Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Cari Champion
    • New Books
    • Postpartum Psychosis
    1. Culture

    The Evolution of the Bond Girl: From Coy Coquette to Ball-Busting Badass

    They may have the obligatory good looks, but there's always more than meets the eye.

    By Lauren Valenti
    Published 12 October 2015 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    The Evolution of the Bond Girl: From Coy Coquette to Ball-Busting Badass
    (Image credit: Rights unknown)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Bond girls—they may have the obligatory good looks, but there's always more than meets the eye. Whether fighting the good fight or being unapologetically evil, these high-stakes enigmas have evolved right before our very eyes. (As, of course, have their costumes.) Here, a look back at 25 of the most memorable Bond girls to date—plus the three new Bond girls of Spectre.

    Ursula Andress in Dr. No, 1962
    (Image credit: Rights unknown)

    Ursula Andress in Dr. No, 1962

    The Swiss-born beauty played Honey Ryder and donned the most famous bikini of all time: a white cotton number with bottoms outfitted with a British Army belt, brass knuckles, and a knife holder. The swimsuit was such a sensation it caused sales of bikinis to skyrocket.

    Daniela Bianchi in From Russia with Love, 1963
    (Image credit: Rights unknown)

    Daniela Bianchi in From Russia with Love, 1963

    The first runner up in 1960's Miss Universe pageant, she studied ballet for right years and was a professional model. In the film (Sean Connery's favorite of the series), she played a Bolshevik corporal sent to entrap James Bond.

    Honor Blackman in Goldfinger, 1964
    (Image credit: Rights unknown)

    Honor Blackman in Goldfinger, 1964

    Blackman, who also starred in The Avengers, played Pussy Galore, who was a total badass and was said to be inspired by the love of James Bond writer Ian Fleming's life. "Pussy Galore was a career womana pilot who had her own air force, which was very impressive. She was never a bimbo," Blackman told the TV Times at 80-years-old.

    Léa Seydoux in Spectre, 2015
    (Image credit: Rights unknown)

    Léa Seydoux in Spectre, 2015

    In the forthcoming Spectre film, Seydoux plays Dr. Madeleine Swann, a psychologist working at a medical clinic in the Australian Alps. " I don't consider myself a Bond girl. I think I'm not really the stereotyped Bond girl. I feel quite different. You can't be like, 'Oh, James.' You have to find something else. She's not a fighter, she's a doctor. She fights in another way," she said in an interview.

    Monica Bellucci in Spectre, 2015
    (Image credit: Rights unknown)

    Monica Bellucci in Spectre, 2015

    In the film, 51-year-old Bellucci plays mob widow Lucia Sciarra and says the film is "in some way revolutionary" in its treatment of women. Considering that the average age of Bond's love interest was around 29, we whole-heartedly agree.

    Stephanie Sigman in Spectre, 2015
    (Image credit: Rights unknown)

    Stephanie Sigman in Spectre, 2015

    Sigman, who plays the elusive Estrella is the first Mexican actress to play a Bond girl. "I'm a very proud Latina and a very proud Mexican, so it feels great," she told us when we chatted with her last month. "That's who I am. The fact that I get to show them my country, and that the whole world is going to see it and it looks absolutely beautiful feels amazing. There's no other way I could have done it.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Lauren Valenti
    Social Links Navigation
    Beauty Editor

    Lauren Valenti is Vogue’s former senior beauty editor. Her work has also appeared on ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, and in In Style. She graduated with a liberal arts degree from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts, with a concentration on Culture and Media Studies and a minor in Journalism.

    Read more
    Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman arrived at the #039;Practical Magic 2#039; premiere in London, wearing a leopard-print red carpet dress and cool blue sequin gown
    Celebrity Style Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman Put a Spell on London
    By Meguire Hennes
    Phillipa Northeast as Sybylla in the Netflix period drama #039;My Brilliant Career.#039;
    TV shows Meet Philippa Northeast, the 'My Brilliant Career' Star Who Says Sybylla "Gave Me My Voice" The rising actress brings Australia's classic feminist heroine to life in our new favorite period drama.
    By Quinci LeGardye
     
     
    celebrities wear naked dresses to 2026 red carpets
    Celebrity Style 2026's Best Naked Dresses Aren't Afraid of Being Transparent
    By Meguire Hennes
    Ella Rubin and Amelie Hoeferle, who play sisters in #039;Sterling Point,#039; attended a Chanel New York Fashion Week event together in little black dresses
    Celebrity Style 'Sterling Point' Stars Ella Rubin and Amélie Hoeferle Bring Sister LBDs to NYFW
    By Meguire Hennes
     
     
    Latest in Culture
    US actress Zendaya presents the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award to US actress Jean Smart onstage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at LA Live in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026.
    Culture We're Tracking Every Can't-Miss Moment From the 2026 Emmys
    A still of Taylor Frankie Paul and Ben Lambert in #039;The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.#039;
    TV shows 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Season 6 Is Already Filming. Here's All the Updates So Far
     
     
    A split image of author R.F. Kuang, resting her head on her hand while sitting with her shoulder propped on a restaurant booth table, next to the cover art for #039;Taipei Story.#039;
    Books R.F. Kuang Shares Her Favorite Reads About the “Hilarious Friction” of Learning a Language
    A photo of Nikki Ogunnaike with an inset photo of Cari Champion and text reading Money. Power. Style. Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike
    Culture Cari Champion on the Culture War Around the WNBA: "This Is All a Distraction"
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Emmy Rossum wearing a black dress posing with her hands on her hips at the 2026 Emmys
    Beauty Emmy Rossum's Voluminous Curls at the 2026 Emmys Will Be on My Mood Board Until Further Notice
    Nicole Kidman attends the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
    Hair Nicole Kidman’s Emmys Hair Has Me Ready to Retire the Slicked-Back Bun
     
     
    Lukita Maxwell at the 78th Emmy Awards held at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
    Hair Lukita Maxwell Just Made the Baby Bob Fall’s Most Tempting Haircut
    Zendaya at the 2026 Emmys looking over her shoulder and posing.
    Hair Zendaya's Pixie Cut Is the Star of the 2026 Emmys Red Carpet
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.