Elvis in “Jailhouse Rock”
The History
This Saturday, August 16th, will mark the 38th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. In addition to being remembered as the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis wore a pompadour that was the stuff of Hollywood legend. Elvis came from a period when pompadours and slick styles were the norm, but the way he wore his – with a loose swagger and impeccably groomed black hair – influenced men’s hairstyles for generations to come. (And later, even female hairstyles.)
Elvis’ hairstylist, Larry Geller, revealed to Yahoo! a few interesting facts about his iconic client:
- Elvis’ hair was originally sandy blond, but he wanted that dark black color. Geller dyed it using a L’Oreal formula every 2-3 weeks.
- When Elvis was enlisted in the army and couldn’t dye his hair, he got highlights.
- Geller used many natural products to style Elvis’ hair, including vitamin E and jojoba oil, so he could keep the King’s hair healthy in the long run.
- Geller would test custom mixes on Elvis’ hair. He says he “used to go to the health food store and get a benign base shampoo and get some vitamin capsules and pour 99 percent pure aloe vera and other herbs into it, and shake it up.”
- Geller originally opened the first hair salon just for men in West Hollywood in 1964, where he welcomed stars like Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen. But he gave up the business when he was offered the opportunity to be Elvis’ personal hairstylist for movies and concerts.
The Hair How-To
Thankfully, we’ve got it well figured out by now how to recreate the King’s hairstyle, which is just as stylish as ever. Check out the following videos to get Elvis-worthy hair.
P.S. Since combs are ultimately what sculpt your pomp into place, remember to always keep good combs handy – the Kent Hand Made Sawcut OT Hair Comb, Rex Unbreakable Pocket Hair Comb, and Rex Rat Tail Hair Comb are customer favorites.
Rockabilly Pomp Tutorial
In this first video, you’ll learn how to style a rockabilly pomp using Uppercut Deluxe Pomade.
Modern Pomp Tutorial
The second video details how to create a modern pomp slicked to the side.
