Treasuring the ties that Bond

When the Internet hubbub began over the $5,400 Louis Vuitton Motard Firebird bag that Sarah Jessica Parker gives to Jennifer Hudson in the "Sex and the City" movie, I honestly didn't understand the fuss. I was more excited about the butter-flavored topping on my popcorn than a multicolored handbag. But this is most likely because I tend not to carry a purse.

Cut to this month. I snuck into a critics' screening of the new James Bond movie with the weird title. With a notebook in hand to give myself the appearance of being a serious journalist, I wrote down things like "OMG!!! Those Tom Ford sunglasses are heaven-sent," and "Perfect white shirt: Find immediately." And then it dawned on me. James Bond is the original Carrie Bradshaw - minus the introspective voice-overs. The James Bond series is "Sex and the City" for dudes. Like Carrie, Bond is the ultimate consumer, a style icon with a taste for the finer things. Both are literary characters who made the jump to the big screen, both have a lot of sex, and, most importantly, both enjoy a beverage served in a martini glass.

At that moment I could relate to the excitement my stylish sisters felt over "SATC," because, like all those ladies who wanted to wear Sarah Jessica Parker's couture frocks, I wanted to wear Daniel Craig's $4,000 cashmere Tom Ford cardigan. Because Ian Fleming's hero favors a wardrobe that is more subtle than Candace Bushnell's lovelorn protagonist's, this link isn't obvious at first. But whether they know it or not, men have been strongly influenced by the Bond look.

"Those films have had an immense effect on the way that men dress," says Nick Sullivan, fashion director of Esquire and coauthor of "Dressed to Kill: James Bond: The Suited Hero." "He makes it look effortless, and making it look effortless is really the pinnacle of male style. The moment it looks like you've made too much effort, that's it."

The secret to successful Bond style, which translates to successful personal style, is ease and simplicity. It's the reason why Sean Connery's Bond, who was outfitted in Saville Row, bespoke two-button suits, remains iconic, while Roger Moore's Bond, in off-the-rack blue poly-blend bell-bottoms, does not.

Louise Frogley, the costume designer for "Quantum of Solace," said she went back and watched old James Bond films for inspiration, and, no surprise, she stuck to the Connery canon.

"His look is very accessible, which is why I think it appeals to so many men," she says on the phone from Puerto Rico, where she's working on a George Clooney film. "We dressed Daniel Craig in navy blue, zip-up jackets, polo shirts, and stay-press pants. We just kept it utterly simply. We put him in a suit whenever we can. It coincides with 'Mad Men' as well. I think there's a common consciousness in the air."

The lesson - aside from the fact that blue poly-blend slacks are not timeless - is that the Bond look is relatively easy to re-create. Just ask David Zaritsky, a Pennsylvania advertising executive who's an extreme example of someone who follows the Bond aesthetic. His website, the New Zaritsky Archive, shows his collection of Bond artifacts. But Zaritsky also uses James Bond as a template for his life. He tracks every outfit that Bond wears in his films, then sets about re-creating these ensembles.

"I hate to say it like this, but it's like when a woman is wearing a piece of fine lingerie," he explains. "Only she knows she's wearing it. It does something for her confidence. It's the same for a man and an Omega watch or a Bond suit and tie. It transports you."

Zaritsky confesses that he's "a psychiatrist's dream." His attachment to the spy is a result of his father, whom Zaritsky bonded with (pun intended) over the films. There are, however, more subtle ways to adopt the Bond lifestyle without directly copying Connery's suits, or, heaven forbid, George Lazenby's ruffled tuxedo shirts.

"Keep it very simple," Frogley tells me when I ask for advice. "Find an excellent white shirt that's perfectly fitted. A lot of men wear shirts that are too big around the neck. Find a tie that you really like, but keep it simple. Stick to a tiny repeating pattern rather than a bold statement. Find a plain two-button suit with no pleats in the trousers."

After thanking her, I figure it can't hurt to ask if she has an extra Tom Ford suit hanging around to send my way.

"Sorry, love," she says. "Give me a call when you go on your first secret mission. Then we'll talk."