What to Wear to a Casino?

Here’s a question that’s been puzzling me for some months. Have you been on the tail-end of a great night out; you’ve laughed, you’ve cried, lost your phone, found your wallet, fell in love, fell in a puddle, eaten a Kebab, attended a house party somewhere in suburbia only to hightail it back into the city centre. You’ve done it all in one fell swoop; it is finally time to retire. And then, someone in your coterie suggests the unthinkable, the unheard, the unknown – ‘does anyone wanna go to a casino?’  ‘A CASINO’? Wha?
It’s becoming a bit of a trend I think. Or perhaps it always has been? Perhaps this ‘trend’ has been trending for some time and it is actually de rigeur now to finish off your night with a round of hazy roulette.  As I’ve been painfully naïve to this hip, new ritual, what I’m really puzzled about is this: what does one wear to a casino?
I have some (Hollywood-proscribed) images of casinos; one is shaken and stirred with floor length gowns, ostentatious fur and ostentatious bank balances. The other is of the shrivelled and soulless Atlantic City addict, who perches at the fruit slots round-the-clock with a fluorescent visor and a matching bumbag.
The end-of-the-night casino phenomenon that has popped up in cities everywhere is somewhere in between the two, but I’m gonna hedge my bets and opt for full-on-glamour. Why not? You might as well get into the spirit of these things. I haven’t discussed my actual card-playing abilities (non-existent), so I think my game face will be supplied through dress; I’m thinking lace, some more lace, and a bit more on top, with a little bit of metallic and studding thrown in for good measure. Just go for gold. I’m thinking  take-your-eye-out cocktail rings, a dangerously statement neck-piece and some stonking high heels. These red Bikini heels from Kurt Geiger are just the business, and will book-end this killer bandeau dress from Topshop perfectly. Our beloved Merle ‘O Grady does a great line in chunky, edgy, jewels; throw this triangle necklace on top and you’re good to go.

Topshop Foil Print Boydcon Dress – dare you?

Kurt Geiger Bikini (KILL!) heels

Merle O’Grady Hinged Triangle Necklace

Kurt Geiger Danni Chunky Sunglasses

Trick is, you can set out on your night looking the business, but come casino-a-clock, are you still going to looking so polished? I think the key when championing the casino look is to go for grungey-glam, so people won’t notice a potential rip in your tights or a slight disharmony in your hemline. And of course you can wear your sunglasses at night. You’re in a casino for crying out loud.