Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall (2012). Adapted from an image sourced at thunderballs.org.
Vitals
Daniel Craig as James Bond, “resurrected” British secret agent
London, Spring 2012
Film: Skyfall
Release Date: November 9, 2012
Director: Sam Mendes
Costume Designer: Jany Temime
Background
Having been assumed dead after taking friendly fire in the field, James Bond returns from self-imposed exile. However, before he can go from “resurrection” to active duty, the British Secret Service needs to make sure their most famous secret agent can still shoot straight.
Following the attack on their Vauxhall Cross headquarters, SIS has set up temporary shop in the concrete bowels of the Old Vic tunnels under London, and it’s here that Bond runs through a variety of exercises from treadmills to crash drills. The service’s ever-affable chief of staff, Bill Tanner (Rory Kinnear), attempts to save time by bringing 007 up to speed on his new assignment, but months on a Greek beach fueled by Heineken and vintage Macallan haven’t made it easy for Mr. Bond to catch his breath.
Tanner: We can always do this later.
Bond: You know what? Let’s.
Although Daniel Craig’s 007 was often referred to by his Royal Navy rank, Commander Bond never actually appeared in uniform on film during Craig’s era. In fact, the closest we saw to Craig’s James Bond in any sort of uniform—aside from when the actor himself received his honorary commission in 2021—was when he was put to these tests in Skyfall, resurrected and ready to be retrained by his superiors… and dressed the part in an SIS-marked track jacket and training shirt.
SIS Training Gear recognized the opportunity for Bond fans to borrow from our favorite secret agent’s style, not with a tailored suit or trim navy polo but through an increasingly growing selection of activewear that started with just a pair of T-shirts and joggers, designed to resemble Craig’s screen-worn apparel. Since then, the collection has grown to a wide and exciting lineup of a range of casual styles that reference Bond films across the franchise’s 60 years. I’m pleased to announce that BAMF Style readers can save 10% at SIS Training Gear purchases by clicking here or adding the promo code “BAMF” at checkout.
Formally known as SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) or—more colloquially—MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6), the United Kingdom’s foreign intelligence division was formed on July 4, 1909, as the foreign section of what was then known as the Secret Service Bureau. Following Ian Fleming’s work with SIS during World War II, the author enlisted his famous literary creation into the service of his former employer, establishing James Bond as arguably the most notable fictional SIS agent of all time.
What’d He Wear?
As with all of 007’s clothing, a breakdown of the outfit can be read in perfect detail as written by Matt Spaiser at Bond Suits. You can also learn more about this and see photos of the screen-worn pieces at James Bond Lifestyle. Almost the entire outfit—jacket, pants, shirt, and shoes—were auctioned by Prop Store in December 2020, selling for £18,750… just about £4,000 less than his influential midnight blue tuxedo worn several scenes later.
Craig’s long-sleeved navy-blue “muscle shirt” isn’t your average T-shirt, instead made from a tight performance-oriented cloth finely waffle-knit to cling to his athletic frame. The shirt’s narrow crew-neck is ribbed, likely echoed on the cuffs of the sleeves that he pushes up his forearms. The set-in sleeves are detailed with exposed stitching around the armholes. The left breast is decorated with the silver-embroidered SIS logo, a variation of the UK’s Royal Coat of Arms with a crowned English lion and a unicorn (representing Scotland) flanking a royal crown above the letters “SIS”.
When the SIS Training Gear collection was being developed, the founder started with a version of the long-sleeved shirt that Craig had worn on screen which remains the brand’s best-selling item.
Bond takes a break from retraining himself for active duty.
SIS evidently co-opted the royal blue track jacket from the British Army’s Physical Training Instructor (PTI) kit, claiming it for their own service by again embroidering their crest in silver thread over the left breast. According to James Bond Lifestyle and the Prop Store auction, the screen-worn jacket was made by German athleisure giant PUMA, though the branding on the left sleeve is a dark blue that blends against the rest of the jacket.
With a tightly woven cotton-blend shell and fleece lining, the track jacket has a round, narrowly banded crew-neck that echoes the base layer shirt beneath it. Both the front zipper extending from the hem to neck and the horizontal set-in pocket over the left breast zip closed with a blue-painted PUMA-branded pull tab. The set-in sleeves have elasticized cuffs.
Bond approaches the perforated target, empty PPK in hand.
Bond’s blue track pants match the jacket, albeit without SIS adding their crest anywhere visible. (SIS Training Gear explained that there was such demand for logos on their repro pants that the company forewent screen accurate in order to satisfy the wishes of customers by creating the Training Logo Joggers.)
These pants have a clean-presenting yet elasticized waistband that hold them up without a visible drawcord. Each side has a vertical zippered pocket, and the bottoms are elasticized like “joggers” with a foot-long zipper up the outside of each leg. In his Bond Suits writeup, Matt Spaiser notes the rib sewn down the center of each leg, noting that the resulting crease provides “a more military-like look” appropriate for Commander Bond… even if he’s a Royal Navy officer dressed in the garb of a different branch.
Did Bond’s discomfort with the closely observed, stiff-armed shooting remind anyone else of The Sundance Kid asking Percy Garris “…can I move?”
Bond’s Adidas Gazelle 2 sneakers are the first we see of his training apparel, worn with the functional—if uncool—white athletic crew socks, likely made from a breathable cotton blend. Adidas took inspiration from soccer shoes to design the Gazelle, which was introduced in 1968 and remains one of the most recognized sneakers more than a half-century later.
Bond’s Gazelle uppers are a rich dark blue nubuck that Adidas calls “dark indigo”, configured with a T-toe and detailed with the brand’s signature triple leather stripes on each side, tonally colored in a paler shade that Adidas calls “Argentina blue”. James Bond Lifestyle observed that commercial Gazelle 2 sneakers would have Argentina blue-colored heels as well, though these were likely blackened for production to better conceal the conspicuous “Trefoil” logo. (Evidently, Adidas didn’t have the sweet terms of Heineken’s product placement deal.)
Bond’s Gazelles are laced with flat dark blue woven cotton laces through seven sets of eyelets, and the outsoles are white rubber.
Don’t you step on Bond’s blue suede shoes!
While the Gazelle 2 has been discontinued as of February 2022, Adidas has reissued an earlier version in a “collegiate navy”-and-white colorway, available via Adidas and Amazon.
It’s perhaps worth noting that this is one of the few scenes across Craig’s tenure where Bond does not wear a wristwatch, let alone any of the attractive Omega watches he’s contractually obligated to sport on screen.
My SIS Training Gear Shirt
After learning about SIS Training Gear's offerings, I picked up a Basic Training T-shirt in the Bond-approved navy color. I chose this particular short-sleeved T-shirt in part because I wasn't confident how a muscle-fit shirt would look on my, uh, lumpier-than-Daniel-Craig frame, as well as being drawn to the fact that the SIS logo was embroidered on.
Made from 100% cotton, the tee is comfortable and flattering (if I may say so myself) and adds a subtle but meaningful incorporation of one of my favorite screen characters into my wardrobe without being either too esoteric or too obvious. I'll certainly be buying more from SIS Training Gear in the future, whether it's building up my training gear with jacket and joggers or browsing the "Spy Collection" for shirts, caps, and mugs that add a twist of 007 to my life.
My T-shirt from SIS Training Gear, modeled in my basement to try to replicate the Old Vic Tunnels as seen during Bond's training montage in Skyfall. (The watch is an inexpensive but rather reliable Casio MDV106-1A diver on a black resin strap.)
The Gun
Our hero hasn’t yet been assigned his unique palm-reading PPK/S, so Bond shows off his skill—or perhaps his rustiness—with a trusty older-model Walther PPK, with a blued steel frame and presumably chambered for the smaller .32 ACP round.
Bond takes aim with his Walther PPK.
The first shot hits about a foot too far to the left for Bond’s intended headshot. He makes a second attempt, now taking more time to steady his aim rather than firing from a draw, but he still hits low, now a few inches to the right of his target’s neck. With a frustrated look behind him at the recorder taping the session, he grits his teeth and charges the target at a steady pace, firing as he does and coming closer to emptying the PPK’s remaining seven rounds. (The fact that Bond’s PPK is shown to be loaded with nine rounds suggests a potential continuity error as the PPK can only be loaded with a total of eight rounds—seven in the magazine, one in the chamber—and even one less if it’s .380 ACP model.)
The results aren’t perfect but it shows that, however he needs to do it, 007 can still get the job done.
How to Get the Look
Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall (2012)
Thanks to SIS Training Gear, you can easily build a look to work out like England’s top super-spy… or just accent your wardrobe with a few nods to 007 without needing to break the bank on too many tailored suits.
- Navy-blue waffle-knit crew-neck long-sleeve “performance” T-shirt with exposed armhole stitching
- Long Sleeve Training Shirt from SIS Training Gear
- Royal-blue cotton-blend zip-up crew-neck track jacket with zippered-breast-pocket and set-in-sleeves with elasticized cuffs
- Lightweight Jacket from SIS Training Gear
- Royal-blue cotton-blend “jogger”-style track pants with zip-up side pockets and zip-up elasticized bottoms
- Training Logo Joggers from SIS Training Gear
- Dark-blue nubuck leather Adidas Gazelle 2 sneakers with triple light-blue leather side stripes, white rubber outsoles, and dark-blue laces
- White cotton-blend athletic crew socks
Do Yourself a Favor and…
Check out the movie and be sure to browse SIS Training Gear, using promo code “BAMF” for 10% off your purchase!
The Quote
After the day proves to be less than promising, Bond arrives at his final evaluation, this time a mental exam that begins with a tweedy psychologist asking for word associations. Naturally, the laconic Bond is dismissive but plays along until he’s prompted with… “Skyfall.” Receiving no response to the dig at the skeletons in Bond’s closet—or priest hole, more accurately—the doctor asks again, to which Bond replies before walking out of the room:
Done.
The post Skyfall: James Bond’s SIS Training Gear appeared first on BAMF Style.