Elvis in Jailhouse Rock.
August marks the 43rd anniversary of Elvis Presley's death at Graceland, Memphis. Zoey Goto looks at the King's influence on culture and fashion.
From the moment he broke on to the scene in the 1950s, Elvis Presley single-handedly changed the way that people across the globe dressed. His influence can
still be seen everywhere now, from the street to the catwalk.
To mark the 43rd anniversary of Presley's passing, this month sees the re-release of Elvis: That's the Way It Is. The fly-on-the-wall documentary showcases Presley's singular musical talent, charisma and boss-moves, like locking eyes with adoring fans.
Elvis was #Gifted
Decades before the advent of Insta-influencers posting their latest product placement, Presley was at the dawn of his career and hustling like a pro. Unable to afford stage costumes, the teenage Presley struck up an agreement with Lansky Bros – the coolest tailoring house in Memphis – to dress him for free in return for being an unofficial goodwill ambassador. It was a trailblazing example of celebrity endorsement and, having been gifted a complimentary wardrobe, he repaid Lansky Bros by becoming a faithful lifelong customer. Lansky Bros still has a thriving business selling Elvis-flavoured garments.
Presley was also one of the first stars to embrace the concept of "brand". Once he entered the charts, an avalanche of Elvis-related merch followed - memorabilia flooded the market, including lipsticks in Hound Dog pink, logo pyjamas, oven mittens, plastic dolls, and rockabilly bookends – almost everything could be improved with Presley's handsome face, apparently.
High Hair, Don't Care
Even as a high school student, Presley understood that hair was loaded with social currency. While his fellow classmates sported the standard post-war short-back-and-sides, Presley set himself apart from the crowd with a sky-high greased, finger-curled quiff, exhibiting a non-conformist zeal.
His controversial pompadour inspired a generation of teenage rebels globally, including the Brylcreem-slicked Teddy Boys in Britain and, more recently, performers such as Bruno Mars (who, incidentally started his show-biz career as an Elvis impersonator) and Rihanna have adapted variations of Presley's rebel hairstyle.
The sweet thing about the hairdo, which screamed of disobedience, is that for most of his career it was actually styled by his mother's hairdresser.
The King of Bling
Presley was "the first white boy to really bling it up", says the designer Tommy Hilfiger. Born dirt-poor in a wooden shack, by the tender age of 21 Presley had released his chart-topping song Heartbreak Hotel and was able to fund his taste in bling.
Head-to-toe gold suits costing $10,000, limos painted with crushed diamonds, a gold-plated baby grand piano – Presley was on a quest to show the world that this poor boy from Mississippi had hit the big time.
Rebel in Leather
Presley's defining leather moment has to be the 68 Comeback Special concert. After years of making increasingly bland movies, he wore the fetish-tinged cowhide outfit to gyrate his way through his greatest hits during his televised comeback – the crowd watching enthralled.
Stars such as Suzi Quatro, Bono, Robbie Williams, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga have also worn interpretations of Elvis' seductive leather suit, securing its place in fashion folklore.
The Gender-Fluid Pioneer
Presley on his flamboyant stage outfits: "If the songs don't go over, we can just do a medley of costumes," he jokes, referencing a flurry of costume changes.
Filmed in 1970, this is the period when Presley was first starting to embrace the outrageous, body-skimming jumpsuits. Provocative and clingy, his jumpsuits paved the way for performers such as David Bowie in his erotic, spandex body-stocking catsuits and Mick Jagger, who wore a white dress for a gig in Hyde Park. "The flamboyance of Elvis' stage-wear liberated men to wear clothes that were more outrageous than they had worn since the 19th century," says the British tailor Edward Sexton.
The Denim Champion
"Elvis' legacy can really be seen in the enduring appeal of jeans and jackets," says British Esquire editor Alex Bilmes. Towards the end of the 1950s Presley famously wore double-denim for his role in the film Jailhouse Rock. Dressed as a prison inmate in a fitted striped shirt, denim jacket and drainpipe jeans, he looked every inch the beatnik hipster.
In his private life, Presley actually tended to avoid denim as it reminded him of work-wear and the poverty of his childhood. However, by endorsing a range of jeans for Levi's and through a movie career that included plenty of onscreen denim-moments, Elvis became, in the collective mind at least, the archetypal denim-wearer. Labels such as Calvin Klein, Chloe, Ralph Lauren and D&G have since flirted with the idea of head-to-toe denim and the consciously casual style continues to grace runways seasonally.
Ahead of the curve on so many style fronts, Elvis Presley remains one of those rare icons whose fashion legacy has outlived their career. Viva Elvis!
Elvis: That's the Way It Is
can be accessed on YouTube and on Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Elvis_That_s_The_Way_It_Is?id=qT8m5Ee9fDc&hl=en_GB
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