Whys and Wherefores: Season 1, Issue 6
"look at this peacoat, tell me he's broke"
Somehow, someway, my fashion origins always trackback to Bond. My very first byline ever focused on the famous spy. I was obsessed with every look Daniel Craig wore in Skyfall, and I know certainly wasn’t the only one. There are so many different pieces dissecting the look from Reddit to GQ. As great as the famed “Scotland” fit is, the Skyfall look I couldn’t get enough of featured a designer who I’d come to love: Alabama’s very own Billy Reid.
The story behind the Billy Reid Bond Peacoat is this: Craig liked the jacket so much he told Skyfall costume designer Jany Temime he wanted to wear it in the film. The Bond of it all isn’t due to James; instead, the coat’s namesake comes from the fact Billy’s NYC store is on Bond street. It’s a humorous coincidence, though.
Bond — both the character and the coat — put me onto Billy as a designer. Finding out Billy was from Alabama was of particular personal interest; I only remember little pieces of growing up as a toddler there. But fashion in the South, broadly speaking, involves many trips to Belk’s to stock up on Vineyard Vines and Southern Tide polos. The idea that a Southern designer could be up to the standards of James Bond kind of blew my mind.
The only Billy Reid store in SC was in Charleston, which wasn’t exactly around the corner from me living in both Columbia and Greenville. But when I moved to DC, I saw the Georgetown location and knew I wanted to shop there.
My grandfather used to give all his grandkids money for Christmas each year and insisted we spend it on something we wouldn’t usually get for ourselves. I typically took half of this money and spent it while saving the other half. And while I’d picked up a few Billy pieces here and there — mostly stuff that hit a sale — I hadn’t sprung for something full price. I decided to take his advice and invest in a nice coat.
I had a Uniqlo topcoat I’d been using but wanted something with a little more character. And while I thought about going for the Bond peacoat, I didn’t want to just get the same thing as Bond. Sure, Skyfall had brought Billy to my attention to begin with, but I wanted a coat that felt like it was my coat, which is how I ended up with the Astor.
To me, Billy’s designs are modern in cut but are often crafted in an unconventional, old-school way. For example, the Astor looks like more of a knit than it does a wool coat, which gives it a real heft and tangibility. It also just fit me like a glove and felt like something I could wear forever if I take care of it well enough. It’d be an heirloom I to pass on when I’m gone. There are little details that just make me feel good when I wear it; the leather in the collar helps it stand better when you pop it up, the ticket pocket is big enough to fit a Kindle or a book, the drape of it feels like a cape, the double-breasted silhouette just looks posh. The Astor was one of the first things I bought on my own that felt like I was stepping my fashion up a level.
I think about all the memories I’ve already made in this coat in the almost four years that I’ve had and smile. I’ve worn it to birthday brunches, to the movies, to Christmas parties, and more. I’m struck by just how my mood changes for the better when I wear it. That’s the power and appeal of fashion, exemplified in one piece. I’m no James Bond — but I sure feel like him when I wear this coat.
I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. I took the week off, but happy to be back at it.
Lots of work-related news on my end. I wrote a bunch of stuff for Complex including a guide to reading Miles Morales comics, a review of last week’s action-packed episode of The Mandalorian, a timeline of Dave Chappelle’s history with Viacom CBS, and a deep dive into the ramifications of yesterday’s news that WarnerMedia will put all of their 2021 theatrical slate onto HBO Max. I tried to stay calm as I could about the future of movies.
For Robb Report, I spoke with Jack Carlson of Rowing Blazers about their Babar collaboration. I truly believe it to be one of the best collections of the year and talking with Jack is always a pleasure, as he’s one of the most passionate guys I’ve met in the industry.
I hope your holiday season is off to a good start. I’ve got some cool ideas to close out the year for this. Also, in the spirit of (belated) Thanksgiving, I just want to say thank you for reading. It’s been a fun ride thus far — for me at least! — and I hope you feel the same. Until next time.
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