The offered Neostlye "Nautic" model sunglasses were customized for Elvis Presley with the addition of his trademark 14k gold "TCB" logos to each arm, creating one of the most iconic items he ever wore. This pair of sunglasses was given to a friend, Kathie Spehar, during a party in his suite at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1974. Elvis had known Kathie for a while at that point, even suggesting she move to Las Vegas to pursue her career in entertainment.
Elvis discovered the Nautics in the early 1970s at Optique Boutique in Beverly Hills, and had them customized by the shop's owner Dennis Roberts. Based on an interview with the creator of the Nautic glasses, Neostyle designer Konstantin Livas, he recounts how Elvis first saw the sunglasses: "NEOSTYLE also successfully launched the NAUTIC in the USA. Elvis saw them at his opticians on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles. He liked them so much he ordered 5 there and then a further 3 solid gold frames ornately embellished on temples."
The offered sunglasses were one of those pairs. The gold-tone frames (not solid gold, Mr. Livas!) are embellished with the "TCB" logo and a lightning bolt near each temple applied to the arms. On the interior of the right arm is stamped "NEOSTYLE MADE IN GERMANY 140," and on the interior of the left arm is stamped "140 NEOSTYLE 822." The glasses present with the original prescription lenses made for Elvis with custom blue-tinted lenses. On the nose pads where the printed "NEO" logos should be there is nothing--they have completely worn off from use!
Kathie's accompanying signed letter of authenticity provides details about the evening in the Hilton when Elvis gave her these glasses. the letter reads:
This will confirm that you acquired Elvis Presley’s original TCB eyeglasses from me as well as the certificate of authenticity from Dennis Roberts who was Elvis’ optician.
I have been in the entertainment business my whole life as an actress, singer, dancer and later an agent/manager for major celebrities and a producer of shows. I was lucky enough to know and be a friend of Elvis for several years thanks to Red West who I met after a show in Buffalo NY in 1973. Red put my sister and I on a list of people who could see Elvis after his shows and we were invited to the suite at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel (also known as the International Hotel) many times after his shows and many other places while he was on tour.
One particular night in 1974, in Las Vegas I was in the Hilton suite with many of Elvis’ friends including Dr. Ghanem and Dennis Roberts. I was sitting next to Dr. Ghanem and Dennis. Elvis was in a giving mood that night and was showing us different rings, jewelry etc. He was wearing these glasses and the stem was loose. He looked at Dennis and said the stem was loose and took them off to show me. I had just admired one of the rings Dr. Ghanem had on that Elvis gave him. I looked at the glasses and said they were beautiful. Elvis handed them to Dennis and told him to fix them and give them to me. It was all so unbelievable I was in awe and shocked. Dennis fixed the glasses and gave them to me a few weeks later. The glasses have been in my possession since 1974.
Elvis was such a special man. There will never be another.
Also accompanying is a "Certificate of Authenticity prepared for Kathie Spehar" from Dennis Roberts which reads in part "I Dennis Roberts, hereby, certify and authenticate that the eyeglasses supplied to me for examination by Kathie Spehar are an original pair of eyeglasses that I made for Elvis Presley...The lenses contain the original eyeglass prescription belonging to Elvis Presley. The lenses are in the Elvis Dove Blue Gradient color that were his favorite." The last pair of Elvis Presley's "TCB" sunglasses sold by Rockhurst Auctions garnered a final price of $126,500 in May 2021. Also includes the book Blue Suede Shoes - The Culture of Elvis by Thom Gilbert in which the glasses and Kathy's story were featured. The glasses measure 6 x 5 1/2 inches and present Near Mint condition.