Viva Las Vegas - The King’s best looks through the years
Ready set, go man go…
Unless you have been under a rock for the past month, you will have seen the absolute buzz around Baz Lurhman’s Elvis biopic, played by the incredible force of nature, Austin Butler.
Even as a massive fan of the king of rock and roll, I had to double take throughout to see who was who.
A few takeaways from the film (apart from to tell you to go and see it RN)...
The incredible attention to detail that went into designing each look that Elvis had throughout his ever-changing career was perhaps the most in-depth ever captured on film. Wow…
The rendition of Polk Salad Annie (fave track) in the Vegas years was just about as high-level as a cinematic experience gets. Elvis in many ways was a pioneer of gender neutral style and hair, and where he blazed a trail, others followed.
Everyone needs to get to a level in life where you have a personal put-your-shades-on assistant.
Elvis’s hair was one of the most talked about things throughout his career, from the iconic floppy pompadour that the fresh faced truck driver launched himself into popular culture globally on Sam Phillip’s Sun Records, to his military style buzz cut that broke hearts the world over, to his uber-masculine all leather jet black hair appeal of the 68 comeback special.
Today we are going to take a look at some of the king's fave hairstyles, from the Quiff, Ducktail, Jelly Roll, Rocker, greaser and much more. The elvis cut is a niche of its own.
What you should ask for next time you fancy some authentic 50s rock and roll vibes, how to style your new locks, and some other heartthrob looks that you could have instead.
Early 50’s
Taking it all the way back to 1954, with the classic greaser look from Elvis's debut single, That’s All Right.
The cut - ask your barber for a long pompadour - you need plenty of hair to achieve this classic gender neutral style. Sideburns are a must.
Styling the look - wash your hair and apply some nice shiny pomade to damp hair and style your hair into place for an authentic greaser look. Take a comb and style the sides backwards to create that classic ducktail taper around the back. On the top, go big on your quiff or go home. There are many different ways you can style your hair with a pompadour
1958
There are not many people that can honestly say when they have their hair cut, people around the world cried. That legit happened when Elvis was inducted to the US army on March 24th, 1958.
The classic buzz cut which changed music history. Elvis’s hair was cut from his iconic long pompador into a standard military cut for his years in Germany. In the years that he went on to fight for his country and meet the love of his life, Elvis was sporting an uncharacteristically short crew cut that tried (and failed) to make him fit in with the rest of the guys.
The cut - ask your barber for a crew cut - A Crew Cut has tapered on the sides and back but is longer on top. Style it dry or with a matte clay.
1960s
Fresh out the army, it’s only right that the All-American boy grows his locks back out and ascends into movie star status with flicks like Blue Hawaii satisfying fans every wish. The pomp grows bigger in the early 60s, but what is an interesting development is the styling is much more relaxed, less formal in a lot of key Elvis looks from the era. It’s amazing what good product can do to create a totally different vibe. To recreate this look your going to need medium to longer-length hair, which is shorter on the sides and slicked back on the top.
1969-1977
Viva Las Vegas
Some of the most iconic Elvis looks came from his mammoth Las Vegas residency to open the brand new International Hotel, all 636 shows. Every show required new staging, different looks. A now fully mature Elvis, very much owning his look and hair would emerge during this era. The hair was now dyed jet black, the locks long, and often worn down with some big glasses to hide the sins of last night. This is one of the most recognisable Elvis looks that will never go out of style.
The cut - Moving into a classic 70s cut now this Elvis style is much longer with statement sideburns and a shaggy cut to it, perfect for any stylist who uses a razor cutting technique.
Styling - little to no product is needed here, this is all in the blowdry. You can add some texture powder if you have thin or naturally flat hair. Dry shampoo would work nicely too.
Austin Butler’s Hair
The star of the film and currently breaking hearts all over the world, Austin’s hair away from the movie screen is something to behold. According to the movie’s director Baz Lurhmann, Butler is having his “Leonardo Dicaprio moment”... and we are here for it.
luckily , we have a direct line with Butler’s stylist, who says she styles his hair with water to create a wet mist and plays with the hairs natural textures to create an effortless look, or swaps that for a leave in conditioner with aloe vera if the conditions are a lil bit more heated. Using a nozzle end on a hair dryer and combine a round brush with using your hands to create volume and texture as you dry. Then finish with a cold shot of air and switch to the diffuser to give a more tousled and natural finish and enhance any natural curl of the hair.
The cut - Ask your barber to keep the length on the top and the back with a tidy but relaxed shape around the ears. A very easy, low maintenance hairstyles.