Wellcultured - Well Cultured is a men’s online magazine with advice and reviews on fashion, dating, finances, health, music, movies and many other topics, as well as a robust message board and the Well Cultured Guide, a freely editable community wiki.

I occasionally wish I was a super-rich magazine writer that had a business account. That way, I could excuse virtually anything I did on “writing topics”- watching movies, going to shows, drinking exorbitant amounts at fancy bars, going to random foreign countries “just because”- the works. That isn’t happening (owning the place you write for negates the fun of handling the money), but recently I took the time to go see the new Bond film everyone is talking about- Quantum of Solace- and try to see what all of the self-proclaimed fashionistas on the internet are raving about.

The Movie

Quantum of Solace, as you more than likely already know, is the sequel to Casino Royale, the first in the new line of Bond films starring Daniel Craig, the guy most people know for starring opposite of Angelina Jolie in the absolutely horrible Lara Croft: Tomb Raider flick. The movie is essentially about Bond going somewhat (if not all the way) solo as he rages over the death of Vesper Lind (Eva Green) and fights to stop the wannabe environmentalist Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) from taking over the water supply of Bolivia. If this sounds like one of the most boring James Bond plots yet, you are entirely correct.

The first thing noticeable about the new Bond movies is that Daniel Craig has been outfitted in oldschool British tailoring, as opposed to his predecessor, Pierce Brosnan, who wore Italian cut suits (which were sometimes a bit ridiculous, admittedly). The big name in this new movie is Tom Ford, who did the design for Craig’s suits, glasses, and pretty much everything but his underwear- so you know it’s going to be stylish.

The “main uniform” of James Bond- the black suit- is back and better than ever. Well tailored and with a clear English cut (three pockets, two buttons, very tight tailoring)- it’s all essentially perfect. The lapels are relatively narrow (As are the shoulders, or as narrow as they can  get), but the waist is taken in very tightly, which gives the “skirt” part of the jacket a little bit of move. There are no belts whatsoever. The suit is apparently also made with old school mohair tonic fabric- an old 60s fabric that apparently was used to give a more “classic” look, reminiscing back to the Sean Connery days of James Bond.

Craig’s suit is not accented with much other than what you might expect- a pocket square and a nice crisp french cuff shirt with cufflinks. Nothing ostentatious at all- hell, even the ties are rather demure. The key theme of the new James Bond via Tom Ford seems to be keeping it low-key- and thus classy. This isn’t surprising, considering this seems to be a recurring theme nowadays- but it’s interesting to see James Bond, formerly known for heavy italian suits and big watches (and even bigger cell phones) now keeping it minimal.

Bond does change out of the standard black suit, which begins to show the real versatility of the costume designer, Louise Frogley. Bond is also seen in a nice full length double breasted topcoat with the lapels popped (or some form of long black coat, I was barely able to make out what it was), a rather large padded bomber of some sort, and even a dark blue polo with jeans.

One of the most notable changes to Bond’s wardrobe are the sunglasses, newly designed by Tom Ford. With a strange bridge bar running from both lenses and slightly turned eye drop style lenses, the silver aviators are anything but traditional. By all means, I personally liked the design, but even on Craig they seemed ever so slightly stupid looking. Too bad.

Overall, Quantum of Solace costume designer Louise Frogley did an incredible job doing what she did- and while the Tom Ford glasses were a bit strange, I felt that the movie all together did a very good job getting the “James Bond Feeling”- something the movie itself, outside of the fashion, kinda failed at doing. I’m still somewhat angry that not only did Bond not use a single useful gadget, but he also seemed to forget to visit Q, or do anything else useful other than go Peter-Parker-in-Spiderman 3 emo. But whatever.

So, what lessons can we learn from Quantum of Solace?

First, go without the belt. I know I’ve advised against it before, but it seems that it’s finally picking up in pop culture enough to go with it safely. Sure, it’s been the “correct” way to wear suits for quite some time, but I think it’s finally time for a miniature belt-less revolution.

Second off, keep it simple, stupid. Bond is dressed simply for a reason- minimalism is the new maximalism. Go understated, clean, and stylish, and you will always win.

Third off, ties that match your eyes are always good. Craig dons a gray-blue tie that matches his eyes, and you could do very well matching that. For brown eyes, a brown tie may be a bit silly, but a black tie could never hurt.

Finally, no-one can stress the importance of arm candy. Get one or two hot women and have them walk around you periodically. You will always look better.

How to Get the Look

The “Bond Suit”

• A Black Suit with a slight sheen (be it legitimate mohair tonic fabric or not)
• A crisp white french cuff (not barrel cuff) shirt
• A white handkerchief for a pocket square
• A gray-blue, gray, or light tan tie
• Black Oxfords(?)
• Simple metal cufflinks

Yep, that’s it. No belt, no tie clip, no expensive jewelry- nothing. The key here is all in the tailoring. Daniel Craig’s suit is so damned amazing because it is tailored incredibly well- tight in the stomach, slightly (but not too) loose in the coat skirt, and so well tailored in the pants that it needs neither belt nor pleats. If you want this kind of suit, it doesn’t matter too much what you buy so much as where you get it tailored- so start hunting for a good tailor.

The Tuxedo

• Peak Lapel Black Tuxedo
• Crisp white Tuxedo shirt (Or a standard white french cuff shirt, I can’t tell which he wears)
• Black bowtie
• Black Oxfords(?)
• Simple metal cufflinks

Again, very damned simple. The tailoring is the same as the “Bond Suit” above- it’s all about making it fit perfectly, so no matter where you get a tuxedo, you’re essentially forced to rely on the skill of your tailor to make this look right. Unfortunate, but true.

The Polo

• Dark blue fitted polo
• Dark wash jeans (Straight leg?)
• Tan leather (suede?)
• Aviator Sunglasses

Chances are, you probably have one or two of the above in your own wardrobe. This isn’t a very “James Bond” outfit, but it still can be rocked fairly easily.

Recently, the Wellcultured team has been getting a slew of e-mails asking about how to handle proms. Proms, which generally translate into “overblown highschool parties”, are generally held this time of year- so it’s right about time we give you some ideas on how to handle prom well.

The Basics

First off, let’s define what a prom is. A prom is not, like many may believe, an opportunity to have sex. In fact, chances are, you will not be getting sex after prom. Pop culture has sent you one big whopping lie- taking that lie and running with it is foolish. A Prom is really a social dance, one that floats between semi-formal and formal wear, depending on the situation and the school. In most American schools, there are two main proms- the junior prom and the senior prom, each for the respective grade level. It is not some sort of mythical Disney-esque ball where girls become women, nor is it soemthing to the equivelant of a Debutante Ball, where girls are presented to some higher court. Nowadays, at least in America and most of Europe, proms are essentially an excuse to get all the highschoolers together to “dance”.

This sounds negative, but it’s important to understand that proms are typically taken way too damned seriously by most highschoolers (as most highschoolers take highschool way too damn seriously). Prom is not the end-all of the world, and if you “screw up” at prom, your life is not over. Still, that’s not saying you can’t put some effort into making it nice and memorable- so this guide is going to help you do that.

Step 1: Plan.

As a guy, your primary job is going to be making everything as effortless as possible, as it is on virtually any date. If you plan to go with a partner (which isn’t actually necessary, see below), your goal will be to make all the transitions fast, the cups full, and everything feel effortless. Most girls want to be treated like princesses (and unfortunately some want to be treated as queens), so you need to make them feel special.

So far as clothing goes, keep standard and classy. Figure out what your school expects- at the very least, plan to wear a suit. Keep relatively conservative if you can- your most classy and safest bet will be a black three-button business suit with a fairly regular cut- no wide lapels or anything of that nature. Everything else (your shirt and tie) should be based upon what your date wears- many girls will provide you with a samlple of the color of the cloth. Try to match your tie with the color of the dress- you can even match your shirt if it’s something standard (no pink). You may also opt for a pocket square using a hankerchief (generally the color of your tie in this case)- if you do, keep the square normal and go for a single fold or something similar. Trust me, you are a teenager, no-one will think your eloquently folded puff design will be intentional, they will think you messed up. While we’re on the topic, black leather shoes (or similar), and if you decide to wear french cuffs (which are the cuff style that require cufflinks), go easy on the cufflinks- no diamonds or platinum or anything.

You will be expected to purchase a corsage. Do so at the advice of the girl or a parent on either side, and keep it close to her dress color if possible.

While it’s done occasionally, going overboard (such as renting limos) is simply ridiculous. While it’s fine if you plan to go with friends and just want to do something entertaining, doing it as some sort of attempt to entertain the girl is, at least in my opinion, poor taste. In the same sense that I would not recommend you buying her a diamond necklace for prom, I would not recommend paying for a limo just to transport her to prom.

Her parents, depending on their strictness on the date, may demand to chaperone or otherwise inflict rules on your date. This is fine- to a point. You need to have the guts to scare off a parent if they decide to literally follow you everywhere, or otherwise attempt to cause you problems (such as belittling you, as I’ve heard before). Don’t be a jackass, just don’t be a push-over- you want the date to be fun, not hell.

One important note- don’t feel like a jackass if you don’t get a date. Plenty of fun can be had just showing up. Most girls don’t JUST dance with their date (unless they have some sort of attachment, like most existing couples tend to have), so don’t feel like you got left out.

Step 2: Dancing and Eating

While most proms do not have complete sit-down dinner affairs, there will be some snacks/drinks, and there will obviously be dancing.

Eating-wise, I would actually recommend you eat a little bit before you go. The reason for this is simple- parties like this are not for stuffing your face, therefore, you may get to eat a little bit (or not at all). Eat a sandwich or a quick snack before you go that will last you a few hours and you should be set.

You may go to dinner with your date beforehand. I would still recommend eating a teensy bit beforehand just to not seem like a pig. Normal dinner date rules apply here- be polite, courteous, and try to loosen her up for the inevitable dancing later.

When you do eat, try a little bit of stuff, but don’t hang around the buffet table, and certainly do not eat when your date is not (and standing with you). It’s classy to offer to get her a drink or food, which you can do (but don’t over-do it).

While this rarely applies, the normal party open-container rule applies here: don’t drink out of them. Punch bowls can be spiked with alcohol or who knows what, so avoid them if you can. This is another plus of eating beforehand: you don’t have to deal with such crap.

Dancing wise, I can only think of the movie Hitch- your job is to sway back and forth. Unless your dance partner actually knows how to dance, throwing her around is not advised- and similarly, it’s not advised for you to try to fake it with girls who do know how to. Most modern “dance” parties nowadays are no different than glorified concerts anwyay, so don’t expect that you will be able to show off prowess, at least in that regard.

Generally, many highschools will attempt to be clever by playing some sort of then-popular song (some techno song, or more popularly, Soulja Boy) and expecting you to dance to it. If you know how, do so. Just don’t expect to keep dancing like you were before.

Step 3: Interacting with your Date

If you have a date (again, which is not necessary), expect that she will more than likely not be dancing just with you. Most highschool girls will completely trounce your ego by running off to their girlfriends and incessantly chatting, dancing with other guy friends, and generally ignoring you. Face it- most girls see this as an upper-tier social function, not a date. While I wouldn’t wish such crap on any guy, it happens- so you need to be prepared.

When you arrive, expect her to want to talk with her friends. If she’s a nice classy girl, she will introduce you (if you don’t already know them). Be nice, but obviously keep the girl to yourself when you can without being pushy- if the talk dies down, invite her to dance or ask if she wants food. NEVER get irate and sulk in the corner, she will entirely ditch you.

This part of the prom is not very hard- just keep with her, like some sort of arm ornament, and try to enjoy yourself. All you need to do is make sure you don’t go overboard- don’t get angry if she ignores you, don’t get too grabby or protective, and don’t expect a kiss. Leave the latter to be a surprise, if it ever comes.

If you get ditched (or if you just didn’t have a date in the first place), hang out with friends, talk to girls sitting back, and just generally shoot the breeze. Dance if you feel like inviting someone. It isn’t really hard once you muster up the balls to do it- and once you get rolling, it’s a lot easier.

Step 4: Knowing when to leave

You should leave when you feel things dying down. Granted, this is hard to notice, but a good indicator is when others are beginning to leave. With all the eating, dancing, and talking, most are guaranteed to get tired, so prepare to read the signs of exhaustion from your date (or from yourself) and be the one offering to drive her home.

When you do go home, take her home- none of this “let’s go to a motel” shit. Don’t try anything funny at the last minute- that will be the thing she remembers most. Feel free to act normally, but anything overboard can make the whole experience a collosal failure- so just be normal.

Overall, the message here is to be yourself and don’t do anything nuts. While you obviously want to potray the best version of yourself you can, you can ruin a prom quickly by trying to force things- such as renting a limo or something ridiculous like that. In the long run, prom means very little- but you can make it mean a whole lot by doing the right things.

Of course, we like to hear about epic victories, so post on the forums if anything good comes of it!