A history of Bond Girl fashion

Dr. No: Sylvia Trench

Ursula Andress' Honey Ryder gets all the hype (see next slide), but the true original Bond girl was Eunice Gayson's Sylvia Trench, whom he meets at the very beginning of 1962's Dr. No at—where else?—a poker table. It's a scene full of firsts: Sylvia wears the series' first evening gown, an arresting one-shouldered piece rendered in painstakingly draped red chiffon; she's the first victim of his gambling prowess and his irresistible charm; and she's the first character to whom Sean Connery's 007 ever introduces himself as "Bond. James Bond." (She appears again, briefly, in 1963's From Russia with Love, making her the first repeat Bond girl as well.)

Dr. No: Honey Ryder

Rarely has such a small amount of fabric made such a huge splash. When Ursula Andress' white-bikini-clad shell collector Honey Ryder appears on the beach, conch shell in her hand and dagger strapped to her belt, it inspired the original ideal—and as yet undefeated—vision of a Bond Girl. She's beautiful. She's determined. She's armed.

From Russia With Love: Tatiana Romanova

There are five primary modes of Bond girl chic: As introduced in Dr. No, we have the bikini and the evening gown (the latter appearing, more often than not, at a casino). The second entry in the series introduced two others on Daniela Bianchi as KGB agent-turned-KGB pawn (and Bond accomplice) Tatiana Romanova, played by Daniela Bianchi. First, we have no-nonsense workwear. Second, we have lingerie—in this case a whole wardrobe of blue negligees (the negligees are almost always blue) given to Tatiana by 007. (The fifth category—and the rarest, but still crucial—is obviously ski wear.)

Goldfinger: Jill Masterson

Poor Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton). She gets a bikini moment, but her most unforgettable look also makes for one of the series' most famous deaths (slyly echoed again in 2015's Quantum of Solace): Being covered in gold paint, resulting in "skin suffocation." It's an ensemble nobody should want to replicate, but doesn't she wear it well?

Goldfinger: Pussy Galore

Jill Masterson, covered in gold, is one of the most indelible images to come out of 1964's Goldfinger, but it's Honor Blackman's Pussy Galore who is consistently ranked among the best Bond girls of all time. Strategic and business-minded, Pussy has a no-nonsense approach to style—but that doesn't mean she doesn't dress well. Here, she wears a satiny black suit with hints of gold—a subtle nod to her employer—on her vest and cuffs. Even when it comes to the wearing of a well-cut suit, Bond is well-matched.

Thunderball: Domino Derval

Claudine Auger's Domino, the lovely and sincere sidekick from 1965's Thunderball, sticks to a style theme inspired by her nickname: She always dresses in black, white, or both. Seen here in a casino, she is elegant in innocent white with a matching fur stole; her best look, however, is on the beach, where she wears a color-blocked black and white bikini with a cleverly twisted bodice.

Thunderball: Fiona Volpe

While the sweet love interest Domino sticks to black and white, Luciana Paluzzi's femme fatale Fiona (whose last name is Italian for "fox") stands out in peacock blue throughout the film—especially in moments of danger or betrayal, like trapping an innocent man in this nightgown, or threatening Bond after a tryst in this evening dress and feather boa.

You Only Live Twice: Kissy Suzuki

In 1967's You Only Live Twice, Bond has to go undercover as a humble fisherman on a Japanese island, and Mie Hama's agent Kissy Suzuki (who goes unnamed in the film) poses as his wife. She notably dresses in two vastly different styles: First, in traditional Japanese dress for their mock wedding. Second, in traditional Bond-girl dress (i.e., a white bikini) as she and 007 investigate SPECTRE's shady dealings inside a volcano.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service: Tracy di Vicenzo

In the opening scene of 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service (the only film in the series to star George Lazenby in the lead role), Diana Rigg's first appearance as the troubled Contessa Tracy di Vicenzo heralds a new sartorial era, abandoning the ladylike silhouette and controlled drape of the early '60s with one swoop of these enormous, diaphanous sleeves.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service: Tracy di Vicenzo (again!)

We are not finished with Tracy, who gets more attentive screen time—and has a more extensive, more expensive wardrobe—than most of the Bond girl pantheon. Here she lends new distinction to two classics: A casino gown, in a crisp white with a sparkling structural collar, and a fur coat and hat (the latter of which she later removes to reveal a matching headband).

On Her Majesty's Secret Service: Tracy Bond

Yes, Tracy Bond (née di Vicenzo) deserves three whole slides! This is the woman who stole James Bond's heart! The woman who is 007's match in every way! The woman who effortlessly pulls off a chiffon-caped, daisy-appliqué jumpsuit at her wedding! This is a whole new Bond girl, in more ways than one—and she's one of the very few whose appearance will continue to echo throughout the films that came after hers.

Diamonds Are Forever: Tiffany Case

Sean Connery's last turn in Bond's tux, in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever, also brought a first for the series: An American Bond girl. There would be more—some of them chic—but Jill St. John's flirtatious jewel smuggler with the expensive name made the franchise's first statement about us Yanks, and she made it loudly: We're tacky. To make matters worse, most of Diamonds Are Forever takes place in Las Vegas. Tacky, tacky, tacky.

Live and Let Die: Rosie Carver

Hello and welcome to the '70s, Mr. Bond! Roger Moore's first outing as 007, 1973's Live and Let Die, is perhaps best known for having the series' hardest-rocking theme song. But it deserves to be remembered for its vibrant contemporary wardrobe, too. On Gloria Hendry's agent Rosie Carver, we get a white, shoulder-baring jumpsuit with wide lapels and a circle-buckled belt. Later, Rosie updates the more structured swimsuits we've seen on Bond girls past—usually in plain white—with this colorful string bikini.

Live and Let Die: Solitaire

The plot device of psychic abilities being tied to (and lost with) virginity is stupid, sexist, and better forgotten. Jane Seymour's romantic, otherworldly style as tarot reader Solitaire, however, is worth holding onto. She gets a lot of wardrobe changes over the course of Live and Let Die, but memorable among them are this embroidered turquoise jumpsuit, elaborate red and gold gown, and her long, dreamy nightgown.

The Man with the Golden Gun and The Spy Who Loved Me

After the colorful promise of Live and Let Die, follow-ups The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)—both beloved by fans for their villains—don't offer a lot of thrills, fashion-wise. The most stylish moments in each, in fact, echo each other, with the former film's Andrea Anders (Maud Adams, who will appear again a few films later) and the latter's Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) both wearing V-neck black dresses. Not pictured is Golden Gun's Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland), who does carry a Gucci handbag but otherwise delivers little in terms of style—or, regrettably, in terms of sense.

Moonraker

An unfortunate amount of 1979's Moonraker style consists of space suits. However, as long as we're grounded and globe-trotting, the film's Bond girls dress for their environs. Lois Chiles' scientist Holly Goodhead shimmers in a striped, pleated, beribboned dress in Venice; Emily Bolton's Manuela wears an asymmetrical floral dress, with gorgeous movement, while assisting Bond in Rio.

After the outlandish outer-space exploration moment that is Moonraker, Bond tried going back to basics with 1981's For Your Eyes Only. The result, unfortunately for us, was not sartorially thrilling. So let's skip right along to…

Octopussy: Octopussy

Maud Adams is back, this time as the title character in 1983's Octopussy, in which she is a powerful businesswoman whose small empire of women (one of whom is depicted here, in her red uniform) is based in a remote complex in India. The fabulously wealthy Octopussy is seen in jumpsuits, in saris, in all manner of wardrobe, but nothing expresses her style so well as this personalized silk robe, bearing a painting of the animal that inspired her nickname on the back.

A View to a Kill: May Day

It's hard not to be distracted by Roger Moore being entire decades too old for his role in 1985's A View to a Kill (his last turn in Bond's tux), but if anything can draw attention from it, it's Grace Jones as the menacing May Day. Dressed by her regular collaborator Azzedine Alaïa in a series of clingy, hooded ensembles, the legendary model-musician looks unlike any Bond girl that came before her, but speaks to the spirit of her era perhaps better than any other had. Her sculptural costumes (aided by her hair and makeup) blend sharp angles with sweeping drape, approaching sci-fi even more than spy style. She stands out all the more next to Tanya Roberts' Stacey Sutton, Bond's primary love interest in the film, an innocent blonde whose style is as hyper-feminine as Jones' is androgynous and who almost always wears pastels opposite Jones in black.

The Living Daylights: Kara Milovy

It's called The Living Daylights, but considering it came out in 1987, we're officially in the Dark Ages of 20th-century style. Maryam d'Abo's cellist Bond girl Kara Milovy isn't serving much of a look here in her cold-weather day wear. The really grim news is that in this scene, Timothy Dalton's Bond (the actor's first appearance in the role) buys her a dress to wear the opera, and her big show-stopping piece is… the blue beaded monstrosity on the right.

Licence to Kill

In Dalton's second and last turn as 007, 1989's Licence to Kill, we have another study in contrasts. On the same night in a casino, Bond's sidekick Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) and the villain's girlfriend Lupe Lamora (Talisa Soto) wear evening dresses that are almost exact opposites—businesslike Pam wears a black, beaded, high halter that shows off her bare shoulders, and seductive Lupe opts for a low-cut long-sleeved number, with a slight puff at the shoulder, in bright red lace.

GoldenEye: Xenia Onatopp

We're in the '90s now, so we've all developed a taste for camp, right? Pierce Brosnan's first tangle with a villainous Bond girl came in 1995's GoldenEye, in the form of Famke Janssen's Xenia Onatopp—yes, that is her name!—who murders people with her thighs. Her wardrobe has more than just a whiff of the Cruella de Vil about it, all sharp black suits with dramatically curling high necks, and some (like this one) with mirror embellishments that look potentially dangerous. And in case anyone wasn't sure she was a bad guy, why not throw in a cigar, held between her black-gloved fingers?

Tomorrow Never Dies: Wai Lin

Teri Hatcher appears in a black feathered evening gown that almost recalls Xenia's campy glamour (only it's a little bit romantic rather than a little bit psychotic), but 1996's Tomorrow Never Dies belongs to Michelle Yeoh's Wai Lin, a Chinese spy who keeps it sporty, whether dressed for a party in a silver gown or a chase sequence in a black catsuit.

The World Is Not Enough: Dr. Christmas Jones

Speaking of keeping it sporty: Denise Richards' nuclear physicist Dr. Christmas Jones sticks with the tiniest of tank tops and shortest of short shorts in 1999's The World Is Not Enough. When she really must wear a dress, she opts for minis that wouldn't be out of place in a Y2K teen movie.

The World Is Not Enough: Elektra King

It's okay that Richards keeps it casual (in her defense, she always kept it casual even when she was one of the Real Housewives, for whom dressing up is practically a blood sport), considering The World Is Not Enough's shady heiress Elektra King, played by Sophie Marceau, has a glamorous enough wardrobe for them both. Throughout the film, she is never less than absolutely decadent, but in the classic 007 contexts of a casino and a ski slope, she epitomizes Bond-girl chic for a new millennium.

Die Another Day: Jinx Johnson

Fresh off her Oscar win, Halle Berry entered the Bond-verse in 2002's Die Another Day as Jinx Johnson, an NSA agent who can match Bond's banter—and whose most infamous fashion moment recalled his past. In a much-publicized shot, Jinx emerges from the ocean in a bright orange bikini with a dagger tucked into its white belt, reinventing the image of Andress' Honey Ryder for a new generation.

Die Another Day

Die Another Day gets its evening gown moment, too, just inside a frozen palace instead of at a baccarat table. Yes, you read that right! Berry's Jinx and Rosamund Pike's Miranda Frost share an icy exchange in their jewel-encrusted, extremely early-aughts gowns.

Casino Royale: Vesper Lynd

After the invisible-car antics of Die Another Day, Daniel Craig's series of turns as Bond brought the franchise back to basics, beginning with 2006's romantic, suspenseful Casino Royale. The success of the film hinged not only on Craig's new take on the role, but also on Eva Green as his love interest Vesper Lynd—the rare Bond girl that really could last. The film revolves around a high-stakes poker game that Bond has to win, and Vesper arrives in the room—in part to distract his competitors, Bond instructs, though he's the one whose focus she really pulls—wearing this crystal-encrusted dress (in one of the mid-aughts' beloved jewel tones). She pairs it with her signature knot necklace, which carries great meaning.

Skyfall

Casino Royale's follow-up, 2008's Quantum of Solace, is already few people's favorite Bond film, and it doesn't move us forward much from a style standpoint, either. So we move ahead to 2012's popular Skyfall, in which Bond meets Naomie Harris' new take on the classic character Moneypenny as well as Bérénice Marlohe's tragic Sévérine. Accompanying Bond on a mission, Moneypenny wears an architectural pale-gold evening dress; meeting Bond on that same night, Sévérine chooses a black bustier gown with sheer embroidered sleeves. But there's more to the latter look than meets the (untrained) eye; as Bond observes to Sévérine, "Only a certain kind of woman wears a backless dress with a Beretta 70 strapped to her thigh."

Spectre: Dr. Madeleine Swann

As 007's main love interest in 2016's Spectre, Léa Seydoux changed the Bond girl game. Not unlike Thunderball's Domino Derval, Seydoux's Dr. Madeleine Swann tends to prefer black, white, and, in one memorable instance, platinum; her distinctly French style tends not to be ostentatiously sexy but characterized instead by great attention to cut and detail. She never wears a low neckline, but is seductive nonetheless in her silvery evening gown with a bateau neck and empire waist; later, her white blouse and black lace dress (the latter of which, it is worth noting, is not her own) make use of sheer textiles that suggest rather than reveal. Madeleine, like James Bond, understands that true glamour lies in understatement.

No Time to Die: Paloma

Daniel Craig's last turn in 007's tux, 2021's No Time to Die, was a Bond movie like no other. But the thrilling sequence featuring Ana de Armas' Paloma, a CIA agent assisting Bond in Havana, offers all the classic elements of the franchise—including a high-slit, high-glam evening gown in a perfectly contemporary silhouette. The slinky navy slip dress is from Australian designer Michael Lo Sordo (and available on his eponymous label's website, as the "Bond 007 Paloma" dress, to order for yourself!). Showing maximum skin, allowing for maximum movement, and delivering maximum skirt-swish, the bias-cut, strappy-backed piece is a true feat of engineering—and an instant classic in Bond girl fashion history.