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Elvis' Leather Motorcycle Jacket with Photo Documentation
Besides wearing rhinestone-studded jumpsuits, Elvis' "uniform" of choice was what he wore indulging his childhood passion for riding motorcycles. He never lost that passion either packing his garage at Graceland with dozens of Harleys and Hondas. The mood struck by this astounding jacket, which was worn by The King and which he gave to his girlfriend Ginger Alden at Graceland in 1977 near the end of his life, can only be described as exhilarating with its colorful, hand-painted images dominated by a black hawk with its wings spread against rainbows against a silver background. The way the pattern carries over to the front of the jacket, the stylized tree-leaf motif looks a bit like the hawk's claws are reaching around from the back, and the shoulder areas are embellished with multi-colored leather pinwheels, lending a psychedlic effect that is the perfect late-'70s rock 'n' roll fashion statement. At the beginning, the King was content with your basic James Dean-style jacket such as the number he wore when he appeared on the May 1956 cover of "The Enthusiast," a hardcore motorcycle magazine, straddling a Harley KH that he had found abandoned on a dirt road (legend has it Elvis later turned down a $4 million offer for it). Later, however, he began commissioning custom-made jackets from top designers such as Mike Howard of Beverly Hills, which is today on loan by Graceland to the Phoenix Art Museum. For this jacket, Elvis went in a more rock 'n' roll direction, to East West Musical Instuments of San Francisco, the Henry Duarte of its day, making handcrafted leather clothing for rock stars and hippie types. Though Elvis' musical and cultural tastes were light years apart from Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, he too sought to be regarded as a rocker and not a Vegas lounge lizard, and evidently he was thrilled when the legendary East-West Musical Instruments Company, acting on his concept and specifications for the jacket, came back with this stunner that actually complemented the Southeast-Native American styles of his jumpsuits. The jacket has a leather strip sewn in just under the zipper on the left interior side, reading: "East West Musical Instruments Co., San Francisco, Leather Garments." Jacket comes with three enclosed photos of him wearing it (there are more, this was one of his favorites). With pride he gave it to the woman he loved, Ginger Alden. Jacket is EX-MT with no visible damage or staining, yet clearly worn as an item of great pride. The beauty of the jacket is that it bridges the early and later Elvis like few other items of the King. Exhilarating, indeed. Includes LOA from Ginger Alden. "East-West" is one of the most famous makers of rock star clothing in history. They actually promoted that they made one for Elvis (this one).
Past Sports Card, Memorabilia, Non-Sports Card and Collecitble Auction Items
Other past auction items that may be of interest to you.
Elvis 1977 Tour Jacket from Ginger Alden
Elvis & Ginger Matching Pucca Bead Necklaces
Elvis Presley Sweat Pants
Elvis Presley Red Caftan Robe
Elvis Presley Hand Embroidered Native American Shirt
Elvis Presley Concert Worn Scarf with "Use"
Elvis "My Love, My Life" Waist Chain Given to Ginger Alden
