SS26 A Brief Overview

Stan Ray SS26 is workwear for far more than just work. In the modern age no one does just one thing—so neither should your clothes. Whether you’re a painter, baker or cabinet maker, chances are you’re also a master of a dozen other crafts too, which is why your gear needs to be every bit as versatile as you are. 

For us, that means tough fabrics, timeless functional design that works far beyond the confines of the ‘season’ and easy-going, wearable shapes that sit well with everything else stashed in your wardrobe. Colour, pattern and print matter too—after all, what good are clothes if you don’t want to wear ‘em? With that in mind, here’s what we’ve made this season…

First things first, our work-jacket selection is bigger than ever. Coveralls? Chore coats? Overshirts? Military-inspired parkas? Lightweight, summer-friendly three-pocket suit jackets? All present and correct, along with countless other archetypal outerwear favourites primed for throwing over a hoody once the sun goes down.

The Hunter Jacket is our take on classic American hunting jackets, combining rugged canvas with a classy cord collar for those who like their workwear on the luxurious side, while the Roughneck Jacket takes inspiration from the hefty bombers worn out on the oilfields of Texas. Sort of two sides of the same coin, if the Hunter Jacket drives an old British racing green Range Rover with tan interior, the Roughneck is doing doughnuts in a beat-up Ford Ranger pick-up truck. 

On the subject of automobiles—roadside Americana is a big influence this season, with the Garage Jacket, the Gas Jacket and the Zip Shirt all taking inspiration from the short ‘n’ sharp work jackets worn by mechanics across the USA back in the ‘60s and ‘70s. 

With that cropped shape and big collar, the Gas Jacket has a definite ‘70s flavour, while the Zip Shirt is one of those ultra-useful ‘middle-of-the–Venn-Diagram’ pieces that works just as well as a jacket as it does as a shirt. The Box Jacket is back too—with those signature massive front pockets making it a great option for anyone wanting a left-field alternative to a Trucker Jacket. 

And for those who prefer scooters to juggernauts, the M65 Fishtail is our version of the military-issue fishtail parkas famously reappropriated by the mods in the late 60s. The baggy oversized stylings of these khaki coats might seem at odds with the sharp clobber of the mod uniform, but that was part of the appeal—and their long shape and tough fabric made them ideal for keeping Italian suits out of harm’s way while zipping around on Vespas. 

As for shirts—we’ve added short-sleeved versions of a few Stan fan favourites like the Painter Shirt, the CPO Shirt and the Flannel Shirt. There’s also a super-crisp Oxford Shirt and the perpetually laid-back Mexicali Shirt, along with our much-loved Tour Shirt for those long days down at the beach. 

It’s not all workwear either—we’ve pulled out a few lesser-spotted sportswear pieces from the archives. Continuing that time-honoured Americana flavour which runs through the collection, the SS Bowling Shirt (bowling is a sport, isn’t it?) is a sure-fire strike thanks to that spread-collar and piped detailing, while the ¾ Football Tee has just the right amount of ‘70s college American football flavour.

At this point we should probably mention our trousers and shorts. This season’s range might just be our most substantial yet—running the gamut from ultra-heavyweight work-pants to super-breezy beach pants and all the good stuff in between. 

Our Core-Classic Fatigues and Painters haven’t got anywhere—with more choice of shape than ever before. For the fatigues, there’s the ultra-baggy Fat Pants, the el classico straight-legged 1100 OG Loose Fatigues and the slightly trimmer 1200 Taper Fatigues, along with their easy-going cousins, the Jungle Pants. 

And for the brush-wielders out there—we’ve got the OG Painter Pants, made in the USA the same way we’ve been making ‘em since 1972, along with extra-roomy Big Job Painter Pants and the slightly more streamlined 80s Painter Pants. And if you’re tough on trousers, the Double-Knee Painter Pants (along with the new Double-Knee Painter Shorts) should put a stop to your ripped-knee woes. 

Our five-pocket jeans are back too. The names kind of speak for themselves here really—we’ve got the Wide 5, the Regular 5 and the Taper 5—all crafted with tried and tested workwear details like triple-needle rear yokes and bar-tacked stress points. This time around there’s the Wide 5 Shorts too for anyone hankering for the perfect modern-day jorts. 

And that’s just a mere slice of the pie, with graphic tees, hoodies, caps, crewnecks and our made-in-the-USA aprons meaning all bases are well and truly covered for whatever you’ve got planned this spring, summer and far beyond.