What's considered hipster

[dblconcave]

I'm not terribly fashion forward. Is there a blur between hipster and retro? I've seen frames (warby's in particular) being called hipster when they seem to be going for the vantage feel (reminds me of some nice oliver peoples).

[chaoticneutral]

After a bit of research ive found that "hipster" is more cultural and "retro" is more imitative. Posted here is an essay from *brace yourself* Urbandictionary.com which (99% of is nonsense and NSFW) is both informative and semi-intelegnet. My appy ologies for the underlines and word coloration which I cannot seem to get rid of.

hipster
Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter. The greatest concentrations of hipsters can be found living in the Williamsburg, Wicker Park, and Mission District neighborhoods of major cosmopolitan centers such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco respectively. Although "hipsterism" is really a state of mind,it is also often intertwined with distinct fashion sensibilities. 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. Both hipster men and women sport similar androgynous hair styles that include combinations of messy shag cuts and asymmetric side-swept bangs. Such styles are often associated with the work of creative stylists at urban salons, and are usually too "edgy" for the culturally-sheltered mainstream consumer. The "effortless cool" urban bohemian look of a hipster is exemplified in Urban Outfitters and American Apparel ads which cater towards the hipster demographic. Despite misconceptions based on their aesthetic tastes, hipsters tend to be well educated and often have liberal arts degrees, or degrees in maths and sciences, which also require certain creative analytical thinking abilities. Consequently many hipsters tend to have jobs in the music, art, and fashion industries. It is a myth that most hipsters are unemployed and live off of their parent's trust funds.
Hipsters shun mainstream societal conventions that apply to dating preferences and traditional "rules" of physical attraction. It is part of the hipster central dogma not to be influenced by mainsream advertising and media, which tends to only promote ethnocentric ideals of beauty. The concepts of androgyny and feminism have influenced hipster culture, where hipster men are often as thin as the women they date. The muscular and athletic all-American male ideal is not seen as attractive by confident and culturally-empowered hipster women who instead view them as symbols of male oppression, sexism, and misogyny. Likewise, culturally-vapid sorority-type girls with fake blond hair, overly tanned skin, and "Britney Spears tube-tops" are not seen as attractive by cultured hipster males who instead see them as symbols of female insecurity, low self-esteem, and lack of cultural intelligence and independent thinking. Hipsters are also very racially open-minded, and the greatest number of interracial couples in any urban environment are typically found within the hipster subculture.
Although hipsters are technically conformists within their own subculture, in comparison to the much larger mainstream mass, they are pioneers and leaders of the latest cultural trends and ideals. For example, the surge of jeans made to look old and worn (i.e. "distressed"), that have become prevalent at stores such as The Gap, American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Hollister, were originally paraded by hipsters who shopped in thrift stores years before such clothing items were mass produced and sold to the mainstream consumer. The true irony here is that many of the detractors of hipster culture are in fact unknowingly following a path that hipsters have carved out years before them. This phenomena also applies to music as well, as many bands have become successful and known to mainstream audiences only because hipsters first found and listened to them as early-adopters of new culture. Once certain concepts of fashion and music have reached mainstream audiences, hipsters move on to something new and improved.
Because of the rise of various online photo-blog and social networking sites, insights into urban hipster culture is reaching sheltered suburban audiences at an exponential rate. Cultural "norms" have been deconstructed by hipster culture as a whole. Hipsterism is often dismissed as just an image thing by some, but the culture as a whole is effecting changes in society, leading to feelings of insecurity and resentment in people who are no longer a part of the cultural ruling class. For example, a lot of anti-hipster sentiment evidently comes from culturally-clueless suburban frat boy types who feel that the more sensitive, intelligent, and culturally aware hipster ideal threatens their insecure sense of masculinity. Anti-hipster sentiment often comes from people who simply can't keep up with social change and are envious of those who can.

Retro can be simply defined as
imitative of a style, fashion, or design from the recent past.

Hope this helps. Thanks for listening.

[Tallboy]

Very good Chaotic Neutral. Hipsters can be seen as snide and condescending exclusive and artsy, where as those interested in a retro look are not necessarily hitching themselves to the counterculture. In my younger days I was probably a hipster.

Hipsters shouldn't be confused with Neckbeards though they both may be seen in the wild wearing fedoras.

[BP3]

Wow, great write up Chaotic Neutral.

As an ECP, if you wanted to sell to the Hipster culture, you would probably make sales off:

1.) Thick black plastic frames although I have seen tortoise shell
2.) Hemmingway esque frames (clear bottom rimmed zyl frames)
3.) Ray Bans (Wayfarer in particular)
4.) Eco Friendly frames and/or companies (Bamboo frames, recycled wood frames etc).

Having a coffee machine in your office and using Free World Trade coffee beans from the mountains of a country you have never heard of before would probably spur additional purchases.

If you have a giant beard, waxed mustache, visible chest and neck tattoos, and/or a fixed gear bicycle, that could also help.

Test: Make up a fake band name and ask if they have listened to them, the response will most likely be "I liked them before they got popular"

I live on the Lower East Side (Near Williamsburg) of NYC and this is what I have noticed in my observations.

For the record, I have no issue with the hipster culture, I enjoy making fun of everybody equally.

[Joe Zewe]

The fashionistas in our office tell me that many believe hipster as we know it is dying and "normcore" is the next thing. Begin stocking those George Costanza glasses. On the bright side, most of the clothes in my closet may come back in style.

From earlier this year:

http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/02/norm...ion-trend.html

http://ndsmcobserver.com/2014/04/normcore-less/

[Robert Martellaro]

Eco Friendly frames

Along with a 'Honk if you Compost' T-shirt. The frames might be from the Lewis Skolnick collection.

http://diehipster.wordpress.com/cate...-that-picture/

If you have a giant beard

With some help from beard implant surgery.

For the record, I have no issue with the hipster culture, I enjoy making fun of everybody equally.

[BP3]

The fashionistas in our office tell me that many believe hipster as we know it is dying and "normcore" is the next thing. Begin stocking those George Costanza glasses. On the bright side, most of the clothes in my closet may come back in style.

From earlier this year:

http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/02/norm...ion-trend.html

http://ndsmcobserver.com/2014/04/normcore-less/

Quoted from the second article: Dressed like 90's sitcom dad.

I can't wait for this. Or maybe I can.

[BP3]

Along with a 'Honk if you Compost' T-shirt. The frames might be from the Lewis Skolnick collection.

http://diehipster.wordpress.com/cate...-that-picture/

With some help from beard implant surgery.

Ask and you shall receive: http://nypost.com/2014/02/25/hipster...r-transplants/

Looks like Bosley hair is going to be busy.

[tntborden]

[optilady1]

Wow, great write up Chaotic Neutral.

As an ECP, if you wanted to sell to the Hipster culture, you would probably make sales off:

1.) Thick black plastic frames although I have seen tortoise shell
2.) Hemmingway esque frames (clear bottom rimmed zyl frames)
3.) Ray Bans (Wayfarer in particular)
4.) Eco Friendly frames and/or companies (Bamboo frames, recycled wood frames etc).

Having a coffee machine in your office and using Free World Trade coffee beans from the mountains of a country you have never heard of before would probably spur additional purchases.

If you have a giant beard, waxed mustache, visible chest and neck tattoos, and/or a fixed gear bicycle, that could also help.

Test: Make up a fake band name and ask if they have listened to them, the response will most likely be "I liked them before they got popular"

I live on the Lower East Side (Near Williamsburg) of NYC and this is what I have noticed in my observations.

For the record, I have no issue with the hipster culture, I enjoy making fun of everybody equally.

My vote for post of the day.

[ml43]

Test: Make up a fake band name and ask if they have listened to them, the response will most likely be "I liked them before they got popular"


For the record, I have no issue with the hipster culture, I enjoy making fun of everybody equally.

This is pure gold.

[Slim]

PURE GOLD and SPOT ON!

Wow, great write up Chaotic Neutral.

As an ECP, if you wanted to sell to the Hipster culture, you would probably make sales off:

1.) Thick black plastic frames although I have seen tortoise shell
2.) Hemmingway esque frames (clear bottom rimmed zyl frames)
3.) Ray Bans (Wayfarer in particular)
4.) Eco Friendly frames and/or companies (Bamboo frames, recycled wood frames etc).

Having a coffee machine in your office and using Free World Trade coffee beans from the mountains of a country you have never heard of before would probably spur additional purchases.

If you have a giant beard, waxed mustache, visible chest and neck tattoos, and/or a fixed gear bicycle, that could also help.

Test: Make up a fake band name and ask if they have listened to them, the response will most likely be "I liked them before they got popular"

I live on the Lower East Side (Near Williamsburg) of NYC and this is what I have noticed in my observations.

For the record, I have no issue with the hipster culture, I enjoy making fun of everybody equally.

[colleen26]

Love this entire thread

[mdeimler]

A quote from a hipster friend - "It's damn expensive to look poor/homeless nowadays"
Epic comment

[Robert Martellaro]

Ask and you shall receive: http://nypost.com/2014/02/25/hipster...r-transplants/

Looks like Bosley hair is going to be busy.

Thanks. Back at you.

[Paul Smith LDO]

While we languish over what makes a hipster a hipster, the term is no longer vogue and has been replaced by something else. Don't tell me that opticians are not slaves to fashion. Robert, I wouldn't be surprised to find your face in that crowd, you little fashionista you.

[spex911]

After a bit of research ive found that "hipster" is more cultural and "retro" is more imitative. Posted here is an essay from *brace yourself* Urbandictionary.com which (99% of is nonsense and NSFW) is both informative and semi-intelegnet. My appy ologies for the underlines and word coloration which I cannot seem to get rid of.

hipster
Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter. The greatest concentrations of hipsters can be found living in the Williamsburg, Wicker Park, and Mission District neighborhoods of major cosmopolitan centers such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco respectively. Although "hipsterism" is really a state of mind,it is also often intertwined with distinct fashion sensibilities. 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. Both hipster men and women sport similar androgynous hair styles that include combinations of messy shag cuts and asymmetric side-swept bangs. Such styles are often associated with the work of creative stylists at urban salons, and are usually too "edgy" for the culturally-sheltered mainstream consumer. The "effortless cool" urban bohemian look of a hipster is exemplified in Urban Outfitters and American Apparel ads which cater towards the hipster demographic. Despite misconceptions based on their aesthetic tastes, hipsters tend to be well educated and often have liberal arts degrees, or degrees in maths and sciences, which also require certain creative analytical thinking abilities. Consequently many hipsters tend to have jobs in the music, art, and fashion industries. It is a myth that most hipsters are unemployed and live off of their parent's trust funds.
Hipsters shun mainstream societal conventions that apply to dating preferences and traditional "rules" of physical attraction. It is part of the hipster central dogma not to be influenced by mainsream advertising and media, which tends to only promote ethnocentric ideals of beauty. The concepts of androgyny and feminism have influenced hipster culture, where hipster men are often as thin as the women they date. The muscular and athletic all-American male ideal is not seen as attractive by confident and culturally-empowered hipster women who instead view them as symbols of male oppression, sexism, and misogyny. Likewise, culturally-vapid sorority-type girls with fake blond hair, overly tanned skin, and "Britney Spears tube-tops" are not seen as attractive by cultured hipster males who instead see them as symbols of female insecurity, low self-esteem, and lack of cultural intelligence and independent thinking. Hipsters are also very racially open-minded, and the greatest number of interracial couples in any urban environment are typically found within the hipster subculture.
Although hipsters are technically conformists within their own subculture, in comparison to the much larger mainstream mass, they are pioneers and leaders of the latest cultural trends and ideals. For example, the surge of jeans made to look old and worn (i.e. "distressed"), that have become prevalent at stores such as The Gap, American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Hollister, were originally paraded by hipsters who shopped in thrift stores years before such clothing items were mass produced and sold to the mainstream consumer. The true irony here is that many of the detractors of hipster culture are in fact unknowingly following a path that hipsters have carved out years before them. This phenomena also applies to music as well, as many bands have become successful and known to mainstream audiences only because hipsters first found and listened to them as early-adopters of new culture. Once certain concepts of fashion and music have reached mainstream audiences, hipsters move on to something new and improved.
Because of the rise of various online photo-blog and social networking sites, insights into urban hipster culture is reaching sheltered suburban audiences at an exponential rate. Cultural "norms" have been deconstructed by hipster culture as a whole. Hipsterism is often dismissed as just an image thing by some, but the culture as a whole is effecting changes in society, leading to feelings of insecurity and resentment in people who are no longer a part of the cultural ruling class. For example, a lot of anti-hipster sentiment evidently comes from culturally-clueless suburban frat boy types who feel that the more sensitive, intelligent, and culturally aware hipster ideal threatens their insecure sense of masculinity. Anti-hipster sentiment often comes from people who simply can't keep up with social change and are envious of those who can.

Retro can be simply defined as
imitative of a style, fashion, or design from the recent past.

Hope this helps. Thanks for listening.

Those are too many words dedicated to modern tree huggers ...

[Browman]

Curiously, there are multiple classes of hipster. This thread in particular is focused on upper-class, urban-dwelling, probably financially dependent hipsters. Your next class of hipster would be the sort found in upwardly-mobile but largely blue collar towns throughout the midwest. They aren't as well known in the mainstream because they don't have a definitive look and their objective isn't to be noticed, as opposed to your more stereotypical hipster. The midwest hipster shares a fascination with old and obscure music and movies, but their non-conformity tends to manifest by eschewing mainstream popular culture and most commercially produced foods in favor of organics. The one physical characteristic they share with stereotypical hispters is unruly facial hair.

The objective of the hipster aesthetic is to achieve a carefully constructed look of incongruity-- termed "irony" within the subculture itself. The entire look is tailored to look not quite right-- articles of dress clothing worn with blue collar attire, unkempt facial hair, etc. The objective behind this, ostensibly, is to demonstrate a non-conformity against mainstream society in general and right-leaning society specifically. While the midwest hipster tends to lean more center/right of center, your stereotypical hipster will almost always be hard left. Of course, the caveat to a bunch of people all trying not to conform is that they end up creating their own subculture to which members must conform; your stereotypical hipster can be particularly vicious in criticizing one another's appearances as being "too mainstream" or "not ironic enough."

To this end, hipster glasses are another means to add a layer of incongruity to their appearance. Bigger is better: They want them to look ill fitting and not-quite-right while still fitting and working correctly. This is why the Ray-Ban Wayfarer was Frame Zero for the hipster glasses look (contrary to popular misconception, hipsterdom did not evolve from geek chic). For a period, vintage glasses were also choice frames because of the ubiquity of wire rims in the early 2000s; what better way to stand out than something chunky and dark when everyone else was wearing thin or rimless? Of course, then Mad Men came around, started the vintage craze, and the waters were muddied. People started wearing plastic frames, but thinner styles not necessarily in line with authentic vintage; so hipsters began drifting away from simply large glasses and towards period authentic. No longer was it a matter of "Is it thick enough?" but "Is it period enough?" Fades entered into the fray, as have browlines...

(Busy more later)

[BP3]

Hipster Olympics was a good laugh, thank you for that kind sir.

I forgot to mention the popularity of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer in the hipster culture. It seems that PBR was a staple to hipsters everywhere. It seems to me that PBR was not a popular (nor good tasting) beer until the Hipsters adopted it.

Can you imagine the conversations at sales department of PBR?

"How did our sales increase 600000% percent in ONE QUARTER?!"

So......PBR colored frames? Now those are some beer goggles.

[Robert Martellaro]

While we languish over what makes a hipster a hipster, the term is no longer vogue and has been replaced by something else. Don't tell me that opticians are not slaves to fashion. Robert, I wouldn't be surprised to find your face in that crowd, you little fashionista you.

Good morning, judge! Guilty.

It seems to me that PBR was not a popular (nor good tasting) beer until the Hipsters adopted it.

It was brewed a mile away from where I lived when I came to Milwaukee in '75. It gave almost everyone the ****s if you drank enough of it.

[Caroline]

Hipsters shouldn't be confused with Neckbeards though they both may be seen in the wild wearing fedoras.

You don't read the Something Awful forums, do you?

[iD]

this wins best sign ever lol

[Robert Martellaro]

You don't read the Something Awful forums, do you?

Thanks. I found the MST3K Quote thread. I can't stop laughing.

[Tallboy]

You don't read the Something Awful forums, do you?

I have been known to visit some non-optical internet forums, from time to time.