Elvis Presley rose to prominence in the early 1950s for more than his acting and performing. Over the course of many years, Elvis sported numerous hairstyles that defined the season’s fashion. However, it was his barbers who styled his hair to attract the audience. Elvis had an undeniable edge, whether it was good (attracting the attention of young girls and boys) or bad (parents stating that his hair was abhorrent). Everyone was talking about him, whether positively or negatively.
According to Alan Hanson, Elvis’ hair was a conspicuous feature of his appearance. He has had numerous hairstyles and used numerous hair products over the years.”
• He Marches to His Own Drum
As more and more girls swooned over Elvis and his most recent hairstyle, the males attempted to imitate it in an effort to attract the attention of all the beautiful women. Elvis paid strict attention to his hair and style, and he set the standard for the era.
He was not terrified of color, hair gel, hair spray, or what others thought of his hair; he chose to embrace it as a defining aspect of his identity.
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• Larry Geller, Coiffeur
At least one man, Larry Geller, launched a men’s hair salon in West Hollywood in 1964, which was unheard of at the time, because of Elvis and his style. It became the salon of choice for actors like Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, and even Rock Hudson.
As renowned actors flocked to his studio to receive the latest and greatest fashion trends, another famous man quickly formulated a plan.
Elvis recognized Larry’s talent as a stylist and offered him the chance of a lifetime to become his personal stylist. Larry, recognizing an opportunity of a lifetime, accepted the offer, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Elvis’ hair would continue to be styled by Larry for many years to come. He would sneak in and touch up his makeup between sequences. He washed his hair daily, massaging his cranium thoroughly each time.
Larry would also dye Elvis’ hair every two or three weeks to maintain its uniform color and consistency. This was unprecedented during that era.
Larry would dye Elvis’ sandy blonde hair to obtain the jet-black color that we all associate with Elvis Presley. He would style it with both Jojoba oil and vitamin E. Additionally, he frequently switched hairspray manufacturers to prevent product buildup in his hair.
• Longer Styles
Elvis dared to be different, and despite wearing the famed “duck tail style” of the era, he wore his hair slightly longer for a “bad boy” look. With a forelock that adorned his forehead, he attracted the attention of both young and old. Elvis flourished on the attention he received from the ladies. More than one parent rolled their eyes at the “Elvis look,” just as many parents do today with certain hairstyles.
It would require three distinct types of hair wax to maintain his hair in this condition while on stage at all times. James Dean was one more man who cherished this look. James immediately imitated the look and also attracted attention.
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• Looks of The Past
Many men still aspire to achieve the pompadour style of the past. They style their hair as described in the hopes that the females will notice. Even after all these years, it still works for some of them. As men attempt to reinvent Elvis’s appearance, women are observing and paying closer attention to them. Perhaps it is a stronger statement than we initially believed.
• The Army Image
When Elvis joined the army and shaved his cranium, women wept openly. It merely altered the man’s visage.
As the end of his military service drew near, he began to regrow his hair, much to the delight of young women around the globe. As his hair grew longer, he won hearts. Soon after, he resumed his prominent position by altering his hair to attract everyone’s attention. And it succeeded!
• Rockabilly Vogue
Elvis Presley, or rather his beautician, meticulously planned out his Rockabilly style. Here is how you can accomplish this look on your own:
- Shampoo the hair before brushing or combing it into position with a blow dryer.
- Tease the hair back and comb it into position near the temples and back over the crown of the head.
- Apply hair gel and sift back through the teased hair, ensuring that every strand is coated (heavily).
- Use additional hair gel to comb and secure the hair on the back and sides of the scalp.
- Form the hair using your fingertips and blow-dry. Remember to keep the blow dryer moving so that the heated air and hair product do not cause the hair to become flaky.
- Spray a substantial quantity of hairspray with extra hold into the hair and allow it to dry.
- Bring a forelock down over the hairline slightly off-center for added sex appeal.
• Elvis Haircuts by Decade
Elvis wore his dishwater blonde hair in a pompadour with lengthy sideburns in the 1950s.
Elvis’ stylist in the 1960s dyed his hair jet black and shaved off his goatee. The top of his cranium was emphasized more than the sides.
Elvis Presley adopted the “Tony Curtis duck style” hairstyle in 1963, imitating his favored actor of the time.
Elvis maintained his darker appearance but grew out his sideburns and lengthened his hair in the 1970s. This attracted a lot more attention and, as parents objected, the girls swooned while the guys all ran down to the local drug store to get the same hair products that he was using in an effort to gain the girl’s attention.
Elvis is the only celebrity who surpasses Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn in terms of hairstyles. Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn rank second and third, respectively.
Clearly, Elvis had an advantage when it came to hairstyles, and he utilized it to attract attention and assume the primary role in music, television, and film. Elvis was busy setting the standard for others and designing his own world according to his own values and beliefs while everyone else was scrambling to copy his style.
Next time you watch an Elvis film or listen to one of his songs, consider how much hair gel he used to achieve his perfectly coiffed hair. Based on his hair color, you can determine whether his hairstyle was from the 1950s or later.
Elvis was not afraid to experiment with novel hairstyles (men never dyed their hair back then). Focusing on what drew the audience, he capitalized on something that many took for granted, and few were aware of how much work it took to get his hair so flawless.
It took hours of cleansing and styling, time to dye his hair, and numerous applications of hair gel and hair spray to satisfy his mass audience. Elvis hairstyles are here to stay and today, because of Elvis Presley, most men aren’t afraid to try something new when it comes to their hair.
