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#1 2024-01-06 07:09:37
- Half Mast
- Member
- Posts: 191
Can vintage Sta-Prest be altered/tailored?
Bit of a strange post 
Just wondering if the waist can be let out on a pair of 60s-era Levi's Sta-Prest without ruining the overall tailoring of the pants?
The material in question is a 50/50 Polyester/Viscose Rayon blend producing a hopsack-like finish.
According to Levi's, the original Sta-Prest pants were coated with a chemical resin and a catalyst and the creases were baked-in at high temperature (yikes). Not sure if the entire pants were impegnated with these chemicals or just the leg creases, so no idea whether splitting the seam and "invisibly" increasing the waist size is possible.
Anyone here got first-hand experience with altering Sta-Prests (or with any other vintage perma-crease type pants).
Glad to see the forum's still going strong; it's been quite a while since I last posted (sadly).
#2 2024-01-06 13:06:52
- Tomiskinky
- Member
- Posts: 3279
Re: Can vintage Sta-Prest be altered/tailored?
If they’re a 5 pocket design then no, there’s no excess fabric. If they’re a classic trouser cut then yes but there’s a chance a crease will be present depending what process was used on them. I’ve done it on a pair of the latter which were a softer smooth fabric, whilst the crease never totally came out it did ease, never owned the hopsack style you have.
Last edited by Tomiskinky (2024-01-07 05:53:25)
#3 2024-01-06 23:47:26
- Half Mast
- Member
- Posts: 191
Re: Can vintage Sta-Prest be altered/tailored?
Thanks for the info., much appreciated.
They're a classic dress pant style, though I'm not sure there's enough spare material available in the waist to let out (too much wine & beer over the holidays).
On a slightly different note. Have you seen the Real Hoxton brand of "Stay-Pressed" that JS is selling? I'm still a bit ambivalent about this type of trouser because of all the mod & skinhead connotations (especially the white/natural variety) despite the fact that a multitude of permanent crease brands and styles were around during the 60s Ivy period.
#4 2024-01-07 02:22:50
- FlatSixC
- Member
- Posts: 330
Re: Can vintage Sta-Prest be altered/tailored?
It depends on the waistband. A lot of chino or stay prest trousers have a jeans style waistband which is one piece and continuous i.e. no split at the back that can be undone and let out. Sometimes with cheap, mass produced stuff you get a split in the waistband but there is actually little or no spare fabric to let out.
A further issue is that man-made fabrics often don’t re-form when stitches are removed, so when you let a pair of vintage trousers out you can be left with a line of holes either side of the seam.
Last edited by FlatSixC (2024-01-07 02:23:22)
#5 2024-01-08 08:28:46
- Half Mast
- Member
- Posts: 191
Re: Can vintage Sta-Prest be altered/tailored?
^ thanks for the info/advice.
I was in the process of buying these but decided to pull the plug.
The seller was very honest & didn't believe it would be possible to increase the waist size from 29" to around 31.5".