What to wear
So, what are the best-dressed people wearing to go to the casino this season? After all, these pleasure palaces have always been right at the heart of high fashion and famously ooze style and glamour. Does one still need to get suited and booted for a great night out, or have dress standards relaxed? Are we all still expected to wear sharp suits or tuxedos? Do ladies need to wear cocktail dresses? What about men choosing to wear cocktail dresses, and is it acceptable for women to wear trousers? It is all so complicated, and dress codes are no longer straightforward. Hopefully, the 2024 couture shows simplify things for us all. Or maybe not!
Look to Paris for the answers
This year’s couture shows in Paris saw the full gamut of elegance and shock. Possibly none more so than John Galliano’s designs. The cut and fabrics were not what was scandalous, but rather the ways in which they were combined. His men’s collection included an undercut ‘bustier’ coupled with high-waisted trousers, and some of his women’s wear collection featured sheer fabrics with virtually nothing underneath other than the occasional merkin. There can be no denying that these were from the very top designers, but would they pass the standards of a casino doorman or come up to Gordon Ramsay’s dress code? Not likely. Some of the models sported hairstyles that would not have looked out of place on Marie Antionette.
Or maybe London
In London, UK, recently, Gordon Ramsay has been creating a stir (doesn’t he always?), but on this occasion, it was not due to foul language in his kitchen. While he has not shouted at his diners either, he has suggested that they should smarten themselves up when dining out at his Chelsea restaurant. But smarten up in which way. He might not have appreciated Galliano’s bustier as he told them to avoid shorts. A wearer could have argued that their legs were covered, but what about their chest?
The former understudy of Marco Pierre White, Ramsay, has asked guests not to wear shorts, tracksuits or hoodies but has said that smart trainers are fine. This message now features prominently on the restaurant’s website, saying they want all guests to feel at home. However, as some people spend more on leisure wear than others do on a suit, it can sometimes be challenging to know exactly what is and is not acceptable to wear on a night out.
Casino rules
Rules in New Zealand are also different from elsewhere in the world. Dunedin Casino has no particular rules and restrictions but just specifies ‘smart’. Sky City is happy to welcome guests in shorts, t-shirts, hats and thongs but asks for no offensive designs or words. Are Galliano’s designs offensive or fashionable? Christchurch Casino stipulates no steel-capped boots. Perhaps it is easier to stick to formal business attire after all.
Business attire
Cheeky niche fashion brand Kroen, specialising in short-run, high-spec leisure wear, has a somewhat tongue-in-cheek approach to when you can and cannot wear casual clothing. Their tagline is “Business wear, whatever the business’ and a recent promo video showed a customer being measured up in a Saville Row tailors shop, only to be fitted out in a brown, two-piece, overlocked tracksuit.
Play wherever wear whatever
It would be interesting to see how Ramsay would react to their interpretation of couture and tailoring. Fortunately, anyone who fancies a night of casino games or playing on the pokies can find an easy compromise. While restaurants and glamorous casinos might have a strict door policy, no one needs to leave home to have a flutter any more.
The best online pokies in NZ, including Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, are available to play from the comfort of your sofa – he can’t stipulate what you wear there! Or, if you want to play on the go, all the games on offer can be played on mobile-friendly and app versions of online sites. Dress to impress, slob out in your pyjamas, or choose somewhere in between; it really is up to you.
Looking to history
Historically, Marie Antoinette was probably the most famous fashionista to grace the gaming tables. She is renowned for many things, including the misquoted ‘let them eat cake’ line. Allegedly, she asked, ‘Why are they asking for bread when they could have brioche?’. She designed her increasingly outrageous frocks, ballgowns and headdresses. One of the most famous was said to have real singing birds in it. Antionette was taught by her own mother to gamble, and stakes in the Austrian Court were much higher than those in France.
However, that did not prevent the French queen from losing an absolute fortune at the gambling tables. She spent fortunes gambling and, on a typical day, could lose five or six hundred louis d’or at Lansquenet or other games of chance. She is reported to have had a special designer purse for her cards.
Meanwhile in England
England was not exempt from fashionable ladies spending a fortune at the gambling tables either, take Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire, for example. In 1774, after marrying the 5thDuke of Devonshire, she became a fashion icon popularising 3-foot high feather headdresses and free-flowing muslin dresses (is this what inspired Galliano’s 2024 look?). Like most aristocrats of the time, she was obsessed with gambling. Letters from her mother are shown to admonish her for her gambling debts, which, in one year alone, amounted to over four thousand pounds. However, unlike the French queen, she did not lose her head.
Does the USA have the answer?
In the 20th and 21st centuries, glitzy casinos attracted celebrities and fashion icons, fuelling the connection between casino culture and fashion. Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin began to personify the glamour. Fashion designers quickly recognised the attraction and allure of casinos and were inspired by the lavish surroundings.
There is something about casino architecture and styling that promises ‘money will attract more money’. People pay big money to dress up, be seen and hopefully win big at the tables. Top couture brands like Christian Dior and Coco Chanel created ‘casino’ collections. James Bond is always impeccably dressed when he goes to the casino, and the costume department on the film sets must have had great fun picking out his wardrobe and accessories.
Keep it light
The bottom line is that the answer is probably to find a place to gamble where you can wear what suits you. If you feel comfortable, you are more likely to have fun.
