Goldeneye reintroduced the world to James Bond with Pierce Brosnan replacing Timothy Dalton after a six-year hiatus. Before we ever see the new Bond in a suit or dinner jacket, we see him racing Xenia Onotopp through the hills of Monte Carlo with his Aston Martin DB5 and an exasperated psychologist in the passenger seat. During that brief but memorable scene, Bond wears a navy cable-knit sweater with a French blue shirt and a day cravat.
N.Peal reinterpreted the Goldeneye cable-knit sweater as the 007 Cable Crew Neck Sweater for their 007 Cashmere Collection. It’s worth noting that the cable knit on Brosnan’s sweater is more like a chunkier Aran sweater than the N.Peal, which is woven in their sleeker Thames cable knit and made from 100% Mongolian cashmere. The 007 Cable Crew Neck Sweater is currently available at N.Peal for $430.
If you’re interested in getting your own cable-knit sweater at a lower price point, I found four budget-friendly alternatives to the N.Peal sweater that’ll help you get that Bond-in-Monte-Carlo look (without the cravat) for less than $200. All these sweaters share a very similar cable-knit design, so the main difference between them is the material they’re made from.
Under $50
St. John’s Bay (from JC Penney)
Crew Neck Long Sleeve Cable-Knit Sweater
This cable-knit sweater from St. John’s Bay is made from 100% cotton and features a ribbed hem and cuffs. This sweater’s navy color looks a little lighter than the color on the N.Peal sweater and its cable knit is a little chunkier, but it’s still a respectable alternative. An added bonus is that this sweater is machine washable, so it’ll be very easy to take care of.
Club Room (from Macy’s)
The cable knit on this Club Room sweater is a bit smaller than the St. John’s Bay sweater, which makes it look a little closer to the N.Peal version. It’s also 100% cotton and machine washable so it will be easy to wash at home. Unfortunately, the website doesn’t have a full image of the navy version (that’s why I used the black one)—there’s a small swatch of the navy color on the website but it’s hard to know what that will look like on a full sweater. It might be better to see this one in person before buying it, or at least be prepared to return it if you don’t like the color when it arrives.
Under $100
Massimo Dutti
Crew Neck Cable-Knit Wool Sweater
The cable knit on this Massimo Dutti sweater is about the same size as the N.Peal version. This “wool” sweater is actually a blend of 70% wool, 6% cashmere, 14% viscose and 10% polyamide. As a result, this sweater needs to be dry cleaned with mineral essences, so you’ll want to check what process your cleaners use to make sure it won’t damage your sweater.
Under $200
J.Crew
This is the most expensive sweater on the list but it just might be worth it if you’re looking for something more luxurious. Like the N.Peal sweater, this option from J.Crew is made from 100% Mongolian cashmere, which makes it a steal at $188. And you can wear it guilt free because the cashmere is certified by the Aid by Trade Foundation’s (AbTF’s) The Good Cashmere Standard®, which ensures animal welfare, environmentally sustainable practices and good working conditions for farmers and farmworkers. My only caution with this sweater is that the color is inconsistent between the four product photos, so it’s hard to tell exactly how dark the navy is.
There you have it—my four budget-friendly alternatives to the N.Peal 007 Cable Crew Neck Sweater. The designs on these sweaters are very similar, so it just comes down to your preference for material (and budget, of course!). Any of them will help you achieve that classic Brosnan look—just leave your cravat at home! Happy shopping!
Bond on a Budget 