Sta Press gets sold as the easy option. Chuck them on, no ironing, job done. That is half true at best, and it explains why so many people end up with a pair that hangs wrong, breaks in the wrong place and swallows the shoes they were bought to show off.
The cut has swung from a proper 1960s straight leg through the bootcut years and back again, and through all of it the numbers that make a pair of Sta Press work have barely moved. Some of what we think about them will annoy people.
What the Cured Crease Means for Fit
The crease is not pressed in. It is cured in with resin and heat, and that changes what you can do with the trouser afterwards. The line runs the full length of the leg and it was set before the garment ever left the factory, so a hem taken up by more than about two inches can leave the crease sitting fractionally proud of centre where the leg tapers. Have the length pinned with the trousers on and the shoes you intend to wear them with, never folded flat on a bench.
That chemistry has consequences. Resin cured cotton feels stiffer, takes dye a shade differently and wears at the crease line before anywhere else, which is why old pairs go pale down the front of the thigh. Newer versions use a lighter finish or a poly cotton blend, so the line is softer, far more forgiving and much easier to shorten without leaving a ghost of the old crease behind. Most of what we stock sits in that second camp and we prefer it. A fully cured pair feels like folded cardboard for the first month of its life.
Rise, and Why We Wear Them Higher
Rise is the measurement from the top of the waistband down to the crotch seam, taken up the front. On a 32 waist a mid rise Sta Press lands somewhere around 11 to 12 inches. A low rise pair off the high street will be nearer 9. Two inches sounds like nothing written down. On a body it is the difference between a leg that reads long and clean and one that reads stumpy.
- Mid rise sits on or just above the hip bone and lets the waistband do the work, which is why you can wear braces with them and get no sag between the clips.
- Low rise sits under the hip bone, cuts the visible leg short and puts the belt loops somewhere no snake belt looks right.
- Above about 13 inches on a 32 the trouser starts to read as 1973 instead of 1966, which is fine if that is the plan and wrong if it is not.
Break, and the Correct Hem
Break is what the fabric does when it meets the shoe. No break means the hem stops at the top of the shoe with the leg hanging dead straight, no fold, no ripple. Quarter break gives you one soft dent across the front and nothing more. Half break and full break are suit trouser conventions and they have no business anywhere near a pair of Sta Press.
We hem for no break, or a whisker of quarter break for anyone who moves about a lot. The whole point of the trouser is the shoe underneath it. If you have paid for loafers with a decent toe shape, burying the vamp under two inches of stacked cotton is money thrown away. A quarter inch of sock showing as you walk is correct.
Leg Opening, Measured Flat
Leg opening is taken across the hem with the trouser laid flat, then doubled if you want the full circumference. Nearly every brand quotes the flat figure. Here is roughly where the common cuts land on a 32 waist, and what each one does to the shoe.
| Cut | Flat hem opening | Works with |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s straight | 8 to 8.5 in | Loafers, brogues, monkey boots |
| Modern slim | 7 to 7.5 in | Loafers and low profile shoes |
| Skinny | Under 7 in | Nothing we would put a name to |
| Straight with turn ups | 8.5 in and up | Boots and heavier soles |
The skinny row is not a joke at our expense. Below about 7 inches flat you cannot get the hem over a pair of monkey boots, so the leg rides up, parks itself on the laces and stays there every time you sit down.
Turn Ups and When They Suit
Received wisdom says Sta Press are never turned up. We think that is lazy. Turn ups were all over 1969 on heavier weight pairs worn with boots, and they still do a specific job today. They put weight at the hem so the leg hangs straighter, and they shorten the leg visibly, which suits anyone over about six foot who otherwise looks like his trousers are running away from him.
- One and a half inches is the standard depth. Push to one and three quarters if you are tall. Never past two.
- Turn ups want a wide hem. Under 8.5 inches flat the fold bunches and you get a sausage round the ankle.
- Wear them with boots. A turn up sitting on a low vamp loafer cuts the foot in half and shortens you.
- Fine tonic cloth takes a turn up badly, so if you want a dressier leg, take a pair from the tonic range and hem it plain.
Measuring A Pair You Already Own
The best way to buy trousers online is to copy something that already fits. Lay the pair flat on a table, front side up, waistband fastened, no stretching or tugging. Then take four numbers with a tape.
- Waist, across the top of the waistband from edge to edge, then doubled.
- Front rise, from the top of the waistband down to the crotch seam, following the curve rather than cutting the corner.
- Inside leg, from the crotch seam straight down the inner seam to the hem.
- Hem opening, across the bottom of one leg, edge to edge, flat.
Hold those four figures against the size guide before you order anything. Waist labelling varies between brands more than anybody in the trade likes to admit, and a Lambretta 34 is not always a Merc 34. A tape measure settles the argument in about ninety seconds.
Ironing the Crease Back In
Permanent press was never permanent. Forty washes in, or one careless tumble dry on high, and the line goes soft and vague. Getting it back is a ten minute job with a hot iron and a bit of patience.
- Turn the trousers inside out and press the seams flat first, cotton setting, roughly 200 degrees, steam on.
- Turn them the right way out and line up the two inside leg seams so the leg lies flat. The old crease will show you where it wants to sit.
- Mist the crease line with one part white vinegar to two parts water. It smells for a minute and then it does not.
- Press through a clean cotton cloth, holding the iron still for five seconds at a time. Sliding the iron drags the cloth and gives you two creases.
Never do this on a poly heavy blend without a cloth in between, because you will glaze the surface and the shine will not come out again. If the pair in question sits at the wool blend end of the trouser range, drop the heat a stage and let the steam do most of the work for you.
Sta Press Fit FAQ
The fit questions that land in our inbox most often.
- What rise should Sta Press trousers have? On a 32 waist we would look for a front rise of 11 to 12 inches. That sits on the hip bone and keeps the leg reading long. Anything under 10 inches will look like a modern high street cut and not a mod one.
- Should Sta Press touch the shoe? The hem wants to stop at the top of the shoe with no fold in the fabric, or one soft dent at most. Anything more buries the shoe you paid for. A flash of sock as you walk is correct rather than sloppy.
- Can you put turn ups on Sta Press? Yes, and plenty of people did in 1969. Keep the depth to one and a half inches and save it for a wider leg worn with boots. On a slim leg the fold bunches and looks like a mistake.
- How do I get the crease back after washing? Line up the two inside leg seams so the leg lies flat, mist the crease with one part white vinegar to two parts water, then press through a cotton cloth on a hot setting. Hold the iron still instead of sliding it along.
- What leg opening suits monkey boots? Around 8 to 8.5 inches measured flat across the hem. Below about 7 inches the trouser catches on the laces, rides up and sits on the boot shaft every time you sit down.