Daniel Craig’s Bond sits down at the poker table in the plainest black tie imaginable: a white shirt, a narrow black bow tie, nothing else to look at. The Turnbull & Asser Casino Royale shirt and its Shantung silk bow tie are the reason it works. Both are cut with a restraint that makes the man, not the clothes, the subject. We think it is the most useful pairing of formalwear to come out of the Craig era.
In the film
Bond wears the Turnbull & Asser evening shirt and bow tie in the casino poker scenes of Casino Royale (2006). Turnbull & Asser sold a "Limited Collection" pairing at the film’s release, for £245; that set has sold out. The shirt and the bow tie are now sold separately. See our pages on the film and on Craig’s Bond for the rest of the wardrobe.
The details of the Turnbull & Asser Casino Royale shirt
A collar made for the film. The 2006 shirt carried a collar designed by Turnbull & Asser specifically for Casino Royale, and the maker still lists a Casino Royale collar on the shirt it sells today. What matters is how a collar frames a bow tie: it should sit neatly behind the knot without gaping or crowding it.
White-on-white cotton. The 2006 shirt was cut from a super fine, two-fold cotton woven white-on-white. A weave in the same colour as the cloth reads as texture rather than pattern, which stops a plain white shirt looking flat under evening light.
Mitred double cuffs and a concealed placket. A mitred cuff is cut at an angle, so the double cuff turns back and shows two buttons beneath. On the 2006 shirt the front placket hid its mother-of-pearl buttons entirely, leaving an unbroken front. Both details make the shirt quieter, not fancier.
The bow tie. It is black Shantung silk, a fabric with natural slubs: small, irregular ridges in the weave that give the surface a faintly ribbed finish. Turnbull & Asser cut it slimmer than its traditional bow ties, at 5cm wide, and it is made in the United Kingdom. Because no two weaves are quite alike, each tie has a character of its own.
Wearing it now
This is formalwear for a man who dislikes looking dressed up. Pair it with a black or midnight dinner suit with a narrow, plain lapel, black oxfords and nothing on the chest pocket but a white linen square. The textured Shantung sits better against wool than a high-shine satin would, and it keeps the whole outfit in one dark, low-contrast register.
Tie it yourself. Shantung is crisp, and that crispness helps it hold a knot. A bow tie that is slightly imperfect looks better in this fabric than one that is symmetrical to the millimetre. We would not choose a pre-tied version.
Shirt, tie, or both? If you already own a good white dress shirt, buy the tie first. It is the piece that carries the look, and it costs less than half the price of the shirt. If you are starting from nothing, buy the pair; both come from the same Casino Royale line, which is half the appeal.
Beyond black tie. The shirt can be worn plainly under a dark suit with a dark knitted tie. The bow tie belongs to evening only, and we would leave it there.
The 2006 set. It sold out and is out of production, and pre-owned sets do change hands among collectors, which is why our button runs an eBay search for it. If you go that way, ask for the collar size and the exact contents of the set before you commit; a shirt that does not fit is hard to put right. The current pair is the easier route to the same look.
Care. Turnbull & Asser specifies specialist dry cleaning only for the bow tie, with no machine washing, bleach or tumble drying.
In the same spirit
If you would rather buy new, Turnbull & Asser now sells the two pieces separately: the Casino Royale White Dress Shirt and the Casino Royale Shantung Silk Bow Tie. They are the current route to the same look, but they are not the 2006 set, and we do not claim they are identical to it.
Specifications
| Shirt (current) | White cotton dress shirt with Casino Royale collar |
|---|---|
| Shirt (2006 limited edition) | Super fine two-fold white-on-white cotton, mitred double cuffs, concealed placket with mother-of-pearl buttons |
| Bow tie | 100% black Shantung silk, plain, 5cm wide, made in the United Kingdom |
| Bow tie product code | ZZTB2018 2097 02 |
| Care | Bow tie: specialist dry clean only |
| RRP | Shirt US$635 / £415; bow tie US$295 / £175 (RRP at the time of writing, October 2026). The 2006 set was £245. |
Full details of both pieces are in Turnbull & Asser’s James Bond Collection.
Questions
Is the Turnbull & Asser Casino Royale shirt the one Bond wears in the film?
Yes, by the maker’s account. Turnbull & Asser describes the current white dress shirt and bow tie as worn by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. The 2006 shirt carried a collar the maker designed for the film.
Is the Casino Royale limited edition set still available?
Not new. The 2006 Limited Edition Evening Shirt & Bow Tie set sold out and is out of production, so second-hand is the only route to it. Turnbull & Asser now sells the shirt and the bow tie as separate items.
How much do the shirt and bow tie cost?
The RRP at the time of writing, October 2026, is US$635 (£415) for the shirt and US$295 (£175) for the bow tie at Turnbull & Asser. The 2006 set was sold for £245.
What is Shantung silk?
Shantung is a lightweight silk with small natural ridges, called slubs, which give it a slightly uneven, faintly ribbed surface. It is crisp rather than glossy, which is why it holds a knot well and looks quieter than satin.
More of the wardrobe is in our clothing collection and across every film.
