Casino Royale Polo
The Suggestion: Chinos, Chukkas, & a Polo for Hot Weather Casual
- Casino Royale Polo
- Casino Royale Blue Polo Shirt
- Casino Royale Polo Shirt
- 007 Casino Royale Polo
- Casino Royale Venice Polo
- Knit cotton / poly blend polo shirt by Superior Uniform Co. Featuring Harkins Theaters logo on the front and James Bond Casino Royale embroidery on the back, mens M CONDITION: Fabric scuff on the front near logo.
- The Casino Royale Polo shirt was originally designed by the owners of Sunspel in the 1950s to be worn in the heat of the French Riviera. The custom made mesh fabric provides maximum cooling, and the silhouette is now instantly recognisable thanks to.
- In Casino Royale, Daniel Craig wears the polo that helped inspire our design, so when it came time to name our product, it was only natural to look to the Bond cannon for inspiration. In Chapter 7 of Ian Fleming’s book, Casino Royale, James Bond asks a bartender for “Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet.
- Best Western Plus Casino Royale The Strip. Location is the main draw at this mid-range casino hotel, which is right in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip. It's a good value, and unlike some other similarly priced properties, the entire hotel, including the rooms, gets high marks for cleanliness.
Despite only lending shirts to one 007 adventure, Casino Royale, Sunspel’s association with James Bond has endured for more than a decade after creating all of Daniel Craig’s on-screen t-shirts, polo shirts, and even underwear. The navy Riviera Polo Shirt worn in the Bahamas remains a fan favorite. Shop on Amazon Shop on Nordstrom.
No one is saying you can’t wear shorts. No one is saying you should wear chinos and chukkas and a polo to your buddy’s tailgate party, where everyone else is gonna be in ball caps, t-shirts, and shorts.
Casino Royale Polo
What IS being said, is that chinos, chukkas and a fitted polo should be strongly considered by anyone who wants to look grown-up, put together, and athletic, yet still feel comfortable and look relaxed in the heat of spring and summer.
For example:
Now imagine this scene if Craig was wearing shorts and flip flops.
The man is in Haiti. Yes, it’s fiction, but there are a few reasons why wearing pants and boots (instead of shorts and sneakers) really isn’t as hot and stuffy as some might think:
#1. Chinos & Boots allow you to wear thin, wool socks: It seems counter-intuitive to many, but thin wool socks PREVENT summer swamp foot. That’s worth repeating. Wearing thin wool socks PREVENTS SWAMPY FEET. Wool is a temperature and moisture regulator. Cotton is not. Wearing thin, wool socks is much, much more comfortable than even going sockless (we’ve all had “gooey” feet at the end of a sweaty day when sockless). Sweaty hot feet = sweaty hot person, no matter if you’re in shorts or not. And thin wool socks will keep your feet dryer and cooler than alternatives.
#2. Chinos keep the sun off your legs: There’s a reason why the Tuareg are constantly covered. Keep the fabric light, crisp, and breezy, and you won’t feel gross.
#3. Pants elongate your frame: This is purely aesthetic, but shorts chop you up, visually, into more pieces than pants. Pants are more slimming than shorts, and they make you look taller.
Here’s more proof that this combination works. Same character, different movie:
Casino Royale came out in 2006. Notice the boot cut flare to Bond’s pants.
Fits change over time, but the combination still works.
Pretty much the same outfit in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Yet there are only 8 million other ways to do this. As the season wanes on, we’ll show off a few different ways to do it. For now? Here’s an easy, basic way to execute this look:
The Polo: Banana Republic Slim Fit Luxe Touch in Navy – $38 ($49.50.) Glass smooth cotton that has an almost icy feel to it. Good natural stretch too. An annual favorite, now in a slimmer fit. Not much of a discount running right now. Should drop to under $30 with the next 40% off sale.
The Chinos:GAP Lightweight Slim Fit Performance Khakis in Light Grey – $38.97 w/ HAPPY. Can a “chino” pant still be chinos if there’s 0% cotton in them? Sure hope so. These are performance stretch nylon. Haven’t seen (or felt them in person) yet, but the reviews are EXTREMELY promising. Might be a game changer. Fingers crossed. Going with a pale grey here instead of the standard khaki most are used to. Gives it a cleaner, crisper, more modern look. Also available in a straight fit.
The Chukkas:Gordon Rush “Beckett” Chukka – $129.97 ($250). A slimmer profile than a true desert boot, but still has as sole with some grip. Perfect.
The Watch: Orient Ray II Automatic – $162.44. One of the best bang-for-the-buck divers on the market. Waterproof, and therefor, sweat proof. Don’t like the reflection you get when wearing a stainless band in the bright sun? Swap it out for a NATO strap.
The Belt:J. Crew Braided Web Belt – $49.50. Just enough stretch to make it more comfortable than an all leather belt, but still has that leather front to it for a bit of contrast. Goes on sale often.
The Socks:Nordstrom Merino Blend Mid-Calf Socks – $12.50. Get used to seeing these things in this series. There’s hardly better socks on the market.
The Sunglasses:American Optical Original Pilots in Black – $60ish. Made in the USA and a timeless classic. 52mm is for smallish heads. 55mm is for average sized noggins. Got a huge gourd? Go for the 57mm size.
The Briefcase:Jack Spade Slim Supply Brief – $214.97 ($428). Currently half off on the Nordstrom owned “Hautelook” flash sale site. Returnable to Nordstrom Rack brick and mortar locations, or, via the mail (but you’re on the hook for a $5.95 return label fee).
The Suggestion: Chinos, Chukkas, & a Polo for Hot Weather Casual
No one is saying you can’t wear shorts. No one is saying you should wear chinos and chukkas and a polo to your buddy’s BBQ, where everyone else is gonna be in ball caps, t-shirts, and shorts.
What IS being said, is that chinos, chukkas and a fitted polo should be strongly considered by anyone who wants to look grown-up, put together, and athletic, yet still feel comfortable and look relaxed in the heat of spring and summer.
For example:
Now imagine this scene if Craig was wearing shorts and flip flops.
The man is in Haiti. Yes, it’s fiction, but there are a few reasons why wearing pants and boots (instead of shorts and sneakers) really isn’t as hot and stuffy as some might think:
#1. Chinos & Boots allow you to wear thin, wool socks: It seems counter-intuitive to many, but thin wool socks PREVENT summer swamp foot. That’s worth repeating. Wearing thin wool socks PREVENTS SWAMPY FEET. Wool is a temperature and moisture regulator. Cotton is not. Wearing thin, wool socks is much, much more comfortable than even going sockless (we’ve all had “gooey” feet at the end of a sweaty day when sockless). Sweaty hot feet = sweaty hot person, no matter if you’re in shorts or not. And thin wool socks will keep your feet dryer and cooler than alternatives.
#2. Chinos keep the sun off your legs: There’s a reason why the Tuareg are constantly covered. Keep the fabric light, crisp, and breezy, and you won’t feel gross.
#3. Pants elongate your frame: This is purely aesthetic, but shorts chop you up, visually, into more pieces than pants. Pants are more slimming than shorts, and they make you look taller.
Casino Royale Blue Polo Shirt
Here’s more proof that this combination works. Same character, different movie:
Casino Royale came out in 2006. Notice the boot cut flare to Bond’s pants.
Fits change over time, but the combination still works.
Pretty much the same outfit in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Yet there are only 8 million other ways to do this. As the season wanes on, we’ll show off a few different ways to do it. For now? Here’s an easy, basic way to execute this look:
The Polo: Target Goodfellow & Co. Elevated Ultra-Soft Polo in Williamsburg Navy – $16.99. Shockingly nice. Won best in show in our annual Polopalooza round up. Super smooth, 100% cotton fabric that isn’t paper thin nor is it bulky. Nice collars, nice placket, and under seventeen bucks. Collar is the same style of fabric as the body of the shirt, and not some flimsy, curl-ridden, ribbed junk.
The Chinos:Bonobos Stretch Lightweight Chinos in Silver Birch – $66.30 w/ SOLSTICE15 ($78) Yes there are cheaper chinos out there, but many guys swear by that Bonobos fit. And the fit, is it, especially when most other guys are defaulting to billowing shorts and oversized shirts in the heat. And just a heads up. Bonobos is launching a code on Friday (7/12) that’ll be 30% off, sitewide. So these’ll be down to $54.60 once that goes live.
The Chukkas:Clarks Original Desert Boot in Dark Brown Suede – $80 – $129.95. Going with a true desert boot here to start us off. Not as sleek as some more structured chukkas, but they’re dead-on-perfect for this look, they’re squishy and comfortable, and the edge dressing here (the dark painted edge on the outside of the sole) keeps them looking sharp. Pictured at the very TOP of the post is the old and sadly sold-out (for now?) 1901 Barret suede chukka.
The Sunglasses:Ray-Ban Mens Signet Sunglasses in Gray/Blue – $100ish. 007 prefers Tom Ford. Tom Ford stuff isn’t cheap. These aren’t cheap either, but, they’re cheaper than Tom Ford. And they also look great.
The Watch:Seiko Samurai Dive Watch – $320. Or, whatever your favorite diver happens to be. Cheap, mid-price, expensive, whatever. They’re just so darn versatile. And unlike leather bands, stainless won’t soak up that summer sweat. The Samurai is a personal favorite, and does a fine job of mimicking 007’s larger Omega.
Casino Royale Polo Shirt
The Belt: Banana Republic Bombay Suede Belt in Gray – $59.50. Mismatched suede? Why not. And a gray suede belt here is subtle but still smart looking.
007 Casino Royale Polo
The Socks:Made in the USA Wigwam Herringbone Merino Cool Dress Socks in Oatmeal – $14.97 ($19.50). Cooling. Sweat wicking. Blister preventing. Lightweight wool (like the merino here) is precisely what you want. AND… these just happen to match your pants. Which can make your legs look longer. Contrast socks would work here too.
Casino Royale Venice Polo
This post originally ran in 2017 but has since been updated with current products. We’ll be resurrecting the Chinos/Chukkas/Polos series for 2019, because you fellas seemed to have said “bring it back!”