In Defense of Hipsters

Hipster style
When you think of hipster style, you probably think of this. Vintage camera, giant glasses, messy hair.

Or maybe this:


It doesn't have to be like that, though, and it often isn't.  In the urban dictionary definition of the word hipster it describes "hipsters reject the culturally-ignorant attitudes of mainstream consumers, and are often be seen wearing vintage and thrift store inspired fashions, tight-fitting jeans, old-school sneakers, and sometimes thick rimmed glasses".  In reality, it's more likely to see actual hipsters wearing clothes not too different from those that everyone else wears.  That's another part of this "hipster" persona so many people seem to be taking on - wearing clothes that are dramatically strange and different in the hopes of actually looking different.  To quote the fabulous Tavi Gevinson of Rookie magazine, "I don't like the term hipster - I think it's become so broad as to apply to basically everyone - but the defining quality is that a hipster thinks and cares about what their tastes say about them, instead of just liking what they like. And so there is nothing more hipster than a person who decides that the only reason another person is wearing a colorful dress is that they're concerned with what theat dress means for their image...because they're thinking that hard about it, and caring that much about what other people think."  I think there's a difference between those that really are independent and those that are trying really hard to be that way.  Though, at the same time that there are a lot of "mainstream hipsters" that everyone is trying to be right now, there is a lot of hipster hate.  I think the main things this hatred comes from are: those people that act too cool for everything, people that are jealous of those who dare to be different, and people that just don't understand why you would want to be different or stand out.  But come on, world.  It's exhausting and unnecessary to always be judging eachother.

Hipsters vs. the version of hipsters we all think of  

I hate to use the word mainstream when having a discussion about hipsters, but for the sake of ease I'm going to use it.  "Mainstream" hipsters are the trend of people, especially teenagers and young adults, that call themselves hipsters but are just following a certain personality type set by a bunch of other people.  They are entirely focused on the idea of defining what other people wear, listen to, talk like, act like, etc.  They are intent on defining what's cool and what's not, always having heard of everything while still being too cool for most things.  Buying a pair of thick glasses, an ugly sweater, and a Belle and Sebastian album and adopting a "too cool for everything" attitude makes you 0% hipster.  Oh, also, here's a huge point: if you flat-out call yourself a hipster, you are not a hipster.  Though, I don't want this article all to be slamming posers - I hate it when people do that.  Most of the time, posers are people finding their place in life and are in the period of figuring everything out.  They might pretend like they know the music/clothes/etc. of whatever group they're "posing" in when they don't, but if they decide they really fit they probably will learn.  Remember that at one point, you were probably a poser.   

But really, in the end, why are you sitting here, judging these people? I understand that it is really obnoxious when people act too cool for everything.  But when it comes to the clothes, it's their choice to wear weird or funky clothes and even if you don't like it, you're not wearing it.  Why do you need to have a reason why they would? If anything, admire those that are brave enough to wear things that are different.

~Simone