The drape of manual labor is fraught with labels like Carhartt, Dickies, Ben Davis, Red Kap and more. Easy enough to find in your local surplus store. But one brand gets less recognition than it deserves and that’s Stan Ray.
Texas-born, the brand has been doling out tough goods from double-knee work pants to chore coats since 1972. For years, Stan Ray’s bread and butter couldn’t be found outside mom & pop shops slinging affordable work clothes. In spite of that, the goods continued to draw fans for its price and quality. Its famed duck cotton work pants have been favored by construction workers, skaters, and both painters who take brush to canvas or to stucco. They’ve also been adopted by the fashion cognoscenti and customized to clothe celebrities.
The brand still makes plenty of goods Stateside, but it’s recently expanded operations overseas and marketed new wares to a younger audience. The result is a larger product range with more thoughtful silhouettes and greater fashion appeal that maintains the brand’s tenets of quality. Slim chinos, relaxed fatigue-style shirt jackets, hardy sweats, even rugbies and military liners are all a part of the collection.
And while the range has swelled, the prices still remain reasonable. You’ll still have to search a bit to find Stan Ray at your local menswear shop, unfortunately. Until then, UK-retailer END stocks the full range.
Four Pocket Jacket by Stan Ray $99
