Mod to Suedehead

Anyone know where in the UK I can get a near approximation of a pair of late 1960s Levi Sta-Prest trousers in stone colour? And do they do weird sizes, because I have put on weight in my middle age!

Originally Posted by Darksideoftheforce

Click to expand...

What if instead of the hippie counter-culture, a massive mod sub culture had replaced the hippies as the premiere youth counterculture of the 60s? Does anyone think much would have changed?
There wasn't much replacing I think? Mods-Rockers-Beatniks vs Skinheads-Greasers-Hippies what exactly changed? Here's a little piece on beatnik's in the 60s (There's was also a little piece on mods in John Stephen's shop before but this video has cut it out, and you'll catch a little bit of the rockers), the folk muscians are ok, but rest look like bums with goatees
IMPORTANT NOTICE: No media files are hosted on these forums. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website. We can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. If the video does not play, wait a minute or try again later. I AGREE

TIP: to embed Youtube clips, put only the encoded part of the Youtube URL, e.g. eBGIQ7ZuuiU between the tags.

Originally Posted by loempiavreter

Click to expand...

There wasn't much replacing I think?
Mods-Rockers-Beatniks vs Skinheads-Greasers-Hippies what exactly changed?

There's almost too much delineation here. People tend to erect Chinese walls round these groups and in fact things were just a tadge more fluid. When I wasn't yet in my teens I saw teddy boys gravitate from drapes and crepes to Italian "bum-freezers" and winkle-pickers. Some went eventually towards the rockers, some towards the mods, but then the guys from another town that you might have fought at the beach weren't a lot different from the guys in your school or workplace that you actually got on with. The beatniks started in the 1950s; many were jazz fans, and a lot of those would have gravitated to modern jazz and a "cool" way of dressing, and maybe eventually towards the mod scene. The guys singing in your beatnik clip were singing songs by Leadbelly and Willie Dixon, which the mates of the guy who lived next door to me (a couple of years older than me) were listening to on their record players - and they were early 60s Northern mods. Some of the mid 60s beatniks on your clip would have gone on to become hippies...

Originally Posted by Man-of-Mystery

Click to expand...

Anyone know where in the UK I can get a near approximation of a pair of late 1960s Levi Sta-Prest trousers in stone colour? And do they do weird sizes, because I have put on weight in my middle age!

This has been a problem for a long time now, decent sta-prest of the correct proportions have been unavailable for the last 30 years or so in my experience (ignoring stashes of old stock and second hand supplies).
Generally the problems have been overly narrow legs (early to mid 80's), overly baggy thighs (late 80's-early 90's) poor quality material that required ironing more often than you would expect (all eras) and smaller detail inaccuracies like button waist fastening and rear pocket button configuration.
From what I've seen that are available today the Relco ones are probably the best, they don't have the clip waist fastening and are a lower rise (not hipsters, but not as high as Levis), which I'd rather not have but is a little more flattering of the middle aged gut!
My mate (late 50's) has a pair in cream and other than the button fastening on the waist they looked quite sharp.

Were sta-prest already a part of the skinhead style when you moved down South or do you remember when they first came in?

Originally Posted by Man-of-Mystery

Click to expand...

Or is it going to be a straight restoration?


straight restoration afaik. he also has a 49 merc that is a straight restoration. not chopped/kustomized like you'd see most 49 Merc Coupes. Funny cuz he splits his time riding a 1957 Harley and a Lambretta Li150. A true "mocker"

and I've found stone color staprest to be near impossible to find, have been on the search myself for a while. The best modern staprest I've gotten is Levis for japan model, cloth is a good weight (fall selection, as the cloth is thinner on spring models) and stays "pressed", the rise is not high (not low either). Dont think the details are purely authentic but it fits great and only needs a hem when new. Relco ones are cheap and fair enough but they do need some tailoring for me to like the fit.

Originally Posted by Ancillotti

Click to expand...

This has been a problem for a long time now, decent sta-prest of the correct proportions have been unavailable for the last 30 years or so in my experience (ignoring stashes of old stock and second hand supplies).
Generally the problems have been overly narrow legs (early to mid 80's), overly baggy thighs (late 80's-early 90's) poor quality material that required ironing more often than you would expect (all eras) and smaller detail inaccuracies like button waist fastening and rear pocket button configuration.
From what I've seen that are available today the Relco ones are probably the best, they don't have the clip waist fastening and are a lower rise (not hipsters, but not as high as Levis), which I'd rather not have but is a little more flattering of the middle aged gut!
My mate (late 50's) has a pair in cream and other than the button fastening on the waist they looked quite sharp.

Were sta-prest already a part of the skinhead style when you moved down South or do you remember when they first came in?

Thanks for the info.

I'm trying to think re the Sta-Prest. I'm looking at a photo of myself (see below) and wondering when it was taken. I think it was winter 68-69 at the earliest, and I wasn't the first to wear them by a long way.

Originally Posted by Get Smart

Click to expand...

Funny cuz he splits his time riding a 1957 Harley and a Lambretta Li150. A true "mocker"

Then there's myself with my BMW R1200S

Originally Posted by Man-of-Mystery

Click to expand...

There's almost too much delineation here. People tend to erect Chinese walls round these groups and in fact things were just a tadge more fluid. When I wasn't yet in my teens I saw teddy boys gravitate from drapes and crepes to Italian "bum-freezers" and winkle-pickers. Some went eventually towards the rockers, some towards the mods, but then the guys from another town that you might have fought at the beach weren't a lot different from the guys in your school or workplace that you actually got on with. The beatniks started in the 1950s; many were jazz fans, and a lot of those would have gravitated to modern jazz and a "cool" way of dressing, and maybe eventually towards the mod scene. The guys singing in your beatnik clip were singing songs by Leadbelly and Willie Dixon, which the mates of the guy who lived next door to me (a couple of years older than me) were listening to on their record players - and they were early 60s Northern mods. Some of the mid 60s beatniks on your clip would have gone on to become hippies...

Ok your right about that, I do realize that you can't really put it in some sort of black & white picture. And that people tend to move more fluidly as you put it. Still isn't it so that Hippie as a culture wasn't exactly an entirely new Phenomenon. That's why I mentioned the Beatniks, since as a culture it was kinda similarish. The complete newsreel does show mods, rockers and beatniks.

Talking about teds going mod, I've seen it before:


But then again teddy boys had a whole lot of style (just not what I'm interest in), I'm kinda impressed by these kids sartorial smartness from '56. Doesn't do under mods to be honest:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: No media files are hosted on these forums. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website. We can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. If the video does not play, wait a minute or try again later. I AGREE

TIP: to embed Youtube clips, put only the encoded part of the Youtube URL, e.g. eBGIQ7ZuuiU between the tags.

I have to admire his taste in young women!

Originally Posted by Man-of-Mystery

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info.

I'm trying to think re the Sta-Prest. I'm looking at a photo of myself (see below) and wondering when it was taken. I think it was winter 68-69 at the earliest, and I wasn't the first to wear them by a long way.

I think you'll find as long as you keep yer sheepskin over the details I've mentioned, the Relco ones will fit the bill.
http://www.adaptorclothing.com/produ...ers-stone.html

Admittedly the material doesn't have the quality feel of the old Levis, but these new "levis staprest" have the same cut as jeans with a yoked arse, raised seams down the leg and belt loops like jeans. Nothing like the original Sta-prest.

Originally Posted by Ancillotti

Click to expand...

I think you'll find as long as you keep yer sheepskin over the details I've mentioned, the Relco ones will fit the bill.

Wish I still had it!

I kinda gave up getting a decent sta-prest these days, unless you have the means to get a decent deadstock vintage one from ebay. But that'll cost you a bit €€€$$$

Originally Posted by loempiavreter

Click to expand...

I kinda gave up getting a decent sta-prest these days, unless you have the means to get a decent deadstock vintage one from ebay. But that'll cost you a bit €€€$$$

'Er indoors reckons I'd look good in chinos, so that's why I am looking for something closer to sta-prest

Originally Posted by Man-of-Mystery

Click to expand...

Wish I still had it!

Aye, A bet there're loads of things you could say that about, like the Sta-prest!

You're not the only one though, few thought that they'd care about this stuff again back then!

Originally Posted by Ancillotti

Click to expand...

Aye, A bet there're loads of things you could say that about, like the Sta-prest!

You're not the only one though, few thought that they'd care about this stuff again back then!

Some of the stuff I hung on to for years. None of it would fit me now!

I think 'er indoors was still wearing one of my old Bens as a painting smock ten years ago...