Word: sy
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...very good year," Bob Hope once said, "I had my choice between a Rolls-Royce, a new house in Beverly Hills, or a suit from Sy Devore...
...Sy is a tailor. To call him Hollywood's No. 1 tailor would be to insult him by suggesting that there could possibly be a No. 2 Hollywood tailor. He gets about $50 a stitch, because his label, in Hollywood, signifies incomparable status. When a star gets into the 10%-of-the-gross category, he is ready for Sy Devore...
...Sequins. Sy is custom itself. He drapes David Niven aloofly and John Wayne toughly. He is the author of Bob Hope's tweeds. If Donald O'Connor wants to look like George M. Cohan, which for some reason he does, Sy cuts him a checkered vest. But he won't do just anything. He designed Liberace's first gold lame suit, but when the big Lib began demanding sequins for it, Sy sent him to a costume house...
Elvis Presley used to walk in, sweep $1,000 worth of clothes off the rack, and walk out (Sy democratically keeps racks for people who make less than $100,000 a year). Sy finally convinced Presley that he ought to stand still for fittings. Elvis stood-until Sy told the world that Elvis wore no underwear. Elvis sulked for a while, but he came back, wearing underwear...
...Sy's standards vary with his clientele. For people like Jerry Lewis, he will cut orange slacks and velvet-collared, cognac-colored dinner jackets; but soon after Peter Lawford took office as presidential brother-in-law, Sy began dressing him in striped suits and two-button coats, trying to raise Lawford to the standards of John Kennedy. "Kennedy is the best dressed President since Washington," says Sy. "Washington was so immaculate. Every time I see a picture of him, I'm astounded." Sy tries gamely to dress Pierre Salinger like Washington...