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Elvis Presley remains the bestselling solo music artist of all time, raking in more than 500 million sales of his first record release in 1954 to date. An impressive number, yes, but considering his mastery of pretty much every genre – rock'n'roll, country, blues, pop and not forgetting gospel – it's not entirely surprising.
But Elvis' international recognition wasn't just down to music. The King was also a style icon. His early wardrobe set a bunch of style moves before anyone else: pleated trousers teamed with Cuban-collared shirts and penny loafers and, a bit later on, head-to-toe leather: pure rockabilly. And as for his grooming? He only revived the coolest cut in grooming history: the pompadour.
Released in 1957 as his third EP, the music video for “Jailhouse Rock” revealed Presley in a black shirt suit, striped shirt, laceless brogues and a sweep of jet-black hair. Generous volume, generous height and a generous amount of gel, it was a stone-cold grooming move and one that became a signature of the star.
It was known simply as “the Elvis cut”, but actually it goes way back to Madame de Pompadour, a mistress of the French king Louis XV. We're talking mid-18th century here, a moment when the men, women and children of the royal court all valued volume in the hair department.
French royals aside, achieving Elvis’ take on the pompadour isn't quite as simple as backcombing your mane for three hours straight. Styling is key and that's where our barber, Joe Mills, comes in. We asked for his thoughts on how to re-create it.
Joe Mills: The Presley pomp had a few variations and this one is my favourite. It’s a more naturally styled look, with length around the sides and over the ear as opposed to a short back and sides. This style works best with thicker hair – and is even more ideal if you have a slight wave.
Cut wise, you want around four to five inches of length on top and a good couple of inches over the ears so it sweeps back. It can be trimmed into the nape of the neck, so ask your barber to keep most of the length at the front.
After you've got the cut sorted, shampoo your hair and add a tangerine-sized amount of hair mousse throughout.
Grab your hairdryer and blowdry the sides away from your face using a vent brush. Then dry the back left to right so the sides flow into the back and then into the neck. If you have a wave to your hair, use your fingers instead of a brush and actually grip the hair and pull back from your face as you dry it. Disclaimer: this takes a little time, but you keep the slight wave and get the messy quiff much more naturally.
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If you have straighter hair, use the vent brush to push the hair up and back from the face and dry it. Try to get the hot air into the root area, as this will give you some lift and help when you style. Keep this up until it’s completely dry and in a messy quiff.
This is a pretty matte look and not too product heavy so you'll only need a couple to finish. My top recommendation is Black & White pomade. Take an amount the size of a five-pence piece and run it into the hair, pushing back from your face. If you hair soaks it up, repeat. Then follow the same process with Kevin Murphy's undressed cream to give you hold and shine.
Finally, finish with a light blast of hair spray. The King: 2020 edition.
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