There's a reason James Bond hypnotises generations of men (and women). He's polished. He's cool, the classic kind. And behind the macho veneer of womanising and sin, his intentions are, deep down, very pure: he wants to save the world, and frequently does so.

Oh how very dull. For why rescue a planet hellbent on ruining itself when you can hold it to ransom? Yes, while 007 wasted time commando rolling around burning buildings, a litany of nefarious men aimed for global domination – and they did so in some very nice menswear.

No Savile Row suits, but cardigans and corduroys in Auric Goldfinger's favourite colour (which is gold, if you weren't aware). No special ops knitwear, but the menacing monochrome of technerd-tycoon Elliot Carver. And rather than go for the coiffed, ladykiller side-parting, Ernest Stavro Blofeld chose to go sans follicles entirely. Because evil men don't play by the rules. They don't have to be liked. Instead, they march to the beat of their wicked, C4-rigged drum, and they do so in some exceedingly good menswear.

Here's our definitive ranking of the best-dressed Bond villains.