ELVIS STYLE
The Haberdasher: Elvis in the 1950s.
For men in the 1950s, casual wear included tailored sports coats, cardigans, and pressed slacks. LEFT: Elvis is styled in a classic tailored sports jacket. Seen here in a publicity shot for Jailhouse Rock. Circa 1957.
RIGHT: Elvis being outfitted at Lansky Brothers in Memphis, Tennessee. Lansky Brothers catered to his desire for stylish clothing. Circa 1956.
IN-PERSON PERFORMANCES
EARLY TOURING WITH
SCOTTY MOORE AND BILL BLACK
Right: Centered between Scotty Moore (l) and Bill Black (r), Elvis topped his look off with a stylish pair of black & white spectator shoes–unique at the time with their cap toe, facing, tongue, laces, and heel in black, while the vamp and quarter were white.
—-In the beginning of Elvis’s career, he, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black performed in small shows. Left: Elvis poses in front of Katz Drugstore in Memphis, Tennessee on September 9, 1954.
During the early years, Elvis’s stage appearances came from his personal wardrobe. Here he sports a unique vertical striped tie and white belt against the white shirt and dark casual suit.
The performance on the left, has been labeled as taking place at the Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas, during a “Big D Jamboree” on June 18, 1955.
Elvis chose a classic 1950’s sports jacket with a dark pair of pants and white shoes.
TELEVISION APPEARANCE
MARCH 17, 1956, STAGE SHOW SETUP
On March 17, 1956, Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys made their fifth Stage Show appearance where they performed Blue Suede Shoes and Heartbreak Hotel. During this television appearance setup, we see Elvis sporting a standard, well-tailored suit typical of the mid-1950s, while Scotty Moore and Bill Black choose the more casual menswear for that era.
CONCERTS
CITY AUDITORIUM ON APRIL 21, 1956, IN
HOUSTON, TEXAS
LEFT: Elvis Presley is wearing a light-toned (likely off-white, light gray, or cream, given the black and white photo) single-breasted suit jacket featuring a distinct windowpane check pattern. Underneath the jacket is a crisp white collared shirt. His dark tie has vertical light-colored stripes. He is also wearing a ring on his left hand.
This style of sharp tailoring and distinctive patterns was characteristic of his fashion in the mid-to-late 1950s.
CONCERTS
NEW FRONTIER DEBUT IN APRIL OF 1956
In April of 1956, Elvis debuted for a two-week engagement at the New Frontier in Las Vegas, Nevada. Funny, some of the older crowd were not woo’d by Elvis’s rock and roll performance, but Elvis became synonymous with Las Vegas in the late 1960s and 1970s. Even to this day, when people think of Las Vegas, Elvis comes to mind.
Left: Another iconic piece worn by Elvis. This green jacket which laces on the sleeves and breast pockets was photographed in Las Vegas and on the cover of Dig Magazine.
TELEVISION APPEARANCE
JUNE 5, 1956, MILTON BERLE SHOW
Top left: Elvis sports his own personal style in an impressive two-tone wide front yoke shirt backstage at The Milton Berle Show in Burbank, California on June 5, 1956. Later during the infamous Hound Dog performance, he added a sports jacket from his own wardrobe (top right). It was Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys second appearance on The Milton Berle Show. Their first appearance on The Milton Berle Show was on April 3, 1956, broadcast from the deck of the USS Hancock in San Diego. They performed three songs: Heartbreak Hotel, Money Honey, and Blue Suede Shoes.
During Elvis’s second appearance on The Milton Berle Show, he performed a memorable version of Hound Dog, which put him on the map. At the time of this performance the country lived under legislated segregation and he garnered an enormous amount of negative press claiming it was crude. However, at the same time, it received a lot of positive teenage responses which were hungry for music with soul. Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys didn’t record Hound Dog until July 2, 1956. That was four weeks after he performed it on The Milton Berle Show.
TELEVISION APPEARANCE
JUNE 16, 1956, WINK MARTINDALE’S DANCE PARTY
Left: Elvis being interviewed by a young charismatic Wink Martindale. Elvis’s pompadour and ducktails perfect coifed. He sported a black draped suit from his own personal collection and topped it off with a black tieless shirt and black shoes.
PERSONAL STYLE
JUNE 19, 1956, JUNETEENTH DURING JIM CROW
ABOVE: The photograph shows Elvis Presley at the Memphis Fairgrounds amusement park during a night reserved for the Black community, often referred to as “colored night only.” Some historians labeled this picture as being taken on Juneteenth (June 19, 1956). His girlfriend, and another white man are hidden in the crowd. In the image, Elvis is playing a carnival game; he is holding a ball, preparing to throw it at one of the games.
Elvis was violating Jim Crow laws by interacting socially in public spaces reserved for Black Americans. His presence there was significant because it occurred during the height of the Jim Crow era; by choosing to attend and interact with the crowd on a night set aside for Black residents. Elvis was quietly but notably disregarding the strict racial boundaries of the time. Possible punishments for whites who violated Jim Crow laws faced severe social ostracization, physical violence, threats from groups like the Ku Klux Klan, and potential legal harassment or fines for challenging the established racial hierarchy. Why the police in the photo did not arrest him is the question?
The possible danger didn’t hamper Elvis’s style. Here we see he donned a light-colored (likely tan or cream) suit jacket with a wide-collared,textured V-neck shirt or sweater underneath. He matched it with dark-colored trousers and a belt.
TELEVISION APPEARANCE
JUNE 29, 1956, THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW
These photographs are said to be authentic rare color photos taken during the rehearsals for the Steve Allen Show. I am not certain whether they are colorized or not. While Elvis adjusted his talents to suit the producers of The Steve Allen Show, he donned an attractive blue-gray wool blend suit. Wool blends in suits for men became popular in the mid-20th century, particularly after World War II. Synthetics like Terylene and Dacron in the 1950s often blended with wool and increased durability. Another bonus is that they are wrinkle resistant, making them easy for travel. These fabrics became affordable to the average consumer due to the scarcity and high cost of pure wool after the Korean War.
Above: Afraid of offending their audience by repeating the Hound Dog performance on the Milton Berle Show, the Steve Allen Show thought it was a good idea to have Elvis sing Hound Dog to an actual hound dog.
CONCERTS
SEPTEMBER 26, 1956
BACK TO TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI CONCERT
On September 26, 1956, Elvis along with the Jordannaires and the Blue Moon Boys performed two concerts at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. Above: Elvis is flanked by his father, Vernon Presley (l), and his mother, Gladys Presley (r).
Both performances, Elvis wore dark pants, white shoes, and a beautiful blue velvet shirt his loving mother, Gladys, made for him.
TELEVISION APPEARANCE
OCTOBER 26, 1956, ED SULLIVAN REHEARSAL
On Friday, October 26, 1956, Elvis, the Blue Moon Boys, and the Jordannaires rehearsed for the Sunday, October 28, 1956, Ed Sullivan Show. During this rehearsal, Elvis wore a smart rolled sleeve black sweater with a striking red collar and white placket. He topped this off with a pair of tailored black slacks and white shoes. A combination Elvis pulled off very well.
MOVIE SECTION
LOVE ME TENDER
Love Me Tender is a period western created right at the end of the Civil War in the South. The war took a heavy financial toll on both sides, but the South took an extreme hit which led to less fashionable and less durable clothing. Many Southern men relied on what was available in their communities.
Love Me Tender was Elvis’s first movie role where he played the youngest brother, Clint Reno, who was too young to enlist into the Confederate Army. His three older brothers were outfitted in the appropriate period Confederate uniforms. Confederate soldiers initially wore frock coats, but due to wartime shortages, many switched to waist-length cadet gray or butternut shell jackets.
Elvis’s wardrobe was designed typical of the time consisting of durable clothes suited to the labor, such as heavy cotton shirts, sturdy trousers, and boots. Even though many men during that time wore brogans (a coarse stout leather shoe reaching to the ankle), Elvis wore high top boots throughout the movie.
During medieval times underpants did not exist, so long shirts served as the base layer under all clothing and at night, all clothing came off except the shirt. As time moved forward, the nightshirt became just that; a shirt worn at night.
Throughout the film, Elvis’ hair is a relatively light color. At the end of the film, Elvis is seen with his hair dyed black. The color he maintained throughout the rest of his career.
Executive Wardrobe Designer: Charles LeMaire
Costumes Designed By: Mary Wills
LEFT: Elvis is dressed in a shiny white short-sleeved shirt. The material has a noticeable shine, indicating it’s a smooth, glossy fabric similar to satin. The shirt features short, cuffed sleeves, and the neckline has an unconventional open design, resembling a variation of a camp collar or possibly a custom style, instead of a typical dress shirt collar.
Elvis was famous for his distinctive and trend-setting fashion, which included a variety of casual, open-neck shirts.
MOVIE SECTION
LOVING YOU
Edith Head was the lead costume designer for Elvis Presley’s wardrobe in the film Loving You. Elvis’s denim outfits were custom made by Nudies along with the red and white cowboy suit that Elvis wore while performing Teddy Bear.
CONCERTS
THE GOLDEN SUIT – MARCH 28, 1957
In the latter part of 1956, Tom Parker hired Nudie Cohn of Nudies to make a suit for Elvis. This gold lamé suit became one of Elvis’ signature costumes. The actual bill for the suit cost $2,500, not $4,000. Still quite a hefty sum for a suit in 1957. In 2022, the suit’s estimated cost would be $25,254. Being Elvis’s suit, God only knows what it would sell for at an auction.
Elvis wore the suit in its entirety three times. The First time was in Chicago, Illinois on Thursday, March 28, 1957, at the International Amphitheater in front of a crowd of 12,000 screaming fans. In addition to the suit, he wore a pair of $100 gold slippers. The second time was the following Friday evening on March 29, 1957, at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri. The third time was for his first concert in Canada on Tuesday, April 2, 1957, at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. It was the last time he would wear the suit in its entirety.
From that point on, Elvis toned down the gold jacket, belt, and shoes with more conservative darker articles of clothing. Whether Elvis liked this suit is debatable because he split all that gold up many times before retiring the suit forever.
Tom Parker put Elvis’s gold lamé suit in storage during his stint in the Army. On Saturday, March 25, 1961, Elvis gave a benefit concert for the USS Arizona Memorial in Honolulu. The following day, the Honolulu Advertiser reported, “Elvis wore his famous gold jacket with the silvery glints like sequins, dark blue trousers and a white shirt and a blue string tie.”
This was the last time Elvis wore any part of the suit.
From the pages of Thirty Pieces of Silver: The Betrayal of Elvis Presley
PRESS CONFERENCE
AUGUST 30, 1957
RIGHT: Elvis was backstage for a press conference at the Memorial Stadium in Spokane, Washington on August 30, 1957. In this black and white photograph, Elvis is wearing a coordinated dark ensemble that includes a dark, long-sleeved shirt and matching black trousers. He paired it with a wide, contrasting belt or cummerbund wrapped around his waist. A distinctive pendant necklace hangs from his neck and dark loafers with white socks tops it all off. A pompadour with prominent sideburns was iconic of Elvis’s hairstyle in the 1950s.
MOVIE SECTION
JAILHOUSE ROCK – RELEASED OCTOBER 17, 1957
On May 23, 1957 (or somewhere around that date), Elvis was in Hollywood doing a wardrobe test for the film, Jailhouse Rock. The credits for the movie Jailhouse Rock do not identify the wardrobe designer. I’ve come across several stories of who designed Elvis’s wardrobe for the movie. Needless to say, contradiction and confusion come into play because several articles counter each other and some are just plain ridiculous.
In one article they claim the wardrobe was designed by Walter Plunkett and this included the famous prison outfit for the Jailhouse Rock number. According to record, Elvis did not care for the initial choreography because it didn’t fit his style. So Elvis changed the choreography to resemble his moves. The costume change was tailored to suit Elvis’s changes to the choreography. Plunkett being the designer would make sense because his first credited work as a costume designer was the 1927 film Hard-Boiled Haggerty. Plunkett was famous for the costume designs for Gone With The Wind and Singin’ In the Rain. However, when viewing the list of Plunkett’s film designs, Jailhouse Rock is not on that list. Plunkett retired in 1966.
A different article states that Bill Belew designed the Jailhouse Rock wardrobe. Though history contradicts this claim because Bill Belew didn’t begin designing for Elvis until the 1968 Comeback Special.
The most confused writer of an article states that it was Catherine Martin who designed Elvis’s wardrobe for the movie. For those who have never heard of Catherine Martin, she is a well-known Australian costume designer who has worked on many films which include collaborations with her husband, Baz Luhrmann. Now it is true that she designed some of the wardrobe in the 2022 film Elvis. However, in order for Martin to have designed the wardrobe for the original Jailhouse Rock, she would have to be some kind of magical creature who can transport herself through time. Martin was born in 1965, Jailhouse Rock was released in 1957.
It would be nice to know who the wardrobe designer was for Jailhouse Rock. Until then, just like the number of licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, the world will never know.
PRESS CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 26, 1957
RIGHT: This press conference was taken backstage before a concert at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California on October 26, 1957. Elvis chose a classic 1950’s gray patterned, single-breasted sport coat. The custom-made knit trousers were purchased from Lansky Bros. in Memphis, Tennesse. This pair of pants was specifically labeled “Styled For Elvis Presley” on the inside waistband. Underneath, Elvis wore a crisp white dress shirt paired with a dark, narrow necktie that appears to have a subtle pattern. To top off the look, Elvis wore a light-colored, patterned belt with a metal buckle and dark dress shoes.
MOVIE SECTION
KING CREOLE
The costume and wardrobe designer for the 1958 film King Creole was Edith Head. As stated above, she also designed costumes for Loving You (1957).
According to IMDb, Edith Head was the main costume designer, but there were also wardrobe personnel involved which included John A. Anderson, Grace Harris, and Dario Piazza, who were not credited.