Last week as I was heading off the tube at Bond street early one morning I noticed a young man posing for a picture in front of a movie poster. It was half term and his father was working hard to dodge the passing commuters to satisfy his son’s desire for a picture. The boy, far too young to be able to watch one of the current day James Bond films stood, chin jutting and plastic gun cocked, in front of a poster of Daniel Craig posing as his hero. The young man was complete with black jacket white shirt and he looked exceptionally smart.
He may well have been a reader of the series of Young Bond novels written by Charlie Higson, it is certain that the James Bond ‘franchise’ has been having a powerful effect on the fashion sense of aspiring gentleman for many years. With the possible exception of Sean Connery’s strange knitted one piece swimming costume and a couple of Roger Moore’s more exotic 1970’s outfits James Bond has always been a style icon looked up to by men, of all ages, and admired by women.
It’s a great pity that the Pop group One Direction, each of whom is reported to have earned well in excess of £5,000,000 last year, could not have taken a lesson from this smartly turned out young man and from James Bond, when they faced the total humiliation of being refused entry to one of London’s most exclusive members clubs in Mayfair last week for being too scruffily dressed.
There is no doubt that they could afford decent clothes. I’m certain they have many more jackets in their wardrobes than the young man on the tube. It’s just that he had the desire to look good like his hero and the young men of One Direction were either lazy, thought they were above all that or more likely just could not be bothered.
They were refused entry to a club with standards by a doorman who sent them packing. Perhaps they should hire the young man as their stylist.
