What is scene style all about?

scene
The word "scene" coves a large spectrum throughout recent history, but its most modern definition is used to describe certian subcultures and movements. The most notoriously famous and targeted is the alternative music scene, or more specifically, branches of the alternative music scene such as hardcore, indie, fashoionxcore, etc. A breed of scenesters (people on the scene) has begun to come to the forefront. These scenesters are usually very music-savvy and loyal to a few specific genres (typically hardcore, metal, indie, retro, 80's new wave, classic rock, etc. to name a few), of which they dress to exemplify. It is hard to pin down a style for a scene male or female, considering the trends amongst them vary from coast to coast, and certian fads come in and out within their ranks. Typically, though, many scene kids will have facial piercings, tattoos, and longer hair. It is not unusual to see teased hair with long bangs on males, or short fauxhawks (a mohawk without the sides shaved, a fashion-friendly version) on females. It is almost a throwback to the revolution of Britian's glam era, very androgynous and fresh. Scenesters take a lot of pride in their overall image, and often they appreciate shock value. Oftentimes they are thrifty, employing their abilities as bargian-hunters and do-it-yourself gurus to do something unique with their style. Large vintage sunglasses, retro patterns, tight jeans, classic metal/band tees, plastic jewelry, and heavy eye makeup are just some of the incorperations into scene style for either sex. This style and showmanship is at its height during shows (concerts), where often scene kids will meet their friends and size up strangers who visit their turf. There indeed is competition among scenesters...sometimes friendly, sometimes not. Shows are in fact not just concerts, but often a means of socialization for those on the scene. Those people who partake in scene lifestyle often choose to date/socialize only with those like them, which can cause bitterness or rejection to outsiders.

The music scene is often associated with other areas that scenesters are interested in, which is liekely, art, photography, creative writing, poetry, tattoos & piercings, civil rights, animal rights, etc. Many scene kids have strong beliefs about these things and consider those who do not to be "posers." They feel that their scene style is not only a fashion statement, but an all-encompassing lifestyle. Many scene kids incorperate their future plans into their lifestyle, going into careers such as journalism, photography, artistry, piercing, tattooing, working for magazines, being musicians, hairstylists, running venues and/or coffee shops, etc. This tends to cause scene kids to congregate, visit, or even move to big cities to find opportunities to meet other scenesters, find jobs that suit them, or to live where they have a plethora of activities that they enjoy readily at their disposal.

Recently internet revolutions like myspace.com have provided a new means for the ideas of scene culture to be spead, for scenesters to find new friends, bands, and activities. Scensters design stylish and graphic profile pages to both draw attention to themselves and to find others like them, and many people have joined up with the scene fad due to internet advertising.

The downside of many scene atmospheres is that some scene kids tend to develop a superior mentality. Some who are especially popular and affluent can make it harder for the younger, yet-aspiring scenesters to join in with the subculture. This is not always the case, however. Different areas breed different demographics of scene kids. Perhaps part of their attitude comes from the problem that scenesters have begun to feel threatened about their culture being jeopardized because of a sort of trickle down effect. The internet is permitting easy access for anyone who would want to don scene-esque style and jump right in to a culture that scenesters feel they have built from the ground up and developed into a complex lifestyle. However, this lends many to get caught up in popularity contests in local areas as well as on the world wide web. Unfortunately, this can also lead to rifts in scenes. Groups of hardcore scenesters start "crews," often characterized by fierce brotherhood to the point of violence against others who are unlike them or who are in other crews.

The scene is dividing amongst itself, due to purists who feel the scene is about music only, and those who have taken the scene fashion to be almost, if not equally, as important as the music itself. Some of the fashionable scenesters stick to their musical roots, but often due to the aforementioned trickle-down effect, there are people joining the scene who are not interested in the music, but are only in it for the attention.

Thus, the scene will continue to divide. Whether they will admit it or not, kids interested in this lifestyle of excitement, concerts, body modification, fashion, and overall alluringly unusual aesthetics will continually be labeled as "scene." They chose an alternative path because they wanted to find acceptance elsewhere. Now, they face a community just like any other: one of all different types of people, who have different opinions and standards. It has its pros and cons, ups and downs, just like any lifestyle does.

from urbandictionary.com
 
^ Wow, good description, yet awful that it needs one in a dictionary, even if it is 'urban'. Do you think it will be recognized in history like the Mod/Glam/New Wave subcultures of previous generations? It's hardly a 'subculture' if you ask me. I always imagine our kids will be dressing in 'hipster' costumes for halloween much like the 'madonna' costumes they have now.
 
delicate said:
Same here :lol:
No offence..:flower:..maybe I didn't phrase myself correctly. What I meant is that some hipsters/scenesters force themselves to seem like they're superior with their sarcasm, with their so called knowledge of psychiatrists and philosophers (when they only just read about 2 or 3 of them in a mag and they namedrop to create some sort of smartass impression)..the fake openness and brutal honesty..etc.
I don't care really if the person is like that by nature..but when they're forcing these traits upon themselves to be hip/original/different/whatever, it's very lame.
 
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Oh I also find it ridiculous how some 'scenesters' have tattoos with sayings like 'f*cking c***' ...drawings of dinosaurs, robots and other 'hip' things..
I mean, it's a tattoo! Not a little pen drawing. Maybe I just don't get something..
 
twilight fairy said:
No offence..:flower:..maybe I didn't phrase myself correctly. What I meant is that some hipsters/scenesters force themselves to seem like they're superior with their sarcasm, with their so called knowledge of psychiatrists and philosophers (when they only just read about 2 or 3 of them in a mag and they namedrop to create some sort of smartass impression)..the fake openness and brutal honesty..etc.
I don't care really if the person is like that by nature..but when they're forcing these traits upon themselves to be hip/original/different/whatever, it's very lame.

No, no, it's okay. I got what you meant. It's just funny how it described parts of my personality :lol: I'm not pretentious like that, though :yuk:
 
delicate said:
No, no, it's okay. I got what you meant. It's just funny how it described parts of my personality :lol: I'm not pretentious like that, though :yuk:

haha, same hereee/ :P
 
I read a bit from that Hipster Handbook. It is kinda funny, but I kept asking myself if these people are really like that?
I mean do they really say "that's deck" ???
My mother tongue isn't English and I had never heard that word before....
If I go to the US and use it, are people gonna understand??? :blink:
 
SanSalvadorGirl said:
I read a bit from that Hipster Handbook. It is kinda funny, but I kept asking myself if these people are really like that?
I mean do they really say "that's deck" ???
My mother tongue isn't English and I had never heard that word before....
If I go to the US and use it, are people gonna understand??? :blink:

I honestly haven't heard that either. I wondered if the guy who wrote it totally made it up to see if people who read the book and took it seriously started using it, to be like hipsters. I thought maybe it was a joke, because no one ever uses that word, and hipsters especially won't use it now that it's in that book.
 
i believe there's a difference between hipster and scene, no? maybe the version of "scene" that i see everyday is commercialized and um, smalltownized.... but what would the category be for the emo punkers who have black asymetrical haircuts, track jackets, black dickies pants, converse and sometimes, eyeliner? so many labels that get tossed around... :lol:
 
^ true. too many labels to keep track of. I'd categorize emo punkers as 'emo scenesters'. Only because that's what we call them in LA
 
keys said:
aside from the pretentious attitudes that everyone complains about, i think "scene" style has good underlying intentions. it's a much broader, less exclusive style (if you can even call it a style) than this thread gives an impression of. it encourages individual expression through a mesh of art and culture in a way that allows for some really original, aesthetically intriguing concepts. even though "scene" does still follow fashion trends like boho and beatnik, there's a wide range of interpretation here. i've seen everything from colonial to sci-fi influenced outfits and none of them seem out of place.


I'm with you. however not all scene is pretentious as some of them have implied, it's more of the girls that travel in packs that you have to worry about:blink:
 
are the scensters you all are talking about indie scenesters? because i have a lot of friends who would fall under that categorie (in terms of style, personality, and music taste)...in fact, people have put me in that category before. but not all scenesters are pretentious, some are and some aren't, just like all people.
 
I'd love to go to a scene party just because I'd love to watch everyone with their crazy outfits, it looks like fun. But all the girls I see pictures of...it's almost like...did they gather every beautiful model-esque girl in that city to bring to one party? And if they travel in packs and are as pretentious as everyone says, it all seems far too intimidating!
 
pattismith said:
I'd love to go to a scene party just because I'd love to watch everyone with their crazy outfits, it looks like fun. But all the girls I see pictures of...it's almost like...did they gather every beautiful model-esque girl in that city to bring to one party? And if they travel in packs and are as pretentious as everyone says, it all seems far too intimidating!
Actually the only reason you see those 'pretty' girls in pictures is because they are the only ones who get photographed. When Cobra was here in Austin, he would go up to people and be like,you are so hot/beautiful/pretty, can I take you picture? Stuff like that. So, don't get that impression!! You would fit in just fine if you went, just wear all black and red eye make up. lol.
 
It's easy to forget that a photographer only captures what he wants you to see- I bet there's a lot more out there and I'd love to get myself to one of those parties to find out! :P
(Too bad I'm 15.)
 
argg. i sorta have a love/hate relationship with "the scene".

on one hand, i hate these pretentious little snobbish try-hards on the photos. people who think they're so different but yet, all look like american apparel ad models. and who cut out their own clothes because they study art or fashion, and who only go to loft shows because regular venue shows are like, so mainstream. i know, i live in one of the hipster capitals of the world, im constantly surrounded by them.

on the other hand, i like to dress funky, i go to indie shows, i have a few friends who study art and dress funky and listen to Wolf Parade and The Strokes, my boyfriend has a few vintage shirts and he owns a blazer that he sometimes matches with a pair of jeans, and i find indie boys sorta cute :blush:........yet i dont really associate myself with these types of people and i diversify my group of friends (which those people never seem to do!).
 
Most of the indie scene guys I know are really cute, but once they open their mouths and start spewing out pretentious garbage it's all over for me.
 
Boluda said:
argg. i sorta have a love/hate relationship with "the scene".

on one hand, i hate these pretentious little snobbish try-hards on the photos. people who think they're so different but yet, all look like american apparel ad models. and who cut out their own clothes because they study art or fashion, and who only go to loft shows because regular venue shows are like, so mainstream. i know, i live in one of the hipster capitals of the world, im constantly surrounded by them.

on the other hand, i like to dress funky, i go to indie shows, i have a few friends who study art and dress funky and listen to Wolf Parade and The Strokes, my boyfriend has a few vintage shirts and he owns a blazer that he sometimes matches with a pair of jeans, and i find indie boys sorta cute :blush:........yet i dont really associate myself with these types of people and i diversify my group of friends (which those people never seem to do!).

amen! however hipsters are rare here, although i don't really go to the places they might i.e concerts and such. i'm glad i haven't had to endure the junk that might come out their mouths :lol:. although i get to meet the intellectual/hipsterish international students, they rock. some of the "fashion" communities on livejournal are full of the pretentious types, ugh.
 
sssanguine said:
wow, boulder must be a REALLY small town if you've never experienced any type of subculture, no goths, skaters, punks? the scene kids are really just these kids, grown up and now "artsy".

I'm the only what you would consider indie/artsy kid in my town. All that is here in my town is posers. Honest.

As for my opinion on the scene culture. I was once rejected to be on a site because I wasn't scene enough. I presented myself in all kinds of fashions, but they were too pretentious to accept variety. They say they are different but dress all the same(dinosaurs, men wearing tight pants and pink, etc.). They are, quite frankly, just as bad as the mainstream.

I forgot they all have that stupid hair cut where their bangs cover one eye.
 
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