Customer Comments...

A few years ago , when there was a store on Queen Street west in Toronto , it was by far the coolest store in the area as the staff was totally the best , the swag was the hippest and the atmosphere was welcoming . I recall needing something with the extra wide leg style and needed some accommodations and the staff went out of the way to accommodate me in every way possible . This is not only an indication of the swag they sell / sold , but more so , they did something that is so rare in this day and age of sell to make that fast buck .... they  put the customer first . This is what I REALLY like about dealing with y' all ..... and why y' all have a customer for life .

-pv

 (Originally published Jan 09/09)

Welcome to the Modrobes Blog. This blog will tell you what the latest happenings are in Modrobes world.

For example, today we signed up a few retailers. One retailer in particular is a store called Zazoo in the West Edmonton Mall.  Morris, the owner first met me when I was walking through his mall in 1997. We were touring with Edgefest across the country and we had a day break so we decided to hit the largest mall in Canada. We also saw Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters that day in the mall but almost at the same time as we were going to walk over and chat with him Morris came running out of his store and asked where I got my pants. When I told him I made them he grabbed me by the arm and hauled me into his store...and wrote an order for 24 pairs. Morris called me once again and is once again one of our the first retailers to carry Modrobes.

best,

steven saldebus

Modrobes new website....WEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLCOMMMEEEE!

The History of Modrobes

Modrobes began as a project for a business course at Brock University in Ontario, Canada. Steven Sal Debus wanted to create "exam pants" for himself and his fellow students: a pair of durable but comfortable pants that were easily adjustable due to a unique internal buckle belt waist band. Steven wanted to give students a durable pant that was better suited to the post secondary lifestyle.

After graduating in 1996, Steven took the idea to a local manufacturer and made 200 pairs and then went back to the schools to sell them.  He traveled to schools all over Canada for two years selling modrobes pants and handing out stickers that said "I want you in my pants". Modrobes then started showing up at concerts like Edgefest, Lollapalooza and eventually Woodstock 99. The pants soon became widely popular and retailers all over the country were selling out!

The videos below were from a CBC Venture episode that featured Modrobes:

Edgefest

Woodstock 99

In the late 90's Modrobes invented the wide leg version of their popular lounge pant and then the "Rave Generation" discovered Modrobes and soon kids were "dancing til dawn" in their favourite baggy pants.

In 1999 Modrobes built a flagship store on Queen St. W in Toronto.  The store featured angled floors, walls and ceilings and a dj lounge.

Though the pants were the most popular item, Modrobes grew into a full line of clothing including hoodys, dresses and technical urban outerwear and in the city the brand was known for its comfort, durability and quality.  Modrobes also stayed true to its roots and kept all manufacturing in Canada.

After experiencing pressure to move production overseas and financial problems after opening stores in malls the company shut down in 2005.  Steven Sal Debus moved out west to Vancouver, Canada to study environmentally sustainable manufacturing and garment making.  

Armed with a new vision Steven Sal Debus restarted Modrobes in January 2009 and auditioned for the CBC show Dragon's Den(to be aired this September). Currently Steven is working on performance jackets and fleece hoodies made from recycled pop bottles.

Modrobes are now available online and in a few specialty stores.

The rest of the story has yet to be written.

Modrobes On Moneywise