While casinos have been around for quite some time now, their influence on the fashion world is a relatively new phenomenon. Traditionally, casinos were frequented by wealthy men and women who would dress up in their finest clothes to flaunt their status. They were seen as exclusive clubs with extreme social importance, so it was always a requirement to be dressed sharply to get in.
This permeated into pop culture, with movies like Dr. No and The Big Sleep featuring casino scenes littered with elegant suits and dresses. Likewise, we only need to look as far as popular fashion houses like Chanel and Moschino to see the influence of casino attire on the fashion world.
Nowadays, there are people from all levels of society visiting casinos on a regular basis, with many venues having a very relaxed dress code and others having none at all. Even high stakes casinos can be played online so you don’talways need to put on a suit or fancy gown to enjoy some high stakes games.
Casino Fashion & Hollywood
As mentioned earlier, gambling culture has made its way into mainstream fashion through the portrayal of casino scenes in movies. Hollywood classics like The Godfather and The Sting featured casinos in their storylines and the characters were always dressed sharply. There are also numerous movies that revolved around casinos, such as Casino Royale and Ocean’s Eleven, and this meant that viewers were exposed to the fashions of casino goers for most of the movie.
These trends began to influence people, and the classic James Bond tuxedo became synonymous not only with casinos, but also with high end fashion in general. These influences can be seen across other areas, such as rap artists flaunting their money in music videos and even in sports like MMA and boxing, where the fighters try to portray an image of wealth and success before their bouts.
Casino Influence on The Catwalk
Casinos have had a direct influence on the world of cat walks and supermodels. While tailored suits from the likes of Hugo Boss and Tom Ford are strongly associated with James Bond and his casino style, popular fashion houses have also centred their collections and shows be around the styles made popular in casinos.
This was evident in the 2015 Paris Fashion week. During the event, Chanel went deep into the high roller style with a casino themed fashion show. Not only did the designer house showcase their talent through fancy casino inspired attire on the runway, but they also transformed The Grand Palais into a casino for the show. People at the show were even able to play blackjack and roulette! Well known models such as Julianne Moore and Kristen Stewart participated in Karl Lagerfeld’s edgy show, and it was a huge hit with the attendees of Paris Fashion Week.
Not to be outdone by Chanel, the fashion house Moschino presented their own take on casino fashion two years later. They took on another aspect of casino fashion with their Vegas themed runway presented in Los Angeles in 2017. Models such as Miranda Kerr and Hailey Baldwin took to the catwalk to display their Las Vegas casino showgirl inspired clothes. The collection was designed by Jeremy Scott, who said the idea was for “a showgirl off-duty kind of going home from the casino” look. Complete with neon lights and Elvis’s music, this was a casino inspired fashion show for the ages.
Celebrity Casino Style
Carrying on from the big screen and the fashion runway, we can also see the inspiration that casino attire has had on celebrity fashion. As mentioned earlier, casino inspired suits have been a main stay in sports like boxing since the days of Muhammed Ali. This trend has continued with sharp suits, high end watches and expensive shoes being adopted by fighters like Floyd Mayweather and in MMA by Conor McGregor.
It is also evident in celebrities like George Clooney, David Beckham, and Colin Farrell, all of whom are no stranger to wearing a sharp black casino inspired tuxedo when they are on the red carpet.
Overall, it is safe to say that casinos have been influencing the world of fashion in one way or another for decades. From classic casino movies with mobsters and high stakes card games, to celebrities and sports stars dressing in sharp suits and elegant gowns on the red carpet, casinos and fashion culture are set to be intertwined for years to come.
