Robert De Niro Casino suits continue to spark discussion, decades after the film’s release, as their vivid colors and daring designs changed how audiences and designers view film costuming. The distinctive wardrobe created for De Niro’s character in Martin Scorsese’s Casino remains a major influence on both popular culture and modern menswear.
The Dazzling Transformation of De Niro’s On-Screen Style
When Martin Scorsese’s epic Casino premiered in Las Vegas cinemas, Robert De Niro appeared on screen in a series of unforgettable suits that starkly contrasted with the low-key attire he wore in movies like Heat. Instead of blending in, De Niro’s character Sam “Ace” Rothstein—modeled after casino boss Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal—emerged in an astonishing array of vibrant jackets, shirts, and trousers, perfectly reflecting both the excess of the Las Vegas setting and the growing chaos enveloping his world.
Costume designers Rita Ryack and John Dunn were tasked with crafting Ace Rothstein’s iconic look. As Ryack told GQ,
“It was a pleasure to design Bob’s wardrobe,”
and she detailed,
“He had around 70 costume changes, all of which had to be built from the shoes up. And no actor but De Niro could have pulled them off.”
These looks included shades like burnt orange, soft mint green, and pastel pink—outfits that were as audacious as the film’s storyline.
The Challenges Behind the Luxury Looks
Despite rumors of an enormous costume budget, the reality for Ryack and assistant designer Maggie Morgan was far less luxurious. Morgan noted,
“We were in a tough place,”
recalling that
“the costumes were still severely under-budgeted by the studio. But I remember the crew being entertained by the variety of styles and wide spectrum of colour in those costumes. The daily on-set reveal of Bob’s costume was always a moment.”
The evolution of Ace Rothstein’s wardrobe was intentional. Ryack explained to the Los Angeles Times,
“No one else could pull off audacious clothing like that without appearing cartoonish,”
adding,
“De Niro still seemed sexy and dangerous.”
This deliberate use of color was meant to mirror Ace’s journey as his control unravelled.
Attention to Detail: Creating a Cinematic Signature
The very first appearance of De Niro’s Ace set a bold standard: a hot-coral jacket, matching shirt and tie, and perfectly coordinated white flared trousers. Costume fixes often had to be made last minute. Morgan reminisced,
“When my fellow assistant designer, the late Debra Tennenbaum, and I checked the costume the day before shooting, we realised that he needed to have peach socks to match the outfit, not the ivory ones we had. Luckily, the socks were sheer nylon, which is very dyeable. So we dipped them the night before – just in time for exploding on screen!”
Although some believed Giorgio Armani had designed the wardrobe, Ryack clarified,
“Armani has actually been given credit for designing De Niro’s clothes to my horror. He was not involved!”
Many other designers, however, drew inspiration from Casino, as Ryack noted,
“But we were knocked off by most of the men’s designers. You could find knockoffs for the film everywhere.”
Imitation and Influence on Fashion
Morgan recalled seeing department stores years later
“filled with copies of the matching tie and shirt fashions, in rainbow colours.”
The film became an enduring style reference. Most of De Niro’s suits were crafted by tailors Carlos Velasco, Tommy Velasco, or Vincent Zullo. Shirts, ties, and handkerchiefs were provided by Anto Beverly Hills, which had also outfitted the real Frank Rosenthal. Anto CFO Jack Sepetjian said,
“We pulled Rosenthal’s archived patterns and style notes,”
and the focus was on
“bold colours, precise proportions and details that felt authentic to 1970s and 1980s Las Vegas.”
The shirts were distinguished by long point collars and Lapidus cuffs, with cutters meticulously using the same fabric for both shirt and tie for a seamless colour match. Sepetjian highlighted the project’s unique style:
“Casino stood out because of the boldness of the style. The shirts, ties and pocket squares became a visual signature for the character, and the film’s lasting impact continues to bring people to us. We still receive requests from clients who want to replicate the Casino styles.”
Enduring Legacy in Modern Menswear
Savile Row designers took notice of Casino’s impact as well. Oswald Boateng, whose showroom opened the same year as Casino’s release, and Richard James’ design and brand director Toby Lamb, both acknowledged how the film changed tailoring. Lamb said,
“In terms of cinematic influence on tailoring, Casino is up there without question,”
emphasizing,
“The suits aren’t just outfits, they’re part of the character’s psychology. It’s one of the defining moments in modern menswear where colour became power.”
This intentional use of color continues to inform men’s fashion. Lamb commented that colour in Casino was used
“with intention, not decoration. And its influence has never really gone away. That mix of precision tailoring and fearless colour has really stuck. You see it in the resurgence of tonal monochrome looks and in the appetite people have for suits with personality rather than anonymity.”
Recent years have seen high fashion houses like Gucci, under Alessandro Michele, and Tom Ford presenting bold, monochrome tailoring that directly echoes Ace Rothstein’s Casino wardrobe. Public figures including The Weeknd, Silk Sonic duo Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, actors Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland, as well as Steve Harvey, have embraced these vivid styles, showing how Casino’s influence endures beyond the big screen.
Casino’s Dazzling Wardrobe Fascinates New Generations
The legacy of Robert De Niro Casino suits is not merely about bright colors—it is about meticulous coordination, right down to matching gemstone rings. The wardrobe has inspired artists as well as fashion. Contemporary illustrator Ibraheem Youssef created a print series in 2013 documenting every one of Ace’s looks, and shared,
“Casino is truly a feast for the eyes,”
noting,
“I easily watched it at least a dozen times, then three times during the illustration sessions themselves. So many pauses.”
His personal favorite is the “mint ice cream” ensemble, but he argues that the collective diversity of Ace’s outfits is what makes the film memorable.
“It’s like someone handing you a freshly arranged bouquet of flowers every single minute for 179 minutes straight, each one more wonderful and exotic than the last!”
While roles like Neil McCauley in Heat called for Robert De Niro to blend in, Casino allowed him to mesmerize audiences by embodying ‘70s and ‘80s Las Vegas glamour with confidence and audacity. As fashion continues to be shaped by the cinematic brilliance of De Niro’s bold suits, Casino stands as a pivotal moment in the history of screen costume, influencing everything from bespoke tailoring on Savile Row to red carpet trends across the world.
