Sta-Prest (a stylized rendering of "stay pressed") is a brand of wrinkle-resistant
trousers
Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, and ...
produced by
Levi Strauss & Co., beginning in 1964.
Sta-Prest jeans are marketed as being wearable straight out of the
dryer, with no need for
ironing
Ironing is the use of a machine, usually a heated tool (an iron), to remove wrinkles and unwanted creases from fabric. The heating is commonly done to a temperature of 180–220 °Celsius (356-428 Fahrenheit), depending on the fabric. Ironing wor ...
. The trousers were especially popular among
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English ...
mods of the mid 1960s and
skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture which originated among working class youths in London, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its nor ...
s of the late 1960s (as well as among
traditionalist skinheads and
mod revival
The mod revival was a subculture that started in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and later spread to other countries (to a lesser degree). The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence lasted for de ...
ists of later decades).
Vintage
Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In cer ...
pairs of Sta-Prest trousers have become collector's items. Other companies, such as
Lee
Lee may refer to:
Name
Given name
* Lee (given name), a given name in English
Surname
* Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee:
** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname
** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...
and
Wrangler, produced similar styles of trousers during that same period. Lee's version was called ''Lee Prest'', which came in similar colors and patterns as Sta-Prest; although they were much slimmer and tapered. Decades later,
Merc
Merc or MERC may refer to:
Merc
* Merc (MUD), a text-based online game software platform
* Merc (role-playing game), 1981
* Merc (script) or Meroitic Cursive, derived from Demotic Egyptian
* Merc 2000, an alternative setting for the ''Twilight ...
started marketing a brand called ''Sta Press''.
When the skinhead scene hit America in the 1980s Levi's Sta-prest were not always an affordable option, and slim fit
Dickies
Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co. is an apparel manufacturing company primarily known for its largest brand, Dickies. The company was founded in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1922 by C. N. Williamson and E. E. "Colonel" Dickie, who began a denim bib overall co ...
work pants were worn. Dickies gave the same look and style, and since they were made for work wear they did not lose their crease, and could be worn without ironing.
External links
Levi's - Our Company - History & HeritageSta Press on Merc website
1960s fashion
Trousers and shorts
{{Fashion-stub