“Priscilla” and Her Story Through Fashion

Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s love story has been one that has transcended time and turned them both into true American icons. Their distinct styles are iconic representations of the fast paced Hollywood culture in the 1960’s, heavily influenced by the King of Rock n Roll.

Sofia Coppola, a director known for her female coming of age movies, recently released her own version of the Presley story but with a focus on the often overlooked experience of Priscilla. In true Coppola form, fashion became a storytelling tool itself as it changes throughout Priscilla’s life in three phases: before, during, and after Elvis. 

Priscilla Presley was only 14 years old when she first took up with Elvis, and her naïveté is intentionally highlighted in the way she dresses. She pairs pastel cardigans with girly mid-length skirts and a heart choker. She looks like what she is: a youthful, shy teenage girl. 

As Priscilla is plucked out of her simple life and swept into Elvis’s bustling world of Rock n Roll, her style completely changes. Eager to please Elvis, she dyes her hair black and teases it into larger-than-life beehives, heavily layering on her iconic black eye makeup. The majority of her teenage years revolve around forming herself into Elvis’s ideal woman. 

As she ages and matures, though, she begins to separate herself from her relationship with Elvis and finds her own identity. She ditches the heavy eye makeup and teased hair, and instead adopts a softer, more simple wardrobe. She embraces the free nature of the 70’s and styles printed tops, which Elvis always hated, with bell bottom jeans and her naturally brown hair. 

Coppola uses the medium of fashion to tell an intimate story about a woman’s changing relationship with her partner and herself. Her clothing choices mark her gaining confidence in who she is, rather than what is expected of her.

Written by: Karson Green