Best Budget Style Finds September 16th

Welcome to our Best Budget Style Finds for September 16th! This is where we share some of the great alternatives for Bond (or Craig or McQueen) style that either slipped through the cracks when I was writing the original dedicated posts or deserve a special mention. Sometimes the posts will be short. Sometimes there will be a ton of new options. A lot will depend on what we, as a community, find and share. So if you have any suggestions, let us know in the comments. On to the alternatives!

With the fast approaching release of No Time To Die, I’ll be doing something a little different with this edition of our Best Budget Style Finds. As most of you are no doubt aware, many brands are finally launching (or in some cases re-launching) their products used in the film. So the first half of this post will be focused on those. Then we’ll get to the more wallet friendly alternatives. Off we go!

The No Time To Die Product Launches

N.Peal 007 Combat Trousers: $345.00/£245.00

Interest in these has been sky high since we first learned that N.Peal was the maker a couple of weeks ago. And now they’re available to purchase! I have tried the Combat Trousers on in-store. And I have to say, the amount of detailing they’ve built into them is truly impressive. More snaps, zippers, buttons, flaps and leather accents than you can imagine. However the fit is very specific. I’m 5’9″, about 175lbs with a 32/33 waist in most brands and a 29″ inseam. The size small felt a little too snug for me. But the medium just didn’t look right through the legs, with a lot of stacking around the calves. So, sadly, I don’t think they’re going to work for me. Check out this video from The Bond Experience for a more complete look at the trousers.

Danner Tanicus Tactical Boots in Black: $180.00/£170.00

Another piece from Bond’s commando outfit, the Danner Tanicus Boots in black are launching today! The Tanicus is a very popular (and well reviewed) model from Danner’s collection. And, other than the color, I don’t think they’ve made many changes for the “screen accurate” version. So far, the only thing I’ve heard is that nailing down the sizing can be a little tricky. Check out this thread on the AJB007 Bond fan forum for help. The 007.com store has U.S. sizes 8 to 12 available, but I haven’t seen them on the U.S. Danner website yet.

Update: In the immortal words of Ron Burgundy: That escalated quickly! Sold out now on the UK site. And the U.S. site is showing a “Page Cannot Be Found” message. However, as far as I can tell, they still haven’t shown up on any of the Danner websites. Fingers crossed they held back some inventory!

Connolly Linen Cotton Giubbino Jacket in Blue: $576.00/£490.00

We’ve known about the jacket Bond wears in the Matera scenes for almost two years now. But Connolly has just officially re-launched it as part of their 007 collection. You can learn more about the piece in this dedicated post. And we’ll be updating the alternatives very shortly!

Connolly No Time To Die Linen Shirt: $388.00/£330.00

Another piece from Connolly. Not too long ago, the company did a very limited run of the shirt for Bond-style fans using the screen accurate fabric. I’m not sure if this latest version is using the exact same shirting. But it is made in collaboration with Finamore, like the original, and should have all the correct details.

Massimo Alba Mauko Cotton Needlecord Trousers in Nero Lavato: $430.00

Massimo Alba must be happy about the number of his designs Bond wears in the new film. Two pairs of trousers, the duster coat and a suit, all in the Italian designer’s signature soft baby corduroy. Oh, and a leather belt. I’m sharing the black Mauko trousers here (Bond wears them with the Connolly shirt above, the white Rag & Bone Henley, the aforementioned duster and the Crockett & Jones rough-out suede Moltons). But you can see all the pieces in his Bond collection on his website.

Benson & Clegg The James Tie Slide: $65.00/£55.00

A little something to add a bit of retro 60s cool to your next suit and tie getup. Made in England from Rhodium plated metal, it looks like it will be Bond’s preferred method of keeping his neckwear in place in No Time To Die. And it is definitely one of the more affordable screen accurate accessories we fans can get our hands on!

And a few alternatives …

Selected Homme Cotton Shirt Jacket in Orion Blue: on sale for £45.00

It definitely has more of a workwear vibe than Bond’s Matera jacket. But the slightly heavier 98% organic cotton, 2% elastane fabric might be more suitable for the cooler days ahead. And personally I think that Orion Blue color would look pretty good with a white t-shirt and some pale grey corduroy trousers. Selected has sizes small, medium and XL left in stock. However, this one is only available in the UK.

Gap Factory Lived-In Henley T-Shirt in Carls Stone: on sale for $20.00

We just shared some Henley alternatives in our recent post on Bond’s commando outfit. But now that the price on this one from Gap has dropped to twenty-one bucks (or $16.79 if you use the code ALLYOURS for an extra 20% off), it’s definitely worth adding to the list. Fabric is 100% cotton. And it certainly looks more ivory than white. But the slub texture and three button placket make it a good match for the Rag & Bone. Sizes small to XXL are in stock.

Fjällräven Barents Pro Trousers in Dark Grey/Dark Grey: $144.95

Since I published that post on Bond’s commando outfit, I’ve had more than a few people share other alternatives for the tactical pants. Two trusted friends over on AJB007 (RonBerry and Cheverian) strongly recommended the Fjällräven Kebs. Unfortunately, that particular model is sold out in most places. However, the Barents are still available in a wide selection of sizes. And the placement of the left pocket on the front of the thigh really helps give them the right look. Unlike the 100% cotton N.Peal trousers, these are made from Fjällräven’s proprietary G-1000 fabric, a waxed polyester and cotton blend that’s water resistant and extremely durable. So they’re built to take a beating!

J.Crew Factory Matte Sunglasses: on sale for $17.50

A very budget friendly alternative for Bond’s London sunglasses. Of course they won’t come anywhere near the quality of the original Barton Perreira Joes. But those cost $425.00. These ones? Well let’s just say you won’t feel too bad if you accidently sit on them.

Kenneth Cole Reaction Slim Fit 5 Pocket Corduroy Pants in Black: on sale for $36.27

I have to admit, I was a little surprised that there aren’t more good alternatives for black corduroy trousers out there. Maybe we’ll see more as we get deeper into the fall season. But for now, this pair from Kenneth Cole is one of the better affordable options I could find. They’re a five-pocket jean style, which isn’t screen accurate. But the finer 18 wale cord comes close. And a couple of washes will give ’em the right slightly faded look. You’ll find sizes 30 to 38 at Zappos.

Shoe Passion No. 639 Chukka Boots: $349.00

This time it’s AJB007 forum member Agent Eternal who comes through for us! He suggested the Shoe Passion chukkas as alternatives for Crockett & Jones Moltons after we published our dedicated post on those boots. These aren’t cheap. But they are handcrafted and feature a Goodyear welt construction and high quality Velour rough leather. Unfortunately, they come with leather soles instead of rubber. But for day-to-day use when the weather’s cooperating, they’d look great with more casual fits. Sizes 7 to 13.5 are available on the Shoe Passion website.

Even More Bond-Inspired Fall Pieces

The brands are quickly rolling out their fall collections! So when it comes to Bond-style alternatives, there’s been a LOT to look at (and there’s certainly more to come). Here’s a small sample of what we’ve found so far.

Massimo Dutti Cable Knit Sweater in Grey Marl: $129.00

Although the chunkier cable pattern isn’t screen-accurate, this more modern interpretation of the classic roll neck is still a great piece for winter layering. The yarn is 74% wool, 18% polyamide and 8% yak. So it should be plenty warm enough. Massimo Dutti has sizes small to XL in stock. But if my past experience with the brand is anything to go by, you’ll want to double check the size chart and possibly size up if you want a more relaxed fit.

Solovair Classic Black Greasy Urban Hiker: $225.00

In our recent post on the Best Boots for Fall, we covered alternatives for the brown leather Danner Quarries Daniel Craig wore for a mountain-side SPECTRE photo-call. But the black Danner Mountain Light IIs Bond wears in the film would also serve as good source of inspiration. Of course a hiking boot that heavy isn’t really the best choice when you’re just out running errands. These Urban Hikers from Solovair keep the Danner’s classic good looks and Goodyear welt construction, but use a softer, more flexible sole, making them more suitable for day-to-day activities. And the water resistant, full grain leather uppers and bellows tongue will keep your feet nice and dry during the cold, wet days ahead.

Dan Henry 1964 Gran Turismo Chronograph in Silver Tricompax: $260.00

We published our post on Bond’s dress watches just yesterday. And over on Instagram, first @tartan_calibre and then @rhettredelings suggested one alternative I’d missed for the vintage SPECTRE Omega: this Dan Henry Gran Turismo. There are some obvious design differences, most notably the cap-style pushers. And you’d need to replace the bracelet with a nice strap to get the screen accurate look. But the vintage styling and 38mm size definitely give it the right feel. The movement is a Seiko caliber VK63 and reviews from around the internet say Dan Henry delivers a quality timepiece at an affordable price.

Beckett Simonon Ellis Chukka Boots in Black: $239.00

And now we travel back almost ten years to Skyfall. Bond wore the Crockett & Jones Tetbury dress chukkas throughout the film and they quickly became a fan favorite. When looking for alternatives, the hardest part of the design to replicate is that chisel toe. But the Ellis Chukka from Beckett Simonon does a great job of capturing that style, while also offering a quality pair of boots at a reasonable price. The uppers are a full grain leather, conditioned with shea butter and carnauba wax, backed by a Vachetta leather lining. And the Blake stitch construction makes break-in relatively easy (and yes: they can be re-soled). Just note that these have a leather sole, which may not be the best choice when you plan on spending a rainy day out on the side-walks. Sizes 7 to 14 are available on their website. But these are a pre-order with an expected deliver in December.

Know of any alternatives we should feature in our next Best Budget Style Finds post? Or do you have another option for this post? Tell us about it in the comments! If you’d like to see our previous Best Budget Style Finds posts, you just need to click here. And you can always visit our Facebook page, Instagram account and Pinterest Boards for more Bond, Craig and McQueen style advice and inspiration.