Elvis Presley's most memorable outfits, from the black leather suit to his Speedway jacket

Beyond his record-breaking sales, magnetic stage presence, and game-changing merchandise empire, Elvis Presley cemented his legacy as a style icon — rocking outfits that were anything but "torn and tattered."

From flaunting flashy pieces on stage while favoring blousons, pleated trousers, and two-tone shoes in his everyday wear, Elvis embodied a je ne sais quoi that exuded effortlessly cool. His go-to rockabilly leisure wear became his signature look, inspiring legends like Morrissey, the Clash, and even k.d. lang.

“They ask me why I wear the clothes I do,” Presley told Elvis Answers Back magazine in 1956, per Esquire. “What can I say? I just like nice clothes, that’s all. I like [color] and such. Is there something wrong with that?”

Although not every outfit was a crowd-pleaser or a timeless gem, Elvis was the first debonair rock star bold enough to take fashion risks without ever appearing sloppy. He had an uncanny sense of what worked and was worth his sartorial focus.

In tribute to his everlasting style, take a look through the archives of Elvis' most iconic outfits.

Jailhouse Rock attire

You know the look: black denim and horizontal stripes. Elvis rarely wore denim, but 1957's Jailhouse Rock called for the prisoners to be in denim workwear and money talks — so Elvis put up little resistance to his no-denim rule. (There are other great looks in this film: Elvis' cable-knit sweater and pleated slacks also stood out.)

However, this monochromatic outfit with two-tone stitching and a striped shirt became an effortlessly iconic aesthetic that could be reproduced on a budget. Legend has it that Elvis debuted the first pair of black Levi's jeans for this film, but it's not true, as black was an option for Levi's back in the 1800s. But he did lend his name to Levi's to promote the look and film.

Gold lamé Nudie suit

Nudie Cohn's bedazzled suits made him a household name, with intricate designs that were and are one-of-a-kind masterpieces. But before he designed rodeo fits for Johnny Cash, there was Elvis' gold lamé suit. You might recognize it from the cover of the 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong record, one of the few times he ever wore it.

Elvis was a big fan of mixing and matching items, but reportedly, this $10,000 matching tuxedo (actually costing $2,500) was not his style. He was much more apt to match the suit jacket with a pair of black slacks and dress down the aggressive gold. It makes a few appearances in Elvis pictures of the time, but there are only three known photos of the complete Nudie tuxedo in the raw. However, because of the cover of the aforementioned record, it will always be an iconic look that screams "the King!"

American eagle jumpsuit

Elvis had several different jumpsuits made by Bill Belew — who, by 1973, was making much of Elvis' clothes. One would be correct in wondering how the style icon would pivot from easy-cool, conservative attire to full-on costume day wear, but by this point, every day was Halloween for the King. Whether or not this is a current-day favorite, Bill Belew noted that after this jumpsuit made its first appearance, everyone from the Jacksons to the Osmonds was chasing him for design services.

It's an ostentatious affair complete with a cape and a humongous belt with eagle-hanging conchos, but it was prominently featured in the Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite special and on the soundtrack cover. Thus, it instantaneously became a classic look for the King.

Black leather suit ('68 Comeback Special)

Marlon Brando was a trendsetter with his getup in 1953's The Wild One, which undoubtedly remains standard rebel garb — black leather and a sneer. Elvis took that idea to a tailored high point with his full black leather suit designed (once again) by Bill Belew. Given that everyone was into denim at the time, Belew wanted to recreate that look using this edgier material. Just like that, a legend was born.

Belew mentioned in a 2008 Los Angeles Times interview that the public may often associate Elvis with wearing leather, but apart from an occasional leather jacket, he rarely wore the material until this suit. It's so indelible that it instantly created false memories of people thinking of a biker Elvis who never existed.

Austin Butler kept the black leather jumpsuit he wears in Elvis

Military uniform

The cut of this jib is all Uncle Sam, but no one wore it like Elvis. Perhaps his two years in the Army were a point of pride for a rock star who wanted to serve his country, though Elvis clearly could have found a 4F way around enlisting. Still, he smiled big and didn't seek ways out of his fate, using the opportunity to make the uniform his own stylish accouterment.

It's easy for us in retrospect to think he could have modified the suit in any number of subtle ways, but he just put the uniform on, and it became cooler. No doubt recruitment shot up after that photoshoot, doing the heavy lifting for Armed Forces recruiters everywhere.

Pink checkered suit jacket

Lansky Bros., a.k.a. the "Clothier to the King," was originally located in the Beale Street Entertainment District in Memphis. It's where Elvis bought his first suit as well as his last, given Lansky Bros. designed the suit he was buried in. In the beginning, Bernard and Guy Lansky helped Elvis pick out a wardrobe full of what became the singer's signature color: pink. Elvis would later wear the famous pink-checkered jacket with black slacks and his two-tone shoes.

The mismatched jacket and slacks look was big for Elvis in his early days while he was still enjoying his rockabilly leisure wear, and before the trappings of extravagance took hold. This is one of his classic looks that wasn't fully appreciated at the time, seeing as televisions were still only black and white (as seen in the above image).

Red Nudie suit

Before the gold lamé Nudie suit, Elvis rocked a red Nudie suit for the 1957 movie Loving You. It's an amazing-looking outfit topped with a neckerchief and an acoustic guitar. It appears on the film's "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" single album cover from that year as well.

In the promo shots, the cowboy shirt looks to be made of pink and red silk and the red pants have white cowboy stitching and embellishments. The movie Loving You is mostly forgettable fare, but the outfit itself is a beautiful concoction making the whole celluloid situation worth it in the end.

White high-collar suit ('68 Comeback Special)

Another Bill Belew special, this suit has a high-collared shirt under a double-breasted pea coat with high-water pants that Elvis wore with white Florsheim-styled zip boots. To top it all off, the King added a red scarf as a day cravat, instantly elevating his style into the realm of mod aesthetics.

It was new, now, and fabulous to say the least. To further see the blending of styles, Elvis' iconic pompadour coiffure also rocked the fashion of the day, making for an interesting addition to this groovy getup.

Classic Speedway jacket

Elvis and Nancy Sinatra starred in the 1968 film Speedway, and, as he plays a race car driver in the '60s, of course he has to wear the vertical stripe Harington-like jacket. It's a nice throwback to easy fashion as it can be worn with a white T-shirt and khakis for a complete look.

This style point of reference might be perfectly matched by Steve McQueen or even Paul Newman. The Speedway jacket is basically old-school Americana that feels comfortable in just about any decade, much like Mr. Elvis Presley.