Casual fashion of Thunderball
This is a love letter to costumes from Thunderball (1965). I haven't seen all the Bond films (yet), but damn I am impressed with how distinct Thunderball is. And mostly because of the costumes. So I'm gonna show you some screenshots of my favourite looks.
I will start with maybe my favourite look in the whole JB franchise. A pink shirt and really (like REALLY) short blue shorts. These shorts are actually Jantzen swimwear and kinda iconic? Or at least Google told me so. I'm not (usually) attracted to Connery, but he has great legs! So, yay for shorts! And the yellow towel is a nice touch in this scene. It just all goes so well together.
(actually, production design is excellent in Thunderball, as you can see in the screenshots)
He wears something almost identical in a scene just a few minutes before (I think that the pink polo shirt is the same, but the shorts are a little bit different).
Please also notice a character called DOMINO. I’m obsessed with all the fashion choices for her during this film.
Connery wears shorts at least THREE TIMES in Thunderball, and I’m not complaining at all.
But it’s not only about the shorts. Almost all his looks are really casual and fun. And do you remember how in Dr. No spent Honey Ryder the whole film just in her tiny bikini? This time, Bond girls are in their fancy dresses and Bond is the one who is constantly showing a lot of skin. In Casino Royale, a gaze of a viewer is shifting – Bond is the subject (notably for a one short scene in a sea). In Thunderball it is not so noticeable, but it is uncounsciously present.
There are also some questionable neoprene/latex suits, but they make sense for the plot I guess.
Another casual attire I love is this one. It looks like a jumpsuit, but it is actually a matching shirt and trouser set. People on the internet are hating it, but I think that it is a really fun look, and it’s not looking like a pyjamas at all? I’m not quite sure how long are the trousers and which type of shoes is he wearing. But with the hat and the luxury watches is a chic look, and I dig a royal blue colour too.
And look! There’s Q! Well, old Q. He wears a pineapple shirt (fun!), and now I’m imagining Ben Whishaw in that pineapple shirt and I need it. :(
I want to talk a little bit about Bond girls in this film – “innocent” Domino and “evil” Fiona. In many cases, Bond girls are timeless in their fashion, but these two women are a definition of the sixties. Especially their make-up (heavy mascara) and hairstyles (a lot of up-do’s and french twists).
Their contrast is not just about good/bad girl but also in the choices of clothes. Domino only wears black or white (or a combination of both) because duh DOMINO. It is maybe too much on the nose, but I like the playfulness of it. Fiona, on the contrary, wears exclusively green, blue and purple (perfect for her ginger hair). This gown is especially beautiful, and it’s completed with ostrich feathers and jewellery.
But Domino and Fiona are really similar in style – the dresses, boas, jewels, hair, make-up… So it makes sense that the creators decided to differentiate them in the colour palette. It’s the same with their casual wear: a lot of swimsuit in the case of Domino and more fun looks for Fiona. I do like the domino bikini even though I’m not quite sure about a fit (too small?).
And now my dear Felix Leiter. In Thunderball, he’s completely ridiculous, and I love him. His first look is more a parody of a secret agent. Just look at him:
He is at a beach. In a suit. In a blue-white suit. With dark sunglasses. I just can’t. He looks so cool with his silver-ish hair, but well, I don’t think that he is the best agent BECAUSE YOU DON’T WEAR THIS TYPE OF CLOTHES AT A BEACH! Thankfully, later in the film he has a different set of casual wear.
I love how fresh this shirt looks, this is what all the cool kids are wearing right now.
There are also some suits in Thunderball, but all suits look same to me, so I think I’m gonna just end here.
