Elvis Presley’s Heaviest and Most Expensive Jumpsuit Caused Him to Fall Over
Designing Elvis Presley‘s iconic stage outfits was one of the most fun and challenging aspects of Bill Belew’s job. He walked a delicate line between making them both fabulous and functional. However, one of Presley’s heaviest and most expensive jumpsuits once caused the King of Rock and Roll to fall over.
Elvis Presley took a tumble from the weight of one of his heaviest jumpsuits
As the 1970s progressed, Elvis Presley’s jumpsuits became more extravagant and heavier. His audiences expected more from the King of Rock and Roll, and his costume designer Bill Belew delivered, but with a cost.
In an interview with Elvis Australia, Belew discussed the many outfits he crafted for Presley. He began working with him in 1968, creating the most iconic looks of the entertainer’s career.
However, one outfit in particular caused the King of Rock and Roll to topple over. This whoops moment occurred in 1973.
Belew said, “Elvis wanted the suit to say America. So I said the American Eagle. ‘We’ll do this cape, and you’ll come out, you’ll have your back to the audience, and you’ll open it up.
Belew admitted that there may have been better ideas than a floor-length cape. “The cape went to Hawaii. And Elvis put the cape on, went to step forward, and fell over backward. The cape was so heavy that he couldn’t walk in it.”
He concluded, “I got the call that said ‘Bill, that the cape is great, but Elvis can’t move in it.’ So we immediately went into production and made a short cape for him to wear for it.”
“But I always had this; all these years, I carried this image of Elvis stepping forward, and then bam. Laying there amongst all this cape. And I can see him howling with laughter, too.”
Elvis typically wore white jumpsuits for 1 key reason
Although Elvis Presley wore many different colored jumpsuits throughout his stage career, he typically stuck to one solid color: white. There was one key reason for this, said his designer, Bill Belew.
Belew explained that the color that just worked best on stage was white. “It allowed them to change the colors on him, whereas black would absorb all the color, making it hard to highlight him.”
The designer also experimented with blue and red. But, in the end, white was the best thing, with Belew admitting, “You want the star to be the person, you know, and not the wardrobe.”
What were the King of Rock and Roll’s favorite jumpsuits?
Elvis Presley’s favorite jumpsuits were as varied as his collection. Belew admitted that Presley gravitated to those with more intricate designs, with elaborate embroidery by Gene Doucette.
“Well, I know he liked the dragon suit. I know he liked the peacock. He liked the leopard. And, of course, I think his favorite was always the Aloha Hawaii suit, the American Eagle.”
“You could be daring as a designer and put anything on Elvis, and he could make it work,” Belew said, per the official Graceland website. “And the simplest outfits that didn’t seem particularly remarkable on the rack transformed into something spectacular when Elvis put them on. He was that beautiful and powerful a presence.”
In total, Belew designed over 100 jumpsuits for Elvis Presley. He wore them from 1969 through 1977.
