Elvis Aloha jumpsuit

Materials

White suralene gaberdine. Studs, gems and mountings. Zipper Interfacing Haboti silk lining Red satin for leg godets

What was your inspiration?

Elvis fan wanted a copy of Elvis' Aloha jumpsuit.

What are you most proud of?

Each stud, and all of the stones were hand set (not glued). The studs pierce the outside and the points on the back side were hand crimped. The 'gems' wre individually set in Tiffany and Cabechon mountings and each mounting was individually hand crimped. All of the stud work on the back and front and sleeves had to be done prior to constructing the outfit. I made a muslin of my original design and adjusted the muslin to fit the customer. Then cut the actual jumpsuit from the adjusted muslin. Jumpsuit involved 160 hours of work.

What advice would you give someone starting this project?

This is a project that requires much patience and a good knowledge of sewing construction to design the pattern. I used a shirt that fit the customer as a basis for cutting the newly designed jumpsuit pattern from muslin. The 'cuffs' and 'leg godets' had to be very carefully designed to look accurate to the original. The collar required extra work as it has to stand up and hold the gem and stud designwork. It was a huge accomplishment, and now I know why they charge over $2500 for the same suit in Nashville.