The Nudie Suit

The Nudie suit was an item of clothing most desirable to the country stars of the past. Nudie Cohn was a tailor who started detailing rodeo suits and selling them to country stars like Porter Waggoner and Tex Williams, and they became the symbol of the country culture. The detail that was put into these suits is unbelievable, from rhinestone covered wagons on them to music notes down the sleeve. Nudie really made the Nashville style with those suits as they became more and more popular. Despite Nudie being a tailor by trade, he really was a designer who created an iconic style. The concept of putting embroidery on a nice suit must have been unheard of, but he wanted to focus in on the form of a suit, more than just its content. He changed the way people in the Grand Ole Opry dressed forever and revolutionized the style of Nashville. He made Gram Parson’s suit (pictured above) and it had marijuana leaves and poppies embroidered all over it and Elvis Presley’s famous gold lame suit (pictured below). Nudie really was an amazing designer and his attention to detail was phenomenal. There still has been nothing quite like a Nudie suit that has influenced a culture such as he has.