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Mr Bond, we've been expecting you - for eighteen months

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In September 2021, finally, the Bond movie 'No Time to Die' was released, and most felt it.was worth the wait - no spoilers! If you find a celebratory Bond event coming up, we do offer a few Bond-style outfits..Alternatively, why not forget the personnel and go for representing the film titles in costume? As long as you can put up with the groans as you explain your clever/bad pun, here are a few suggestions..: 

1. Dr No – Doctor’s Coat with a ‘No’ hospital name badge

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2. From Russia with Love  - Russian Hussar, Baboushka

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3. Goldfinger – Gold painted finger. Gold cutsuit/suit and gold make-up. Gold painted girl.

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4. Thunderball – Giant Lottery Draw ticket.

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5. You Only Live Twice – A zombie-style outfit with a badge ‘I didn’t believe in reincarnation last time either’

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6. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – There is a secret agent costume on the market, or you can use a tuxedo morphsuit.

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7. Diamonds Are Forever – Marilyn Monroe, or any costume based on the card suit

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8. Live & Let Die – Witchdoctor/Baron Samedi.

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9. Moonraker – Yokel with rake. Astronaut with rake. Mooning astronaut with rake!

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10. The Man With the Golden Gun – Pretty obvious, although as the film featured a laser-style ‘sun gun’ (the Other golden gun), a yellow parabolic reflector ‘Big ear’ listening device might be a novelty

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11. The Spy Who Loved Me – Felicity Shagwell or Vanessa Kensington (Double kudos/smarty-pantedness here as the Austin Powers films were a play on Bond titles)

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12. Octopussy – Octopus, Cat with eight tails.

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13. For Your Eyes Only – Polar Bear (For Your Ice Only) ,  Seven Veils Dancer.

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14. View To A Kill – The huntsman in hunting pink is an obvious possibility. A fox in hunting pink is a novelty

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15. The Living Daylights – Tricky. Depending upon the amount of effort you want to expend, either find a reflective silver catsuit or sew a number of small

mirrors (you can find them in craft stores) to a jumpsuit. (It’s a similar principle to the one designed to make Bond’s car invisible in ‘Die Another Day’)

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16. Licence to Kill – Probably anyone touting a weapon plus a (fake) permit, but be careful about any realistic-looking weapons in a public environment – the Police don’t like it!#

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17. Goldeneye – Back to the gold make-up or contact lenses. There is a duck called a Goldeneye, but costumes are rather rare

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18. Tomorrow Never Dies – Rather like the basis of the film’s title, an outfit made of newsprint or internet print-outs

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19. The World is Not Enough – A space alien suggests itself, although if you can find an inflatable globe and devise some other ‘planets’ from circular objects such as plain (or painted) footballs, you might create a viable alternative

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20. Die Another Day – Zombie

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21. Casino Royale - Roulette Girl (Spin to Win) outfit, Queen of Hearts

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22. Quantum of Solace – Scientist with a number of small cushions or a small bottle of whisky!

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23. Skyfall – Parachute/Skydiver outfit. Fallen angel

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24. Spectre – A ghost or Ghostly man/woman outfit

25. No Time to Die – We’ve had eighteen extra months to work on this and obviously costumes such as the Grim Reaper or something involving clocks or watches (The ‘late’ Alice White Rabbit?) might do. Otherwise, just wear a wig to change your hair colour – No Time to Dye!

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Going the distance and some.... The London Marathon

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After enforced breaks due to COVID, a virtual event and a move to October for a year, the London Marathon has once again become a feature of  the Spring - in 2024 it's scheduled for 21 April. Aside from those involved in  the serious running, this is one of the major costume events of the year.. Several thousand athletes, brave souls and charity-runners (or any mixture of the above) take to the streets and for many, it is not enough to go the distance, they also decide to do it in costume.

Even for those of us dealing with costuming on a day-to-day basis, the ingenuity and enterprise of the ‘fancy-dress’ costumed runners never ceases to amaze us: Aside from the basic stamina required for the running, they never let factors such as practicality and the prospect of having to cover 26 plus miles in their chosen guise deter them from a good idea. In recent years there is the added incentive of recognition in the Guinness Book of Records in respect of the various costume-based categories. This very much a growth area – recent years have seen new categories added, including ‘Fastest Marathon on Stilts’ and ‘Fastest Marathon Dressed as a Whoopee Cushion’. At the other end of the scale are those whose costuming choices are designed for spectacle not speed – the Save the Rhino costumes are a regular feature, and past years have seen a Deep-Sea Diver outfit and a Knight towing a dragon!

Want to know more? You can further information about this niche area of costuming at https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2019/4/10-tips-for-attempting-a-marathon-record-in-fancy-dress-569060

Regardless whether it's the London marathon or elsewhere, we wish all fun-runners runners, costumed and otherwise, well and hope for a safe and successful finish for all.