All about being a hipster (not that there's anything wrong with that)

[Kimkhuu]

I think people in this thread taking it too seriously.

 

[snowqueen]

^^ i alos agree i would say nearly every girl in my year owns at least one pair of covnerse or converse style shoes. So if your a hipster for wearing them, but if a hipster is someone who doesnt like mainstream then this makes no sense.

 

[snowqueen]

that was agreeing with you first point but i agree with the 2nd 2 !!

 

[Kimkhuu]

I think we have to make something clear here, a hipster is someone who is categorized because of his/her snobbish mentality. There are NON hipsters who dress like hipsters and don't think the same way.

 

[Kimkhuu]

Depends if your definition of hipsters throws the people who dress like hipsters in that same group.....

Argggggh......

 

[snowqueen]

deep breaths lol !!!

 

[fixoid]

i don't think i'm taking this thread seriously.i mean Webster's dictionary ,come on.

What if people only wear it because they like the way Converse look?

you are completely correct many people who wear cons wear them for purely aesthetic reasons.i think however at least as many, if not more people who wear them have slightly less noble motivations in doing so for example : to be cool/fit it/because all there do friends/ect.i do not really care about this as most have already worked wear whatever shoes you want for what ever reasons you like(if you even have a reason(or shoes))
what i find amusing is people who have have strong anti nike, anti corporate , anti globalization or anti sweatshop convictions wearing converse.many people who choose to wear converse would not be caught dead in nike for some of the above reasons(or just because it's often ugly).hipsters are merely an easy way to find a large group wearing converse in the same place a the same time.
you also seem to have a vested interest as many of your friends wear cons, but so do many of mine
i don't really think that you can define sub cultures in a purely semantic or an absolute sense .it's not a word it's disparate coagulation of individuals and for me that's not something you should really be trying to define.sure they will have things in common with each other but it's not like you can get tested by the APA for chronic hipsteration

 

[Kimkhuu]

i don't really think that you can define sub cultures in a purely semantic or an absolute sense .it's not a word it's disparate coagulation of individuals and for me that's not something you should really be trying to define.sure they will have things in common with each other but it's not like you can get tested by the APA for chronic hipsteration

LOLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



That just made my day!!!!!!!

 

[AlexN]

Agreed but aren't we taking this way too far. What if people only wear it because they like the way Converse look? I think we're pushing things a bit too far.

Then they're not hipsters. And if you flipped it and said "what if people only wear Converse to appear a certain way to others", you have hipsters.

 

[Sylphide]

Every time we get dressed we are (consciously or unconsiciously) creating messages about ourselves for others to read. When you buy a certain label you are buying into the marketing campaign and image that surrounds it. Denigrating people who wear converse shoes to mark themselves as part of a certain group as poseurs is completely hypocritical, because we all engage in this every day. And people with an interest in fashion should be especially aware of this.

Even when you buy thrift store clothing, you might be conveying the message "I am deliberately eschewing branding: I am am branding myself as a person who dissaproves of commercialism". There is always a message behind our clothing. That's what makes it fun.

Nevertheless, the meanings that clothes convey are not static. They can convey a variety of meanings which change over time, and certainly people put spins on these meanings in interesting ways. Take, for instance, the whole ironic "geek chic" thing that has been a favourite in hipster circles in recent years. Things like plastic framed glasses, ties, blouses and broaches, which might have previously been read as unfashionable, were appropriated by a group of people in a playful, ironic way and became the signifier of "hipness". This was in turn appropriated by the masses- but it can (and has, I think) still be re-appropriated by "hip" people, via the mainstream, redoubling the irony. I think it's really interesting!

 

[Kimkhuu]

Every time we get dressed we are (consciously or unconsiciously) creating messages about ourselves for others to read. When you buy a certain label you are buying into the marketing campaign and image that surrounds it. Denigrating people who wear converse shoes to mark themselves as part of a certain group as poseurs is completely hypocritical, because we all engage in this every day. And people with an interest in fashion should be especially aware of this.

Very well said Sylphide!

As strange as it may be we're just a bunch of poseur all very ignorant, what differentiates us is the level of ignorance and snobberism we're at.

 

[Kimkhuu]

Typical hipsters (well according to stereotypes) wear tight destroyed jeans, tight black blazers, indie rock band t-shirts, Converse All Star shoes, obscure jewelry, messy hair... But among people dressing like that, not all have the hipster mentality.

I must admit myself I am totally fascinated (aren't we all in a way or another) fascinated by their culture. Hipster guys ARE attractive, there's no denial about that. They were cool for a while until they got torn apart by disgusting comments regarding their rich upbringings, their lack of knowledge and their snobbish attitudes. They are interesting to hang out with. Their looks inspire tons of runway : Marc by MJ, Dior Homme... They do rule the fashion scene. And then you've got the hipster poster childs : Chloe Sevigny, Lou Douillon... And seriously we are incredibly influenced by them. We like them because they're "different" from the bunch of rich that flaunt their cash, they look dirty without really being dirty. For those who fear commitment (ex.: if you go for the punk look, there's no turning back point), they know they can somehow manage to be a bit more accepted by the real underground crowd and also be accepted by the upper class.

They're not hippies, and they're also not upper class people (because they're not supposed to look like they do, that's the whole point behind their style).

I know we've been pointing out a lot how lame it is to actually be rich and spend money on looking poor (BOBO chic). Of course now that the whole idea has totally shooted to become mainstream, it has come to the point where it is ridiculous. But initally, I see nothing wrong with trying too "look poor", if it is what you are vying for, if you are against all those bunch of rich poseur, and in a way want to rebel against it, it's a way of doing it.

Any concept is initally very interesting, but it all falls apart when too many people fall into it too deeply. It suddendly transforms into an annoying ideology.

 

[kellyt]

^ Wow this is becoming quite the analytical topic these days
The way I see it is if you have the "hipster" look, it doesn't make you a hipster. Its more those who wear the "hipster" look b/c they are trying to fit in with the underground indie rock/artist scene by imitating the style of dress that the underground indie rock/artist scene tend to go toward. Those are who hipsters are. And then they act snobbish because they know this band or that band and so on.

Basically If you are dressing a certain way, or taking on a certain attitude in order to fit in with or be a categorized as and "indie rocker" or whatever, than you are a hipster. If you happen to dress in a way that may be categorized as "hipster" style than you are not.

 

[AlexN]

Basically If you are dressing a certain way, or taking on a certain attitude in order to fit in with or be a categorized as and "indie rocker" or whatever, than you are a hipster. If you happen to dress in a way that may be categorized as "hipster" style than you are not.

That's what I was TRYING to say. I obviously failed.

 

[indie]

So I'm a something you like to call a hipster


I must go and ***********

 

[fixoid]

I must go and ***********

perhaps you should consider switching to emo

 

[AniexDaffodil]

hipsters are the new beatnicks

hahaha amazing

 

[Kimkhuu]

Dior Homme hipster boys are hot!

 

[Kimkhuu]

Actually ALL guys that dress like hipsters are hot.

I think ultimately, the whole concept behind hipster dressing is quite hot seriously. It's like incredibly sexy minus the vulgarity...

 

[ultramarine]

Actually ALL guys that dress like hipsters are hot.

I think ultimately, the whole concept behind hipster dressing is quite hot seriously. It's like incredibly sexy minus the vulgarity...

I concurr, my girlfriend's boyfriends are way too cool ... one of the reasons I always keep a safe distance though they're super-warm and touchy-feely