Lansky Brothers

Lansky Brothers (better known as Lansky's) is a famous men's clothier located in Memphis, Tennessee. It has gained worldwide recognition for being the choice location to buy clothes for music celebrities including Roy Orbison, Isaac Hayes, and the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Aron Presley.

History

Samuel Lansky bought a shop for his two sons, Bernard and Guy, at 146 Beale Street in the late forties. Originally a store which sold leftover Army supplies from World War II, Bernard took advantage of the elevating Beale Street music scene and looked to provide clothing for the typical characters of Beale who wanted to dress dapper. After a few years of business, Lansky Bros. already had an impressive list of customers, including Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, and B.B. King.

"Clothier To The King"

At the start of 1952, Bernard noticed a young white man who would continuously walk past his window and look inside, but never actually went to buy anything. Eventually, Bernard went to invite the man in. It was a seventeen-year-old Elvis Presley, who worked at the local Loew's Theatre. According to Bernard, an 81-year-old who still works in his shop each and every day, Elvis told him that he was going to buy him out when he got enough money. Lansky responded: "Elvis, don't buy me, buy from me!" Once Elvis became an international superstar, Lansky Brothers still provided much of his attire, including his outfit for his first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956. "I put Elvis in his first suit, and I put him in his last," Lansky recalls. In 2001, Lansky's established a new line of clothing entitled "Clothier To The King," which provides reproductions of clothing that Elvis "actually" wore combined with new 1950s-inspired clothing. Lansky Brothers has since moved its location from Beale Street to Memphis' renowned Peabody Hotel, but is still as busy as ever. Bernard Lansky remains an ideal figure of Memphis history. Musicians that currently shop there include the Jonas Brothers, Robert Plant, Eddie Floyd, Stephen Stills, Steven Tyler, Dr. John, Gavin DeGraw, and numerous others.

Sources

1. [http://www.lanskybros.com Official Lansky Brothers Website]

2. Interview with Bernard Lansky