The offered blue suede jacket was owned by Elvis Presley in the 1960s, and later in the decade he gifted the coat to long-time friend and Memphis Mafia member Sonny West. In 1981, West sold the jacket to Mike Moon. The jacket is a perfect example of Elvis' mid-60's casual cool style, and it would have been appropriate on horseback or astride one of motorcycles as he tooled around Memphis. Dating the jacket to an exact year is a challenge, but we know the interior "R. Sherman Leather Cleaners" care tag includes a 5-digit zip code, which weren't in wide use until 1964. It follows the jacket hails from that year at the earliest to as late as 1968.
After the jacket was sold by Sonny West to Mike Moon, Moon displayed it for decades at his museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (see photo of the jacket on display at the museum, at left). Moon was what today we would call an "early adopter" in the world of Elvis artifacts--he was purchasing Elvis' clothing, jewelry and personal affects directly from original-source Memphis Mafia members like Sonny West, Marty Lacker, and Charlie Hodge by the late 1970s. The accompanying signed letter from his son on "Mike L. Moon Investments, Inc." letterhead states "This jacket was purchased from Sonny West by my father, Mike Moon on October 23, 1981. Elvis wore the jacket in the mid 60s and gave it to Sonny in the fall of 1968. The jacket was on display at the Elvis Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN for nearly 40 years before it was sold to Elvis collector, Chris Davidson."
The jacket has a five-snap button front and white stitch detailing. The cuffs have a false snap closure and the interior is lined with a bandana-pattern red silky fabric. The large manufacturer label is in the collar area, and it reads "STARTOWN / A Subsidiary of Londontown MFG. CO." Attached to that label are the size and "DUPONT Quilon" dry cleaning care labels. From his hit song “Blue Suede Shoes” to his blue suede jacket, Elvis was always the pinnacle of style. This jacket measures 27 inches in length and 17 inches from shoulder seam to shoulder seam. The offered size "38" jacket presents with signs of moderate to heavy use, with scuffing and a few darker stains but no damage. Excellent condition.