Drainpipe trousers with crisp permanent creases. Made from the famous Trevira that never required ironing. No wonder they were so popular. The idea actually originated back in 1964 by the Levi Company in the U.S.
It was the Mods in the 1960s that really gave this product a leg up into the 1970s. The Sta-press (pronounced stay press), came in a huge variants of colours and designs in the 1970s that appealed to everyone.
They were popular with the skinhead brigade too because you could get them in two tone, called tonic in the early 70s, a material that they particularly liked. This material seemed to have two colours woven into one and seemed to change colour slightly depending on which angle you looked at it. I also recall buying some slightly flared green checked ones in the early 1970s. As I never did the washing or ironing, I am not that sure if Sta press kept up to its name. I will have to ask my mum.
In the late 1970s, I was wearing plain Sta-press trousers. This equated with the group Madness who had kept to the some of two-tone fashions of the earlier skinhead era but had managed to lose the negative image of this early fashion. I guess I must have seen Madness on TV wearing Sta press and thought that these trousers looked good and in fashion, so went out and bought some myself.
Sta press are still very much in fashion and available now. Some classic designs and products continue through the generations and this is one of them. The colours have changed, and the flared ones have been banished to the 1970s dustbin, but it is even more important now to have iron free products in this fast world.
Have Your Say.....
If you have any information or thoughts on this page, please help us by popping them in the comment box below.