Jacket in some of the No Time To Die Matera scenes. You can find it on the Connolly website for £490.00/$576.00, where they have sizes medium to XL still in stock.

We’ve already covered the Giubbino in detail in our dedicated post, which you can read here. To highlight a few key points: Connolly made in the jacket in Italy using a 59% cotton, 41% linen blend fabric. Its light weight construction and relaxed fit make it a great design for warmer weather.

 

The Challenging Design of the Matera Jacket

But the style of the Connolly jacket has also been a little controversial, with many fans asking if it’s the right look for Bond (even for a romantic post-retirement vacation to Italy). On top that, some folks in the Bond community that own the Giubbino have reported that it’s actually a difficult jacket to wear. Which may seem like an odd thing to say. After all, on the surface the Giubbino looks pretty simple: a basic button-front blouson with flapped patch pockets and a revere collar. And navy blue isn’t exactly an earth-shaking color choice.

 

But there is something about it, something that I honestly can’t put my finger on, that presents a challenge. Maybe it’s the shorter, looser fit? Or the way the unstructured construction and light weight fabric drape on the body? Perhaps it’s the way the various design elements have been combined, which leaves the wearer with a large swath of plain blue material up top while crowding pleated and flapped patch pockets and a drawstring hem right around the waist (not an area most guys want to draw attention to). Or maybe it just looks kind of frumpy.

Whatever the reason, a jacket that should be a versatile addition to most of our outerwear collections has instead proved to be a little frustrating. If we’re only going to wear it with a white henley and grey cords to get the screen-accurate Bond look, then it’s not going to see much use. So in this post, we’re going to experiment with the Matera jacket and see if we can successfully combine it with other Bond inspired pieces to increase its range.

 

The Alternative

For our alternative, we’ll be using the Walkers Appeal Estaban Jacket in the looks below. The jacket retails for $275.00/£199.00. But the fact that it’s half the price of the screen used jacket isn’t the only reason to give it place of honor in this post.

First, in terms of general appearance, the Esteban comes very close to Bond’s Matera jacket. And the subtle differences we can see give it a slightly cleaner and more refined look in my opinion. Walkers Appeal is a young brand (it was founded in 2016) that takes the design and quality of their products very seriously. For example, this particular jacket is made in partnership with a heritage factory in Spain and uses a lightweight cotton that will be perfect for warmer weather. You’ll find the jacket at Bombinate, where they have sizes small to XL in stock.

You can find more alternatives for Bond’s Matera jacket at a variety of prices in this post. Now on to the looks!

 

A Farewell to Arms Part 2

Options:

• Shirt: Lands’ End Traditional Fit Linen Utility Shirt in White (on sale for $24.99); alternative for Bond’s white utility shirt from License to Kill. You can find more alternatives in this post.
• Pants: Levi’s 502 Jeans in True Chino Bull Denim (on sale for $48.65); alternative for the Levi’s STA-Prest 306 jeans from Quantum of Solace.
• Shoes: Sperry Gold Cup AO Glove Leather Boat Shoes in Brown ($159.95); alternatives for Sperry Gold Cup Rivingston Boat Shoes from No Time To Die. You can find more alternatives in this post.
• Belt: Eddie Bauer Legend Flex Belt in Pumice (on sale for $26.25); alternative for Bond’s surcingle belt from For Your Eyes Only.
• Sunglasses: SelfMade Walker Sunglasses in Tortoise (on sale for $95.00); alternatives for Bond’s round tortoise sunglasses from A View To A Kill. You can find more alternatives in this post.
• Watch: Stuhrling Original Aquadiver Automatic Watch (on sale for $380.00); for Bond’s Rolex Ref. 6538.
• Sunscreen: Kiehl’s Activated Sun Protector Water Light Lotion SPF 50 ($32.00)

Notes: 

We already took a stab at this look in our post on James Bond Inspired Spring Style. But since the styling of the Matera jacket closely resembles that of the Teba jacket Dalton wore in License to Kill, I figured we’d give it another go. And use a more screen accurate shirt this time. Overall, this is a clean and simple outfit, using pieces most of us will already have in our closets. If boat shoes just aren’t your thing, it should work equally well with suede chukkas and a brown belt. Or even some navy espadrilles if want to fully embrace Bond’s style from that film. For a more detailed analysis of the License to Kill outfit, check out this post from Bond Suits.

 

Back to the Office

Options:

• Shirt: Outerknown Rambler Checked Organic Cotton Flannel Shirt (on sale for $97.00/XXXXX); alternative for Daniel Craig’s personal plaid shirt.
• Trousers: J.Crew Factory Slim Fit Khaki Pant in Stone (on sale for $34.50); alternative for Bond’s light cream trousers from Thunderball. You can find more ways to wear off-white trousers in this post.
• Shoes: George Cox Popboy Chukka Boots in Snuff Suede (£180.00); alternatives for Bond’s Sander & Sander Playboy Chukkas from SPECTRE. You can find more alternatives in this post.
• Belt: Kangaroo Belt Company Braided Leather 17 Strand Belt in Dark Brown (on sale for $179.00 AUS, approximately $135.00 U.S.); alternative for Daniel Craig’s personal R.M. Williams braided leather belt.
• Sunglasses: Warby Parker Morgan Sunglasses in Mesa Tortoise ($95.00); alternatives for Bond’s No Time To Die Barton Perreira Norton sunglasses. You can find more alternatives in this post.
• Watch: Deep Blue Master 1000 II Automatic Diver Watch ($332.00); alternative for Bond’s No Time To Die Omega (more alternatives in this post)
• Bag: Frost River Vintage Messenger Bag in Field Tan ($250.00); alternative for Daniel Craig’s personal Belstaff 554 Colonial Messenger Bag. You can find more alternatives in this post.
• Water Bottle: Science in Sport 800 mL Narrow Neck Bottle ($7.00); the bottle used by Daniel Craig on the Jamaica set of No Time To Die.
• Pen: Parker Jotter Stainless Steel Ballpoint Pen ($19.97); the pen used in Goldeneye.

Notes:

Whether it’s a button up, polo or henley, when it comes to shirts both Bond and Craig tend to stick with solid colors. But Craig has worn plaid on occasion. For example, here’s a photo of him arriving at LAX in 2011 (just in case you think I’m pulling that Outerknown shirt out of thin air).

A solid color shirt would also work just fine with this look. But it’s always fun to shake things up a little. And, honestly, those of us inspired by Bond’s style don’t often get the chance to add some bigger, bolder patterns to the mix. The plaid also leans into the more rustic design elements of the Matera jacket and helps give the outfit a bit of a workwear vibe.

Of course there’s also the issue of the flannel shirt material. It’s not exactly a summer fabric. But anybody that’s worked in an air conditioned office will tell you that things can get chilly, even when the sun is baking the pavement outside in late July. So something heavier may not be totally inappropriate for those settings. Or you can just keep this one in reserve for early fall when things cool down.

 

Road Trip Time!

Options:

• Shirt: Banana Republic Factory Premium Wash V-Neck T-Shirt in Monterey Blue (on sale for $9.99); alternative for Bond’s blue V-neck t-shirt from For Your Eyes Only.
• Trousers: Flint and Tinder Stretch Selvage Denim Tapered Fit Jeans in Vintage Medium Wash ($168.00); alternatives for Daniel Craig’s personal jeans.
• Shoes: Thursday Boot Co. Scout Chukkas in Mocha ($149.00); alternatives for the Crockett & Jones Molton Chukka Boots from No Time To Die.
• Socks: Smartwool Larimer Crew Socks in Neptune Blue ($25.95).
• Belt: Vineyard Vines Braided Leather Belt in Chocolate Lab ($98.50); alternative for the Brunello Cucinelli Woven Leather Belt from SPECTRE.
• Sunglasses: Ray-Ban RB3689 Washed Evolve in Silver (on sale for $156.00); alternatives for the Tom Ford Marko sunglasses from Skyfall. You can find more alternatives in this post.
• Watch: Stuhrling Original Monaco Quartz Watch in Blue (on sale for $250.00); alternative for the Steve McQueen Tag Heuer Monaco from Le Mans.
• Key Chain: James Bond Aston Martin V8 Car Keyring ($23.00/£15.95)
• Book: Rand McNally 2022 Road Atlas for the U.S.A, Canada and Mexico ($12.95)

Notes:

I’ll start with the denim. We all know Craig is a fan of jeans. And almost every guy has a pair in his closet. The coarser denim fabric also works well with the slubby weave of the Matera jacket to help balance the textures on the top and bottom. As for the color, it would be tempting to stick with a darker wash here (and it certainly wouldn’t look bad). But personally, I like the way a pair of lighter colored, slightly faded jeans pair with the more playful aspects of the Matera jacket design to keep things relaxed and casual. The t-shirt adds to that and helps give the jacket more of a lightweight overshirt vibe.

A quick note on the Road Atlas. When I’m actually on the road, like many of you I’m using Google Maps to help me get where I want to go. But when it comes to planning the trip, I’m pretty old school. I like having a map spread out in front of me, something physical upon which I can place my finger and trace the route. I want to see the scope of my upcoming journey in a way the small screen of a phone just can’t offer. YMMV.

 

Martini Time!

Options:

• Shirt: Onia Garret Shirt in Deep Navy (on sale for $60.99); alternative for Bond’s navy blue utility shirt from License To Kill.
• Trousers: John Lewis & Partners Linen Slim Fit Suit Trousers in Grey ($97.00); alternatives for Bond’s grey linen Brioni suit trousers from Casino Royale.
• Shoes: Allen Edmonds Super Soft Driver in Black (on sale for $220.00); alternatives for Bond’s black moccasin-toe loafers from License To Kill.
• Belt: Boss Hugo Boss Textured Leather Belt in Black (on sale for $34.99); alternative for Bond’s black Prada saffiano leather belt from Quantum of Solace.
• Sunglasses: Banana Republic Lloyd Sunglasses ($78.00); alternatives for the Barton Perreira Joes from No Time To Die. You can find more alternatives in this post.
• Watch: Certina DS Chronograph Automatic (£1690.00); alternative for Bond’s vintage 1965 Omega Calibre 321 from SPECTRE.
• Travel Kit: Manhattan Cocktail Case in Black ($287.00)

Notes:

I really wanted to see if the Matera jacket could work with a more sophisticated outfit for this post. And here’s what I came up with. One thing I will say about Bond’s look in No Time To Die is that the grey color of the cords really does work with the blue of the jacket. But I wanted to use a more summer-friendly fabric than corduroy, hence the linen trousers inspired by Bond’s One and Only Ocean Club outfit in Casino Royale. I also think something like the Sunspel Riviera polo could be substituted for the long sleeve button up shirt since it has a stiffer collar. A more traditional pique polo (like the Thunderball Fred Perry) would be less effective in my opinion. The jacket’s revere style collar really needs to be paired with a shirt that as some structure around the neck. And the softer collar of the traditional polo just won’t get the job done.

About the watch: yes it’s expensive and it’s probably not going to be easy to acquire (especially for those of you in the U.S.). But not to worry! We’ll be taking a look at alternatives for all of Bond’s watches throughout July and August. So you can expect more options for that watch in the very near future!.

 

Have some suggestions for how to wear the No Time To Die Matera Jacket? Tell us about them in the comments! And don’t forget to check out our Guide to Contemporary Casual Style and our article on How to Dress Like Bond if you want more suggestions for updating your personal style. You can also visit our Facebook page, our NEW Instagram account and Pinterest Boards for more James Bond, Daniel Craig and Steve McQueen style advice and inspiration!