Brands Like Casablanca: 5 Houses Worth Knowing

People who buy Casablanca are usually after one of two things: the print work, and the idea that holiday clothes can be properly made. Different houses answer those separately, so the right alternative depends on which half you are shopping for. Here are the five we see cross-shopped most, and what each one actually gives you.

If you want the French Mediterranean ease: Jacquemus

The closest neighbour in feeling. Simon Porte Jacquemus works the same south-of-France register that Casablanca works, and both houses sell an idea of somewhere warm as much as a garment. The difference is the shape. Jacquemus is sculptural and often severe, built on an unexpected cut. Casablanca is relaxed and lets the print do the work.

Buy Jacquemus when you want the outfit to be about the silhouette. Browse Jacquemus at Coveti.

If you want the print and the colour: Dries Van Noten

The serious answer for anyone who came to Casablanca through the silk shirts. Dries Van Noten has been building collections around print and colour for decades, and the fabric development is deeper than almost anyone else working at this level. It is less literal than Casablanca. There is no monogram and no club imagery, just pattern used with real confidence.

Buy Dries when you want print without the branding. Browse Dries Van Noten at Coveti.

If you want resort dressing: Zimmermann

Zimmermann owns the territory Casablanca visits. Australian, built on swim and on holiday dressing, with a much larger range of the pieces you actually pack. Where Casablanca gives you a printed silk set, Zimmermann gives you the linen dress and the matching swim, and it is stronger on occasion pieces.

Buy Zimmermann when the trip is the whole point. Browse Zimmermann at Coveti.

If you want the same colour energy at a lower price: Alémais

Alémais prints hard and prints often, and it works with artists in a way that rhymes with how Casablanca develops artwork. It sits below Casablanca on price. The fabrications are simpler and there is less silk, but for a printed piece you will wear through one summer it is the sensible trade.

Browse Alémais at Coveti.

If you want the quiet version: Lemaire

The opposite pole, and worth naming because a lot of Casablanca customers eventually get there. Same French sensibility, same interest in ease and in fabric, none of the print and none of the logo. Lemaire is what the Casablanca wardrobe looks like with the volume turned down.

Browse Lemaire at Coveti.

How they compare

The honest answer

Nothing replaces Casablanca exactly, because no other house is doing the tennis-club world with couture fabric behind it. If that specific idea is what you want, buy the Casablanca. The alternatives above are better understood as the neighbouring wardrobes: what you buy alongside it once you already own the silk shirt.

Browse the Casablanca collection at Coveti, read about the house and its founder, and check our guide to spotting a fake before you buy elsewhere.

Frequently asked questions

What brand is most similar to Casablanca?

Jacquemus for the French Mediterranean mood, and Dries Van Noten if what you want is the print work. Jacquemus is closer in feeling and Dries is closer in craft.

Is Casablanca better than Jacquemus?

They are answering different questions. Casablanca is about print and the leisure-club world, and it is the more relaxed of the two to wear. Jacquemus is about silhouette and makes the stronger statement piece.

What is a cheaper alternative to Casablanca?

Alémais gives you comparable print energy at a lower price, with simpler fabrications and less silk.