The quest for Sta Prest: Nik Louis of Ivy Threads interviewed

The quest for the perfect pair of sta prest trousers is as old as humanity itself. However, it was only during a brief period between 1964 and some time in the 1970s that Levi’s produced immaculate perma-crease chinos from poly-cotton. Since then, humankind has been forced to put up with plenty of inferior product. As readers of this blog may remember, we often end up bitterly disappointed even when we put our hopes up high.

What distinguishes Nik Louis‘s brand Ivy Threads of Boston is its founder’s impressive knowledge of the original garments and a fanatical perfectionism otherwise only known from Japanese denim manufacturers. Matt Crombieboy talked to him about his plans to reproduce the original Sta Prest of the 1960s. Continue reading

Skankin’ Warsaw in 1979: when Magura brought 2 Tone to Poland

You may be surprised to read that a local variation of ‘the look’ was seen in Warsaw as early as 1979. Kryzys were one of the earliest Polish punk bands, and their drummer Maciej ‘Magura’ Goralski was the mod of the band. Continue reading

Lord of the jeans or: why Scott Maracle is Out of Order

You’ve heard of Lord of the Rings? Well, Scott Maracle is Lord of the Jeans. We had the pleasure of meeting this rock ‘n’ roll troubadour at the Great Skinhead Reunion in Brighton last May. For the uninitiated, the Reunion is an annual get-together that has been slammed by both fascists and anti-fascists. We have no real idea why. To us, it just seems like a friendly, fun and trouble-free event attended by pleasure seekers of different colours and creeds. Continue reading