THE EVOLUTION OF PRISCILLA PRESLEY’S STYLE

How her ever-changing relationship with Elvis influenced what she wore

BY JACKSON MCCOY ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA MCADAMS

Though the release of “Elvis” in 2022 offered us a glitzy and glammy portrait of the King of Rock’s successful yet tragic life, Sofia Ford Coppola’s “Priscilla” offers audiences something “Elvis” failed to deliver: Priscilla Presley’s relationship with the larger-than-life musician. Audiences are given the opportunity to watch as Priscilla Presley’s style evolves, and her looks often reflect the relationship she had with Elvis. 

Priscilla first met Elvis in September 1959 when he threw a party in his home in Germany he rented during his deployment. She was a mere 14 years old compared to his 24. For the remaining six months Elvis was deployed, they spent almost every day together despite the gaping age difference.

For years, Priscilla would remain in sporadic touch with Elvis; through rumors of his relationships with other women and her parents’ disapproval, Priscilla remained hopelessly devoted to Elvis and only Elvis.

During this time, she kept her hair short and often wore minimal makeup. As Priscilla revealed in her memoir “Elvis and Me,” Elvis liked this particular look and so she wore it with pride.

This is a recurring theme throughout their relationship. Priscilla would wear what Elvis wanted her to, and nothing else. She was iconic, but it was not her expressing an independent style — it was the King’s style.

With the permission of her parents, Priscilla moved to Memphis at the age of 17 to finish high school. She hadn’t moved into Graceland but spent most of her free time there and would stay the night at Elvis’ parents’ house. According to Priscilla herself, as soon as she moved to Memphis she slowly began moving into Graceland.

“Almost unnoticed, I began to move in my things,” she wrote in a 1985 essay for People Magazine. “Elvis was still in Los Angeles filming 'Fun in Acapulco' and by the time he suggested that I move into Graceland I already had.”

As she moved into Graceland, Elvis’ influence over Priscilla’s style grew. He encouraged her to leave her hair long and dye it dark, which led to her beehive hair that heavily influenced women’s hairstyles in the ‘60s. He wanted her to wear darker, heavier makeup, especially around her eyes, also leading to the now-iconic winged eyeliner look seen in the many photos of her from the 1960s.

Priscilla and Elvis’ wedding is perhaps her most iconic appearance with this style. In the many pictures of the small Vegas wedding that anointed her Queen of Rock and Roll, you can practically see Priscilla’s heavy eyelashes fluttering and the veil tangled uncomfortably in her hair. 

It wasn’t until she finally separated from Elvis that Priscilla truly began expressing herself. She opened her own boutique “Bis & Beau,” and often sported denim and bedazzled outfits. She even wore a denim bikini nearly fifty years before Dua Lipa. While she kept the makeup style worn prominently during her marriage to Elvis, she left the dark hair behind for her natural red or an occasional blonde.

Priscilla’s level of influence hasn’t always been as appreciated as her late ex-husband’s, but she is just as deeply ingrained in American culture as Elvis. From her married days to her finding independence, Priscilla always was and always will be a style icon for many.