The thing about James Bond—the point of James Bond—is that almost every man in the universe wants to be him. They want to date Halle Berry, stumble across a pen that’s also a gun, and take the wheel of an Aston Martin. They also lust after the handmade bespoke suits and shoes that are central to Bond’s impossibly cool (if slightly outdated) appeal. The costumes—from Sean Connery’s dinner jacket in 1962’s Dr. No to Daniel Craig's more recent Tom Ford-ified take on the look—defined what a well-dressed man should look like for generations. And, purposely, it's all riotously out of reach. There’s almost nothing attainable about Bond’s enviable lifestyle—which might explain how one of 007’s most basic outfits has become one of the most influential men’s looks in movie history.

About that look: late in 2012’s Skyfall, Daniel Craig’s Bond walks through the Scottish countryside toting a shotgun. He's wearing a Barbour jacket, an almost-teal sweater, jeans, and brogue boots. From a fashion perspective, there’s practically nothing exceptional about this outfit, especially in 2018, where the man with the most technicolor tigers embroidered on his outerwear wins. You could drop Craig in San Francisco, New York, or London in any year over the past several decades and he would still look well-dressed: it’s carefully considered style, but not very exciting. But that hasn’t stopped the outfit from catching fire on Reddit. On the site’s Male Fashion Advice (MFA) forum it’s been dissected, discussed, and broken down by budget several times over. Recently, a post duplicating the outfit in three different price tiers was upvoted almost 8,000 times (for context, the top three posts over the past week barely reached that number combined).

But why is this oh-so-basic vibe Internet catnip? “Unlike [Bond’s] suits or tuxes, this outfit seems accessible to most users' lifestyles, so it's easier to imagine actually going out and wearing those clothes,” Nigel, a moderator for MFA, tells me. That means everything from the broader categories of clothing—blue jeans, built-to-last British outerwear, dashing brogue boots, and an easy-to-wear sweater in a color that won’t put you to sleep—to the brands represented: Barbour, All Saints, and Crockett & Jones, all easy enough to find and buy (or at least save up for). Together, the pieces form a menswear 101 textbook, featuring the sort of building blocks recommended over and again to new menswear fans: investment-grade clothing from brands that are said to never go out of style. “A lot of [MFA] users prefer basic outfits executed well,” says Nigel. “People starting out want strict instructions on how to dress well, so these kinds of posts featuring a list of items for a specific but basic outfit at various budgets become very popular very quickly.” That's why this outfit is arguably the most influential in Bond history. While other Bond looks—the dinner jacket, or the “Goldfinger Suit” from 1964—might be more memorable or more unique, the Skyfall outfit is the one that any guy could wear. It’s also the one most guys actually want to wear. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s all modeled by the historically stylish Bond, and worn by the handsome Craig. “James Bond is already a cultural ideal of a certain form of masculinity,” says Nigel.

Watch Now

Diddy Has Always Been a Style God