Offered is a spectacular 1955-56 Elvis Presley worn plaid sport coat, given to Carl Perkins' (and later Johnny Cash's) drummer WS "Fluke" Holland. Elvis' 1950's clothing is incrediibly scarce--very few verifiable garments have surfaced in private hands from this era. To have a jacket of this quality emanating from such a trusted, inside source like Fluke Holland, someone that spent personal and professional time with Elvis during those years, is a remarkable find. By Holland's telling, Elvis gave him the jacket when the two were at a Lincoln dealership looking at the new models, though Holland is unsure if it was 1955 or 1956. That being said, the two bands did play a series of shows together from November 13-16, 1955, and the first two shows were at Memphis' Ellis Auditorium, putting them in Memphis not only at the same time, but performing together. "New" car models generally come out with a couple of months left in the previous calendar year, so it is likely the event recounted by Holland took place near or on November 13, 1955.
The accompanying letter from WS "Fluke" Holland's family recounts the act of generosity by Elvis:
For some reaon Elvis Presley and I ended up at a Lincoln automobile dealership in Memphis, TN somewhere around 1955-56. The new Lincolns had come out for that year, and we were both checking them out on the showroom floor. I remember that I joked with Elvis about not being able to afford one of the new cars, and that he wouldn't have any problem taking one home with him because he could afford it. Elvis was wearing this plaid-style jacket, and I learned that he had at least one more that was similar to the one he was wearing that day. I really thougt the jacket looked good on him and told him how much I liked it. Immediately, he simply took the jacket off and handed it to me and said, 'Here you go, it's yours.' Elvis had a real generous spirit about him, which he shared with people throughout his career. I jokingly tell people today, when relating the story about the jacket he gave me, that maybe that day I should have told him I 'really' like those new Lincoln cars...a lot!
There are many images of Elvis performing on stage in jackets very similar to this one in 1955 and 1956, but our research couldn't make a match to this exact jacket. That being said, it is worth noting two points. First: The difference between Elvis' personal and stage clothing was quite fluid in the 1950s, unlike later eras when there was a more solid break between the two. He commonly wore the same close on stage and off. Second: very few of his concerts were actually photographed in those years. Cameras were not as prevalent or used that often in dark clubs and concert halls. It is certainly possible that--and photographs could certainly be unearthed to attest to--that Elvis wore this jacket while performing in 1955.
Also included is the “August 16, 2017” bill of sale for the jacket. The custom tailored jacket measures 20 inches between shoulder seams and 34 inches in length. The jacket shows signs of heavy use, but remains intact, save a couple of buttons missing. The interior lining is worn but intact. The "Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America" label is in the inside pocket, and it has the proper "1949" copywright line for clothing made in the 1950s. There is a area of separation on the right sleeve. Excellent condition.