Monday, October 18, 2010

Denim Diaries: Mark Brewer Raw Denim Lover

Posted on 4:08 PM by Gina Colonette



Mark Brewer is a 20-year-old student, and raw denim lover. He's not going to have a machine break in his jeans, he prefers to do it himself, even if it is going to run him $350, it's worth it. 


When did you first get involved with buying Japanese denim?


I got involved with Japanese denim pretty recently; within the past couple years. My brother's friend had a pair of Fullcount contest jeans and they looked so much nicer than any other pair of denim I had ever seen before.

Why does buying Japanese denim interest you? Why is it better than buying anything else?

Japanese denim interests me because GOOD Japanese selvedge denim has a quality of the construction to it that no other mainstream brand be it diesel, true religion, lucky, or seven could even think about matching. With Japanese denim, minor details aren't over looked and they don't skimp out on any pair.



Would you say you are a part of the raw denim lifestyle? Does it just stop at jeans for you?

I would say that I’m a part of the life style because I hate buying clothing that's pre-distressed, I think it ruins its uniqueness and cheapens the garment. Even boots, i won't buy boots that are pre-broken in or sand-blasted boots.

How do you afford this lifestyle?

I am able to afford it because I’m a student with a part time job who currently has no bills to pay.

What are some of your favorite denim brands and why?

Samurai denim- because they are known for having really heavy weight denim, like 15-23oz weight denim. And then either Eternal or Warehouse denim because I haven't seen a pair of worn jeans from those brands that I haven't liked, while I have seen pairs from other brands that don't look good.

Are there any brands you think shouldn't be getting the hype that they are getting?

I think people should stay away from Diesel, Lucky, 7 For All Mankind, and True Religion those brands will not last you like true Japanese selvedge. Also Evisu's that you see are most likely not legit, I like Evisu but the only place to get the real Evisu's is a store called Blue in Green or go to Japan and buy. Even the Evisu's sold in Barney's are cheap and made in china (even though they say made in Japan, only a portion of the garment is actually made in Japan).

What is the longest you have worn your jeans without washing them?

I would guess that I’ve gone about 5 months as the longest without washing.

Have you ever had to give in and just wash your jeans before you felt they were ready?

Sometimes they just smell so bad that mentally I have to wash, or if something spills on them I’ll wash.

How many pairs of raw denim jeans do you have?

I’m still relatively new to denim compared to some people so I only have two pairs, but I’ve heard that the owner of Self Edge in San Francisco has over a couple hundred.

Talk a little bit about your most recent adventure in breaking in your new jeans.

When I break in my denim I only do a hot soak for two hours, then hang dry (remember keep inside out) and then wear them normal. I don't do anything crazy in them because I want my jeans to be me, not me trying to do crazy things to break them in. The denim will break in without sleeping in them or going into the ocean with them.


Thanks for your insight Mark! Keep it fresh. 

2 Response to "Denim Diaries: Mark Brewer Raw Denim Lover"

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Katherine Rossa Says....

Smelly, huh? I thought that freezing them rids of the smell and bacteria.

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Gina Colonette Says....

Yes, Katherine you can freeze your jeans to rid them of bacteria and smell. But it's not a full proof method. Also, freezing doesn't help when you have a stain! You just have to give in and soak that stain out.

http://denim-lounge.blogspot.com/2010/10/to-wash-or-not-to-wash-your-jeans.html

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