Fashion / Hipster Culture

Hipster Culture

Fashion Jun 10, 2013

by Anokhi Admin

Are you hip enough to know this kind of hip? Here's a closer look at a new fashionable movement

Hipsters. Who are they and why are they here? I've asked the question "what is a hipster" many times before, and each time I've gotten an incredulous look along with the question to my question: "How can you not know what a hipster is?" But really. When the answers have been "Y'know. Those twentysomethings who wear really tight clothes and listen to emo music", you'd be just as lost as I was. The responses didn't exactly help, but I have somehow been able to pick hipsters out from a crowd more easily these days.

It seems as though hipsters just burst onto the scene out of nowhere, but where exactly did they come from? Their origins are supposedly based in the 1940s and 50s during the jazz age. At the time, the term 'hipster' referred to young, white, middle-class jazz enthusiasts who emulated the lifestyles of jazz musicians through their clothes, use of slang, and aloof nature. So who are the hipsters of today and what do they like? Well, like their counterparts from sixty years ago, it seems as though clothes and music are defining characteristics of the twentysomethings.

They always make it a point to be stylish, but never look as though they put effort into their image. A staple in a hipsters wardrobe? Very tight, low-rise jeans which come in a plethora of colours. And no, it's not only the girls who are wearing these figure-hugging pieces of fabric; it seems to me that the boys' pants are tighter and more colourful than those the girls are wearing. The adjective tight appears to be their favourite one, since their tops are the same; American Apparel is the place to get their V-neck tees, which again, come in an array of colours. But obviously, it's not the only store hipsters get their trendy wardrobe; there's also Urban Outfitters and H&M.

But in order to create a truly unique style, they turn to vintage and second-hand stores. If you're in Toronto, Queen Street West, Ossington Street, and Kensington Market are the spots to go hipster hunting and observing while they scavenge for some vintage treasures. Throw on a scarf, beanie, some worn-out Converses, a pair of large, thick-framed glasses (which they often wear despite having 20/20 vision), and you've got yourself a hipster. At least, these are usually the markers I go by to spot the youths. But for people who are trying to exude a unique image, it's a little ironic that hipsters are so easily identifiable when they look like everyone else in their subculture.

Hipsterism isn't a subculture only about clothes. Amongst other things, it is also about music; indie and emo music in particular. Don't even think about telling a hipster that your favourite band is Coldplay (guilty as charged) since anything mainstream is off-limits for them. Indie groups such as Belle and Sebastian, Dragonette, Spoon, and Neko Case (ironically, these are some of my favourite bands) are what hipsters gravitate towards. NYLON Magazine is considered to be a hipster's "bible" as it features the latest trends and indie music bands. But don't worry if you're not "deck" enough (the hipster word for cool) for them because it takes a certain individual to be part of this exclusive group. And although these fashion and musical indicators may be a tad stereotypical, I don't think any outsiders of the group can really contest this definition. So after my attempt to explain the elusive concept of a hipster, I hope that you will not feel as confused as I once was the next time you hear the term "hipster". Being able to tell a hipster apart from a crowd gets easier with time. Trust me, I would know.

BY: AMANDA LI

_{Sources: Urban Dictionary, NYU News, Urban Outfitters, and H&M}

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Hipster Culture

by Anokhi Admin

Are you hip enough to know this kind of hip? Here's a closer look at a new fashionable movement

COMMENTS

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