Not every shirt in Daniel Craig’s Bond films is white and sharp. In No Time To Die, Q wears a blue check from YMC: the YMC Dean shirt in Blue Celso check, with a button-down collar and the easy, unfussy look of a man who spends his days with machines. The shirt is out of production and is found second-hand, so this page is about the look as much as the object. It is the kind of piece we would rather own than another dress shirt, and it shows that dressing well does not depend on a white collar.
In the film
Ben Whishaw’s Q wears the shirt in No Time To Die (2021), with a Brunello Cucinelli necktie, and it appears again on his character poster for the film. The shirt came from YMC’s SS19 collection, so this is the same shirt, not a close cousin.
The details of the YMC Dean shirt
The check. Blue Celso is the colourway name, a blue check. YMC has made the Dean in a run of multi-colour checks, so the pattern is what identifies it. A shirt that carries the pattern lets everything around it stay plain.
The collar. The Dean has a button-down collar, which sits more softly than a cutaway or spread, with or without a tie. It is why a tie looks relaxed here rather than formal.
Cloth and buttons. Retailer listings describe the Dean in brushed plaid cotton with corozo buttons, although some seasons used other cloths, including wool. Corozo is a nut-based material, a natural alternative to plastic. We have not confirmed the cloth of the Blue Celso version, so check the listing before you buy.
Wearing it now
This is a shirt for the man who wants to look composed on an ordinary Tuesday. We would wear it as Q does, with a tie, or leave the tie at home and put it under a navy cardigan or a mid-grey flannel blazer. Chinos or dark denim and brown suede shoes finish it.
Tie or no tie? A tie in a single dark colour works best. The check supplies the pattern, so the tie should stay quiet.
Finding one. The Blue Celso colourway is from SS19 and is out of production, so it is found second-hand, and we have searched eBay for it by name. The Dean itself has been sold in other checks and colourways since, so you may prefer a similar button-down check in brushed cotton to chasing this exact shirt. Where a listing mentions corozo buttons, that is a good sign of the same standard.
Fit. Retailer listings for other Dean colourways describe a regular fit. If you find the Blue Celso shirt second-hand, check the measurements against a shirt you already own rather than relying on the size label.
Specifications
| Maker | YMC (You Must Create) |
|---|---|
| Model | Dean shirt, Blue Celso check |
| Collection | SS19 |
| Collar | Button-down |
| Buttons | Corozo (per retailer listings for the Dean) |
| Status | Out of production; found second-hand |
Current YMC shirts, for the look rather than this colourway, are on YMC’s own shirt range.
Questions
Who wears the YMC Dean shirt in No Time To Die?
Q, played by Ben Whishaw, wears the YMC Blue Celso Check Dean shirt, with a Brunello Cucinelli necktie. It also appears on his character poster.
Is the Blue Celso Check Dean shirt still available?
Not new. It was part of YMC’s SS19 collection and is out of production, so it is found second-hand. Other Dean colourways have been sold by retailers since.
What is the closest alternative?
A button-down shirt in a brushed cotton check is the closest route to the same look. YMC’s current shirt range is the first place we would check.
Does it work without a tie?
Yes. The button-down collar is made to sit comfortably open at the neck, and the shirt works under a cardigan or an unstructured jacket.
For more from the film, see our guide to No Time To Die, the rest of our clothing, or every film.
