Living as a Mod in the 21st Century

Thursday, August 9, 2012

A Mod's love for a nice pair of Sta-Prest


It’s easy to understand why Mods have adopted the Levi’s Sta-Prest as one of their must-haves in their wardrobes since the 60s. They were introduced in 1964 as a revolutionary trouser that never needs ironing and always “stay pressed”.

 
They fit the Mod’s lifestyle perfectly. One, they are American made. Two, they never wrinkle, have a permanent centre crease and are perfect for the busy Mod that has allnighters to attend, records to buy and his tailor to visit instead of spending precious time fighting with an ironing board. Finally, they offer clean, smart everyday wear.

I’ve never owned a vintage pair of the original Levi’s from that era but wear its modern successor on a regular basis. I have a black pair and a dark brown one that are ideal for work and casual outings. They still look great after a few years.

I’ve always regarded Levi’s as the company that has set the standards for quality and look but many other brands have followed suit in the “Sta-Prest” world. You can see some of these brands in vintage ads I’ve scanned from a 1967 mail-order catalog in a previous post

Lee was probably the closest competitor to Levi’s supremacy of the wrinkle free slacks market and was an acceptable second choice. I recently came upon a secret stash of brand-new, deadstock pairs of some of the nicest examples of the genuine article from the sixties. I almost had a heart attack! The best part was that they had my size and the price was too good to be true. Wait… Maybe they kept the 1966 price tag? I might be exaggerating a bit but they are certainly less then what you would pay for a brand new pair. Just a second… They ARE new!


I managed to put my hands on an immaculate pair of Lee beige trousers. The original tags were still attached! These are pants that were made to wear with classic Clark’s dessert boots or some burgundy Bass Weejuns. Add a colorful checked button-down shirt with a Marino v-neck or a time-honored Fred Perry polo plus a cardigan and you’ve achieved the definitive Mod casual look.


I also bought this pair of golden/brown colored trousers that are a tad more daring but look great on a night out or on a ride around the neighborhood on the Vespa. I like them because you can dress them up or dress them down depending on the type of shoes you opt for.


Now feast your eyes on some fascinating tags from various brands that have tried to carve themselves a place in the popular “permanently pressed” sixties pants market. Too bad they weren’t my size!

Card found in one of the Tee Kay pant's pocket
 
On the same shopping trip, I also found a brand new 50s/60s slim tie that has my initial on it. Can you believe that it has waited all this time to finally find its proper owner?


This is what I call a successful shopping spree.

16 comments:

  1. the lee aint sta prest mate, they are jeans

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  2. Bullseye! I LOVE sta-prest and actually wear them every day for work.

    It's been a while, though, since I've found a pair of vintage ones. I used to have more when I was younger and am upset that I tailored them town, back then, instead of keeping some of the flares.

    In LA, there's a western shop in my grandmother's neighborhood that caters to the Mexican rancheros in the area. This shop is filled mostly with deadstock Western wear ('60s/'70s), but also has some deadstock Levis and Wranglers sta-prest. This is what I wear now.

    They are perfect pants... perfect for casual wear, perfect for work (office), and can look great with a suit jacket, tie, etc. Needless to say, I wear them A LOT.

    Great article and man, oh, man... those labels! Especially the Tee Kays!

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    1. Oh! What I would give to visit that LA shop!

      I know you're not a big fan of the Desert Boot but I was thinking of you when I took those photos. This is probably the instance where I feel they are appropriate. I bet we are probably on the same page on that even if they are not "your thing".

      For those of you who are curious about the Desert Boot debate, check this great blog post from Mod Male.

      http://mod-male.blogspot.ca/2011/08/desert-boot.html

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  3. I agree with you there. Although I'm not a desert boot guy, they do look better with a pair of sta-prest than a pair of suit trousers!

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  4. I just discovered your blog.
    I just love the whole mod scene (music and fashion), and I am slowly building my wardrobe, and why not, maybe one day a vespa.

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  5. Great tag collection. I've only owned two pairs of Sta-Prest in my life, long since rendered obselete by my size "36 waist!

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  6. just so you know that "initial" on your tie is the Farah logo

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    1. Ha! Ha! Good eye! Yes, I knew that. I have many Farah items, the little orange tag can be found on many of my trousers. I was just kidding around.

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  7. A little late to the party, but wanted to say how great this posting is! I live for 60's-era slacks, I can't stand low-rise trousers that are so ubiquitous today. Thanks for all the cool pics.

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    1. Thanks Dan! With a comment like that, you can arrive late anytime. ;0

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  8. There were only two makes of sta prest worth having. One was obviously levis the other was Brutus as in Brutus shirts. They were a little cheaper than Levis.

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  9. your best bet for vintage feel and cut levis sta-prest would be the 517 text-twill (with a seamstress working on a taper - they are slightly flared!)

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  10. they are jeans not sta prest, sta prest are like thishttp://images.esellerpro.com/2244/I/274/48/Merc%20Sta%20Prest%20Trousers%20Wine.jpg

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    1. First of all, Sta-Prest is a Levis trademark. Other companies used terms like Perma-Prest, Nerver Needs Ironing, Wrinkle Free, Crease Free. It has more to do with the property of the material than the material itself. Those "jeans" I imagine you are referring too are "wrinkle free". It said so on the the original tag so hence can be put in the "Sta-Prest" category.

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