In Haiti, Daniel Craig’s Bond wears a pale, creased pair of jeans that look chosen for the heat and then forgotten about. They are the Levi’s 306 STA-PREST jeans, in cream. Levi’s no longer makes them, which makes this page about the look as much as the product.
In the film
Bond wears the cream Levi’s 306 STA-PREST jeans in Quantum of Solace (2008), in the Port-au-Prince scenes set in Haiti and filmed in Panama. Enthusiast sources report the colour as Silver Birch, apparently sold only in the UK and Belgium, and a darker beige pair of the same model in a later scene at Mathis’s villa. We have not been able to confirm either point, so we treat them as reported. See the film page for the rest of the wardrobe.
The details of the Levi’s 306 STA-PREST jeans
A permanent crease. Sta-Prest was Levi’s answer to the ironing board, offered for sale for the 1964 season. The finished garment is coated with a resin and a catalyst, pressed, then baked, which fixes the crease for good. It is a trouser trick from the 1960s, and it gives a casual pair of jeans a line that plain denim never holds.
A pale, soft colour. Cream sits between white and stone. It reads as warm rather than stark, and it is forgiving against tanned skin and dark knitwear.
The hem. On screen the legs are hemmed with almost no break at the shoe. It is a small decision that keeps the line clean from hip to ankle, and it matters more than the label.
Discontinued. Levi’s brought Sta-Prest back in 2018 as a chino, and today lists a flare cut in a medium wash. Neither is the 306, and neither is cream. We would not describe either as the film pair.
Wearing it now
Pale trousers are a warm-weather decision, and they reward a little discipline. We would wear a pair like this with a dark, fine-gauge polo or a navy knit, and a leather or suede shoe in brown or black. The crease means they can go further than jeans usually do: dinner, a long lunch, an airport. They are less at home in the city in winter, where cream starts to look like a mistake.
Finding the look. Since the 306 is gone, buy for the cut and the colour. Enthusiast sources point to the Levi’s 502 regular taper as the closest current Levi’s fit, and look for an off-white or cream rather than a stark white. Whatever you choose, have it hemmed to your inseam with almost no break. A tapered leg only stays tapered if you do not cut it down from a longer length.
Pre-owned. Pairs are occasionally offered second-hand, and the button on this page searches eBay for the 306. The colour is hard to judge from photographs, so we would only buy a pair that was photographed in daylight and measured.
Dressing like Bond is not the aim. A pair of creased, pale trousers worn with ease is.
In the same spirit
For another easy, pale trouser from Bond’s wardrobe, see the Anthony Sinclair Madagascar Trousers, a limited-edition linen drawstring pair from Casino Royale. They are a different trouser, offered as an alternative in the spirit of the look.
Specifications
| Maker | Levi’s |
|---|---|
| Model | 306 STA-PREST |
| Colour | Cream (reported as Silver Birch) |
| Finish | Sta-Prest permanent crease |
| Status | No longer made, including this colour |
| RRP | Not applicable; discontinued |
Questions
Can you still buy the Levi’s 306 STA-PREST jeans from Quantum of Solace?
No. Levi’s no longer makes the 306 model, and the cream colour is not available either. Pre-owned pairs occasionally come up for sale.
What jeans does Bond wear in Haiti in Quantum of Solace?
Bond wears cream Levi’s 306 STA-PREST jeans in the Port-au-Prince scenes, which were filmed in Panama. Enthusiast sources report the colour as Silver Birch.
What does STA-PREST mean?
It is the name of Levi’s permanent-crease finish, introduced for the 1964 season. The garment is treated with a resin and a catalyst, then pressed and baked so the crease holds through washing.
What is the closest current alternative?
Enthusiast sources suggest the Levi’s 502 regular taper in an off-white or cream. It is a different trouser, so look at the cut and colour rather than expecting the original crease.
For more on how Bond dresses off duty, see the Daniel Craig pages and our clothing collection.
