One of the greatest rock and roll icons of the twentieth century is, of course, Elvis Presley – the King of Rock and Roll. Elvis had first shot to stardom in the 1950s, but by the Sixties he was starring in a lot of Hollywood films, primarily musical comedies. Elvis’s music was less successful, and less like by the King, during this time. Only two of eight singles released between January 1967 and May 68 made it into the top 40, and neither went higher than 28.
In 1968 Elvis made a special, later called the ’68 Comeback Special, which was aired in December of that year. This was a huge success. Following on from that, he recorded From Elvis in Memphis in 1969. The success of this led to Elvis appearing at the new International Hotel in Las Vegas in 57 shows over 4 weeks, and finally a five year residency was agreed with performances in February and August.
This Las Vegas residency led to one of Elvis’s more iconic dress styles, and one that is instinctively associated with the him, even though he had other prior ones. For a costume idea for Halloween or a theme party, the 1970s Las Vegas look of Elvis is ideal.
The Head
During this time, the hair is the most notable feature. This was different from his pompadour style of the 50s, longer, with thick sideburns, and layered. The style was maintained with a lot of gel and attention. Fortunately, wigs are available.
The Body
This was the period when Elvis wore jumpsuits. These were usually open at the chest, with flared trousers, high collars, and often heavily decorated with such as rhinestones, although sometimes they were more simply made. These could come in different colours. The most distinctive was the white jumpsuit worn in Aloha from Hawaii, which featured an eagle motif. To create this sort of costume yourself would be extremely time consuming, and expensive, but it would be possible. It would be easier, and cheaper, to buy a replica.
Accessories
Elvis also tended to wear large, metal framed sunglasses during this period.