My Word is My Bond

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Dress: Wayne by Wayne Cooper satin

Heels: Wittner leather, suede

Bag: French Connection suede with silver hardware

Hinged Bangle: Precious Stones Jewellers silver

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These pictures were snapped as I was on my way to hear a panel discussion about the relevancy of Bond movies (particularly focusing those prior to the 1980s) in this post-modern, uber-feminist world & whether or not the so-called traditional "Bond Girl" is detrimental to the psyche of young women or simply just "all in good fun." 

Avid readers of this blog will probably already be aware that I am a serious film buff, especially when it comes to "classic" or "cult" films & I'm not ashamed to admit that the "old Bonds" are my favourites - the ones starring Sean Connery or Roger Moore, that is - as they aren't super serious, intensely realistic or graphically violent, which certainly makes them stand out from the more modern interpretations with Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan or even Timothy Dalton. As far as I'm concerned, the films are a product of their time & often their depictions of gender & race are not what we would expect to hear or see in films today. Some of Sean Connery's lines in Thunderball are downright cringe-worthy, to be honest, but I don't take it all that seriously. I enjoy the films for their overarching theme of good versus evil... where good always wins. Let's face it, Bond is pretty much one of the WORST spies in history, jumping into situations headfirst with arrogant bravado that often finds him on the receiving end of some kind of ridiculously complicated punishment that actually allows him to buy time to escape, usually to the detriment of many - if not all - of his co-star's characters & yet, he continues to triumph because he's on the side of good. The fact that he does it beside a scantily-clad, much-younger-than-he-is Bond Girl who is desperate to jump into bed with him at the slightest provocation is, while sometimes tacky or unnerving, is really just a laughable sign of times-gone-by & a fanciful figment of an author's fevered imagination... well, at least that's how I choose to see it. And let's face it, in the cases of Domino Derval (Thunderball, 1965), Aki (You Only Live Twice, 1967), Teresa de Vincenzo (On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 1969) & Solitaire (Live & Let Die, 1973) I kind of covet her retro wardrobe...

After that diatribe, I suppose I should have a word here about the look I styled up for the occasion. I'm feeling very "Bond Girl" as I pose up a storm wearing a gorgeous monochrome polka dot satin "wiggle" dress with asymmetrical ruffled strap from Wayne Cooper Events (exclusive to Myer), a pair of black leather & suede heels with ankle straps from Wittner to elongate my frame, boxy black suede handbag with oversized silver handles from French Connection to carry all the essentials & finally, a chunky hinged bangle in an "art deco" wave shape from Precious Stones Jewellers for that touch of daytime shine.