Unworn Jumpsuit (1977)

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

Unworn Jumpsuit (1977) Made for the August 1977 unfortunately it was never to be. I have made up a picture to try and simulate what it could look like.

[Albert]

I still find it unbelievable (like many other decisions during Elvis' carreer) that Elvis wore that Mexican Sundial suite almost on every tour in 1977. It was like pointing the attention of the public towards his (by then) big belly ("Look, the reports in the newspapers are true, I AM fat") (not meant to offend).

Wasn't there anyone that urged Elvis to use different, more flattering suits? This blue suit might have been an improvement over the pizza, uhm Mexican Sundial suit, but definitly not a step forwards compared to great jumpsuits.

The 2-piece suits that he wore in 1972 and 1975 would have been a great substitute for the jumpsuits. If you don't jump around anymore, then there's no need to have a jumpsuit. Someone should have told him that. Unless he lost weight and came back on the weight that he had before autumn 1975, he should have worn jumpsuits.

[Elvis' Babe]

the sundial suit is a billion times better than that one. at least it didnt look "cheap".

but yeah, white flared pants (i love flares!!!) with a loose colored maybe silky shirt...that would have looked great on him at this point. and some metal gold belt similar to that vegas international one would have been just great.

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

I think by this period in Elvis' life he had little love left for touring and perhaps saw it as a means to an end, the stagewear was pretty much on hold, wearing Jumpsuits from two or three years previous. the only challenge left was the CBS special and he had the same jumpsuit throughout the filming of this! You have to ask the question if there really was much milage left for the jumpsuit, the 80's were just round the corner I can't see how even Elvis could have carried on with what essentially was a 70's thing!!

[Jungleroom76]

I've always thought this jumpsuit was a bit odd-looking too...certainly wouldn't have been one of his more popular jumpsuits, in my opinion.

TCB!
Mike

[Cherokee]

The unworn jumpsuit looks like it was tailored for a senior citizen wearing Depends! What's up with those aweful pants?

I agree, Albert, about the mystery of the continuous wearing of the Sundial jumpsuit in 1977. I really hope he had more than one of that one, otherwise: stay off the wind when near Elvis

And you're so right, Matt: what would he have worn had he lived into the eighties? He was already becoming a curiosity in the mid seventies with his jumpsuits, hence the ball all non Elvis fans are having ridiculing that particular phase of his stage persona. Not to mention the horror of the impersonators who almost all pick that era for their 'inspiration' UGH (we need a barf emoticon).

Aaah, questions, questions. A lot to philosophize about.

[Lonniebealestreet]

I think part of the reason that suit might look not look so great is because it's not on Elvis's body. Perhaps the design might not be something we would all favor, but it would have been great to see Elvis in another blue suit at that stage, I think. And the belt and buckle seem less bulky than most (is that why many think this suit looks cheap?), so that's another plus as it would not draw more attention to his midsection and add girth to it.

Regarding the whole jumpsuit issue, I think that as long as Elvis favored them, he should have worn them. They were just something which came to be associated with Elvis, basically part of his trademark. They might have been modified somehow or dropped altogether with the onset of the eighties, but I don't think that would have necessarily happened just because styles were changing. Elvis was Elvis, and I think he was above all that. Who knows, some fresh new designs could have come out which would perhaps not have everyone so inclined to think a change was in order. Even if we are to consider fashion trends, I don't think that Elvis was behind the times to have been still wearing those suits in 1977. I could be wrong though.

However I do think that when his weight was up, 2-piece suits would have been a sensible option--as dark colors certainly would have been.

And Matt, nice work putting Elvis in that suit there. (I believe I told you so before.)

[Jungleroom76]

However I do think that when his weight was up, 2-piece suits would have been a sensible option--as dark colors certainly would have been.

I agree completely Bobby....I really think Elvis should have considered returning to the 2-piece outfits, like he wore in '75....those were nice looking suits, and I think they would have made him look less heavy than the regular 1-piece outfits.

Maybe you are right and actually seeing Elvis in the suit would have made this one seem less "odd", as I stated above. And I agree that the blue color would have been a nice departure in '77 from the usual white outfits he was wearing. Still....there is just something about this suit that bothers me....can't put my finger on it...

TCB!
Mike

[peter]

I heard that Elvis should wore it for the first time on 17 - 26 June tour. Originally it was made as suit for CBS Special. I think that this suit isn?t bad as V-Neck or Mad Tiger suit, but yes, Mexican is far better!

[Jungleroom76]

Peter -

WOW!! That is interesting....I had never heard that this suit was supposed to be worn for the CBS Special....I have always heard it was going to be worn for the later '77 tours!

Anyone else heard this rumor, that this suit was supposedly for the CBS Special??

TCB!
Mike

[E.L.V.I.S]

i think its the belt mike ,

look at the picture above and imagine it without the belt..... .It would have looked 20 times better.The belt is way to square and plain.Alittle more curvers and design would have made the belt fit real nice.
I too agree the two-piece suit should have been the way elvis should have gone as the jumpsuit was getting rather repetitive.Maybe if he had we would not have all those silly impersonators wearing stupid jumpsuits and maybe put a stop to the silly comments

also am i right in thinking that this is the suit that had lasers coming out of it?

[buttonhead]

i dont think this is the suit where it has laser on it (in fact there are ) , elvis might be glowing in the dark so far as i knew about this suit, the pics above was actually the second suit from the original one, the first design wasnt fit elvis it was too tight, so they have to make new one in the rush to completions meanwhile elvis wore the 'pizza suit' during his 1977 concert , and i heard rumor that the unworn suit (light blue historic )was about to wear on his last concert on august 16 .1977 in portland maine,.. it never happen.

[E.L.V.I.S]

i was watching a elvis documentary were they showed the laser suit and showed what it may have looked like with it on elvis.It was weird but very cool ,would have been great to see the laser shining out of elvis set on a dark background ,never to be.

[JohanD]

I realy don't kwon if this is part of a myth or that Bill Belew is telling(or believing) his own words.

He told in the defenetive Elvis documentary that Elvis just has to push on a buton somwhere on the suit to beam a laser..
Then push another and another laser would beam..

Strange,maybe it would look cool,but for others it would be maybe a bit too"weird"..

I don't know,remember the story is begun after his death,en no one,except Bellew,can tell more details about it... :dry:

[howardrobardhughes]

Kinda neat...isn't it...



TCB
Wade ( HRH )

[clowdy]

MIke, I think is the colors combination. Blue and gold just don't fit togheter here. And the embroidery, looks like my grandmother's couch.

[Jungleroom76]

MIke, I think is the colors combination. Blue and gold just don't fit togheter here. And the embroidery, looks like my grandmother's couch.

YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S COUCH??? OUCH!!!

I think you're right E.L.V.I.S....I think it is the belt....as I picture the suit without the belt, it doesn't look quite as odd....but still, even looking at the photos that J.J. and Wade created with Elvis superimposed in the suit, I still can't see him wearing that....especially in '77!!

As for the suit with the lasers built into it, if I remember correctly, Bill Belew was going to design that suit for Elvis to wear at his New Year's Eve performance at the Kingdome in Seattle on 12/31/77. I don't believe this blue one was the suit with the lasers in it, and I am not sure if Bill had even gotten as far as designing it or creating it....I think it was only an idea at the time Elvis died.

Anyone with other information on this??

TCB!
Mike

[Dudcowboy_1]

If you look at the suit close enough that is just the fitting of the jumpsuit. Like B&K Enterprise who is run by Glen(Sp?) who was one of Elvis jumpsuit makers in the 70s along with Bill. That is a fitting because if you look at the hip area its not pled. And also belt is not fixed. From what Joe told me last year at a show I did he was guess speaker. Elvis wore this about 4 days before he passed away. To see if it fit and he did not like it because he lost a ton of weight. Joe said to me he was back to his weight he was on New Years Eve Tour in 1976. Because at the end of the tour was his home concert Memphis. Which Elvis wanted look good for, compared to year before.

Your friend,
Tim Dudley

[buttonhead]

Tim,..
what you're saying ... makes me thinking ..is the pic above is suppositly the bigger version of the first blue historic jumpsuit ? but then you said EP lost weight ???...

Aron...
i dont know your grandma ..so i cant tell how her couch lookalike this suit looked 'rare' (old ) to me

[veronik]

i was watching a elvis documentary were they showed the laser suit and showed what it may have looked like with it on elvis.It was weird but very cool ,would have been great to see the laser shining out of elvis set on a dark background ,never to be.

hey guys!

I was told that this suit was not finished yet.Those pants are horrible!Does anyone knows why Elvis pay no attention or simply din't care what he was wearing on stage?Why the Mexican sundial suit on every show?Was that the one that fit him?Please inform me.I had an argument with another fan who said that the reason he din't have any suits made was because he faked his death and thayt makes me angry .Elvis loved performing and he loved us.