Our Favorite Instagrammers – @greghouser
Name: Greg Houser
Instagram Name: @greghouser
Amount of followers: 14,2k
Age: 39
Residence: Richmond, VA
Occupation: Writer
Oof, I’m terrible at this. So I’m Greg. I live in Richmond, VA. I’m a copywriter full-time right now and I do some social media stuff on the side and I freelance write every once in awhile. I’m mostly still amazed I get to write for work, the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do with my life. I mountain bike (poorly) like eating pretty much everything except peach flavored stuff (peaches themselves are ok.) I’m into books and computers and my dogs and fiancée. My favorite hotspot is on a tube with a beer in the middle of the James river.
-
Why do you share your outfits? And why Instagram?
I’ve liked clothes my whole life. The Instagram thing started because I took a very late trip to graduate school to get a masters in writing. I was doing some writing for Rawr Denim (Heddels) and Denimhunters at the time so I started posting jean photos. Then I started freaking out about what I was gonna do with my life so I started to see if I could build an Instagram account. I got an ok following and it helped me get my first job out of school in tourism here in Richmond (come visit!)
-
What makes your Instagram feed so special?
The bad jokes?
-
Where does your inspiration come from?
Me thinking “shit, I should probably update my instagram.”
-
Where does your love for denim come from? When did it start?
It’s a byproduct of my general love of clothes. But I remember back in the day (Christ I’m old) when I stumbled on a SuperFuture WIWT thread and was shocked that people were spending $300 on jeans. Back then (old, old, old) that red stripe was like a little code because there weren’t a lot of us. You could strike up a conversation about jeans with a stranger and talk about what message boards you lurked on, what brands you liked and OMG have you been to Self Edge yet? Now if you ask a rando about their jeans they’ll probably think you’re a fucking weirdo (can I swear in this thing? Sry.) Well that rambled a bit. I’m not wistful for the “good old days.” There are so many more options now and awesome stores and people making cool stuff. Jean life is much, much better now.
-
Your top 3 favorite (denim)brands?
Mister Freedom – they’re just, without a doubt, worth every penny. Christophe’s attention to detail is bonkers and I love that he has a sense of humor.
Studio D’Artisan – they were my holy grails for so, so long.
APC – you never forget your first love. APC’s were my first pair of raws and they faded so quick and so nice and are basically the gateway drug for a whole generation of guys spending too much money on pants.
-
What is your favorite accessory?
Right now: my dad hat from Rappahannock Oysters here in Richmond.
-
Which items do you wear most at the moment?
Right now, my Heller’s cafe jeans. I picked them up in Munich at Statement Store. The fit is perfect, the fabric is hairy and interesting, and I drank huge beers and ate pretzels in them right after buying ‘em.
-
What is your favorite shop? And what is your favorite webstore?
VMC Original in Zurich is insane. I wanted the entire store (and you can visit @swissjeansfreak if you’re in town!) Here in Richmond: Shockoe Atelier does such good stuff, Yesterday’s Heroes is great and Need Supply is, well, Need Supply.
-
Do you care about the production process?
Yes and no. Touring and writing about Cone Mills was definitely one of the best experiences of my life. I think making things slow and buying from small businesses and makers is hugely important and something we should all try to do. That said, I’m not super concerned about everything I wear being artisanal. One of my favorite shirts right now is a $14 popover from Target.
-
What are your dreams for the future?
More jeans, donuts, words, a new bike, that I’ll forget I ever learned what the Mandela effect was and a computer build in the next year or so.
Share
Tweet
