Why did Elvis have jumpsuits?

Answer 1

According to Jerry Hopkins's book, this trend began with Presley's Las Vegas revival performances in 1969. (His first engagement playing Las Vegas, years before, had been a catastrophic failure.) Remember, the usual attire for Las Vegas performers in that time period was an expensive tuxedo. As the "King Of Rock 'N' Roll," with an image that was larger than life, it was not very prudent for Presley to wear full-formal suits to make his return to live performances. Even in his heyday, Presley had been something of a trend-setter as far as fashion went, so he had the freedom to come up with something unique and more fitting for a performer of his stature...and music genre.

Encountering Tom Jones, and discovering that Jones's was a similar approach to what his own had once been(the only flaw he found in Jones's approach was its blatant sex appeal; he himself always denied having been as "vulgar" in his earliest heyday as he believed Jones was), he invoked his own interest in karate and commissioned William Belew to construct an outfit that resembled a karate gi, to which Belew, at Presley's request, added a Napoleonic standing collar. This detail was subsequently included in all his stage costumes because Presley always believed his neck looked too long, and they were likewise constructed with flaring trouser legs because Presley always believed his legs looked too thin.

It evolved from there.