I define "hipsters" as poseurs who are immitating people who are actually hip, or at least who they perceive to be hip. A hip person typically has some degree of fashion sense, and a good example of the difference between this and a "hipster" is how a hip person might buy articles of clothing from the Salvation Army because they're cheap and/or unique, whereas a "hipster" would shop at some sort of boutique that sells exclusively fashionable vintage clothing and pay 10 times as much for more or less the same items.
A hip person is cognitive of what styles are fashionable, and finds a style that suits his or her self, but doesn't necessarily have to be wearing exclusively non-mainstream vintage or designer articles. A hipster either copies a hip person, the other hipsters he knows, or whatever he sees in "Vice" magazine. A few fashion items are always acceptible regardless of how much of a poseur you are or aren't: Chuck Taylors, black hoodies, tight pants, etc.
A hip person might look hung over or like they just got out of bed, but if they do, it's because they really are hung over and just got out of bed. A "hipster" might spend considerable effort faking that look by messing up their hair and intentionally wearing wrinkled clothes. A telltale sign of a hipster douchebag is that he or she is clearly "trying" to be fashionable. They often overaccessorize with some sort of scarf, hat, or outlandish shoes, and put a great deal of effort into making sure everything matches.
A hip person most likely is an avid listener of music, but doesn't particularly care how others judge his or her taste. He or she might listen to anything, sometimes including things that were once, or even are currently, mainstream. A "hipster" contrives his or her music collection to be seen by others as cool and "indie". They love vinyl records. Crappy music seems cool to them as long as they listen to it on vinyl, and especially if it's some sort of rare recording that they can be sure no one else they know owns. If you asked a hipster whether he cared if people thought his music collection was cool, he would say "no", but he would be lying. They care.
In fact, the defining trait that seperates legitimate cool people from hipster douchebags is that truly hip people genuinely don't care what other people think of them, or maybe acknowledge it a little bit but don't base their whole persona around it. Hipsters are obsessed with this fact, and build their entire personalities in an effort to make it look like they also don't care. They want, just as much as normal people, to fit in. A really hip person just naturally fits in because he or she has a likable personality and is fun to be around. All hipsters hate other hipsters and consider them to be phonies, and no hipster will ever admit to being one even if they fit all of the stereotypes.
A hip person is cognitive of what styles are fashionable, and finds a style that suits his or her self, but doesn't necessarily have to be wearing exclusively non-mainstream vintage or designer articles. A hipster either copies a hip person, the other hipsters he knows, or whatever he sees in "Vice" magazine. A few fashion items are always acceptible regardless of how much of a poseur you are or aren't: Chuck Taylors, black hoodies, tight pants, etc.
A hip person might look hung over or like they just got out of bed, but if they do, it's because they really are hung over and just got out of bed. A "hipster" might spend considerable effort faking that look by messing up their hair and intentionally wearing wrinkled clothes. A telltale sign of a hipster douchebag is that he or she is clearly "trying" to be fashionable. They often overaccessorize with some sort of scarf, hat, or outlandish shoes, and put a great deal of effort into making sure everything matches.
A hip person most likely is an avid listener of music, but doesn't particularly care how others judge his or her taste. He or she might listen to anything, sometimes including things that were once, or even are currently, mainstream. A "hipster" contrives his or her music collection to be seen by others as cool and "indie". They love vinyl records. Crappy music seems cool to them as long as they listen to it on vinyl, and especially if it's some sort of rare recording that they can be sure no one else they know owns. If you asked a hipster whether he cared if people thought his music collection was cool, he would say "no", but he would be lying. They care.
In fact, the defining trait that seperates legitimate cool people from hipster douchebags is that truly hip people genuinely don't care what other people think of them, or maybe acknowledge it a little bit but don't base their whole persona around it. Hipsters are obsessed with this fact, and build their entire personalities in an effort to make it look like they also don't care. They want, just as much as normal people, to fit in. A really hip person just naturally fits in because he or she has a likable personality and is fun to be around. All hipsters hate other hipsters and consider them to be phonies, and no hipster will ever admit to being one even if they fit all of the stereotypes.
True story: I was recently at a thanksgiving party where a lot of food was being served. The skinny, pale, threadbare sweater and tight pants-clad hipster-looking guy who had been putting on music all evening walked into the room. People weren't talking much at the time because their mouths were full, and hipster douchemaster sweater guy decided the room wasn't sociable enough for him, said "This room sucks", turned, and walked away. He could have just walked away, but he felt he had to verbally pass judgment on the room's occupants to make sure he seemed superior to them. What a dick.
by Rassar December 05, 2007
by capt america April 19, 2008
(n.) An individual/group marked mostly by their cynical, ironic and intellectually elitist ideals(or lack thereof), who claim to denounce corporate interests and the bourgeois lifestyle, yet contradict these sentiments by their own behavior.
hipster mentality vs. lifestyle
'The majority of people are mindless consumers shopping at the mall and dictated by their desire to buy the perfect house, clothing article, car... et al... '
At same time spends a majority of money earned being a dishwasher/bartender/cook at American Apparel/Urban Outfitters/Goodwill, cigarettes, beer, show tickets, and overinflated rent in the part of town that isn't exactly 'safe' but gentrified enough to not worry about being shot in the day.
'The majority of people are mindless consumers shopping at the mall and dictated by their desire to buy the perfect house, clothing article, car... et al... '
At same time spends a majority of money earned being a dishwasher/bartender/cook at American Apparel/Urban Outfitters/Goodwill, cigarettes, beer, show tickets, and overinflated rent in the part of town that isn't exactly 'safe' but gentrified enough to not worry about being shot in the day.
by ohwhateverman December 29, 2010
a wannabe indie. a hipster is the asshole version of an indie person who cares about fashion and looking "cool".
1: "hey isn't sally indie?"
2: "no, she wishes. she's a stuck up bitch who thinks she's better than everyone else because she likes fashion and photography. im sorry to say, but she's just another hipster."
1: "isn't that similar to an indie person?"
2: "yes, but indie people don't care what they look like to other people, that's why they are independent."
2: "no, she wishes. she's a stuck up bitch who thinks she's better than everyone else because she likes fashion and photography. im sorry to say, but she's just another hipster."
1: "isn't that similar to an indie person?"
2: "yes, but indie people don't care what they look like to other people, that's why they are independent."
by a non uh muss December 06, 2009
n. adj. from the English "hip" meaning too cool for public school. Anyone beneath the age of 40 who gives a shit about Brian Eno, David Bowie, and Jorge Luis Borges. Typically majors in English, Visual Arts, or Film Studies. Wouldn't be caught dead wearing any shoe other than Vans or Chuck Taylors. Considers local bands no one's ever heard of more important than food and shelter. Considers moving from the suburbs to a former ghetto a justified version of "white flight". Can be seen in abundance in Portland, Oregon and Williamsburg, Brooklyn; and to a lesser extent Austin, Texas and Athens, Georgia.
by Camp Lickalotta March 11, 2008
The current “hipster” probably has nothing to do with the older iteration of “hipster”; it’s just another part of the “retro” trend that they’ve borrowed the old name. Or maybe it was applied to them, by people who remember the negative connotations of the old name; I’m not sure where it came from.
In actuality I think this one is just the revision of the yuppie (young urban professional) of my generation (Gen X), except that a lot of hipsters don’t work in traditional professional jobs because they’re fashionably anti-capitalist. If they work, they’re freelancers. Many are wealthy enough to avoid working anyway — solidly middle/upper-class background with generous parents; a lot of accumulated generational wealth (I knew one who’d had a condo deeded to her as a college graduation gift); a trust fund; whatever, though it’s unfashionable to talk about their wealth so they often plead poverty and move into the poorest neighborhoods to be cool (which usually triggers a wave of gentrification in their wake). Also includes, in New York at least, a lot of trust fund kids from overseas, due to the strength of the Euro, and many of them have been stepping in the deepest piles of racism because they don’t really get the nuances here. (Doesn’t stop them from trying, though.)
But basically, the current hipsters are the liberal twentysomethings of this generation, who are usually ham-handed in their liberalism (they’re anti-capitalist and anti-establishment, yet they don’t understand gentrification or their role in it; those who do understand don’t care), and who are constantly in search of new frontiers of whatever — drugs, real estate, sex, fashion. Otherwise they’re just as superficial and self-absorbed as any other twentysomethings. Usually white, as the yuppies were; I haven’t yet heard any PoC derivatives of yuppie, like buppie. They’re usually careful to include a token BBF or PoC in their circle of friends, though, so that they don’t appear racist. If PoC are lacking, they’ll take gay people.
In actuality I think this one is just the revision of the yuppie (young urban professional) of my generation (Gen X), except that a lot of hipsters don’t work in traditional professional jobs because they’re fashionably anti-capitalist. If they work, they’re freelancers. Many are wealthy enough to avoid working anyway — solidly middle/upper-class background with generous parents; a lot of accumulated generational wealth (I knew one who’d had a condo deeded to her as a college graduation gift); a trust fund; whatever, though it’s unfashionable to talk about their wealth so they often plead poverty and move into the poorest neighborhoods to be cool (which usually triggers a wave of gentrification in their wake). Also includes, in New York at least, a lot of trust fund kids from overseas, due to the strength of the Euro, and many of them have been stepping in the deepest piles of racism because they don’t really get the nuances here. (Doesn’t stop them from trying, though.)
But basically, the current hipsters are the liberal twentysomethings of this generation, who are usually ham-handed in their liberalism (they’re anti-capitalist and anti-establishment, yet they don’t understand gentrification or their role in it; those who do understand don’t care), and who are constantly in search of new frontiers of whatever — drugs, real estate, sex, fashion. Otherwise they’re just as superficial and self-absorbed as any other twentysomethings. Usually white, as the yuppies were; I haven’t yet heard any PoC derivatives of yuppie, like buppie. They’re usually careful to include a token BBF or PoC in their circle of friends, though, so that they don’t appear racist. If PoC are lacking, they’ll take gay people.
see hipster
by nojojojo August 25, 2008
To reconize a hipster is not hard, their hair can only be described as "complicated". To get this effect its at least 2 weeks not washing. They are usaly decked out in American Apparel or Urban Outfitters. Weird, weird, weird personalitys and humouritys. No matter where a hipster is from, they will automaticly feel at home in a big busy city (NYC, Toronto) Hipsters usaly live off there mommy and daddys money because have a job is so main stream.
To veiw hipsters in their natural habitats head towards a meuseam, sketchy parts of citys, coffee shops, smoking allowed restrants.
Ps. If you happen to want a picture of the Hipsters in action, expect them to give a not smiling, almost scared looking face with a kissy face but not quite.
To veiw hipsters in their natural habitats head towards a meuseam, sketchy parts of citys, coffee shops, smoking allowed restrants.
Ps. If you happen to want a picture of the Hipsters in action, expect them to give a not smiling, almost scared looking face with a kissy face but not quite.
"That film and those short stories were so comical! I'm going to email this link to 500 of my closest acquaintances, head up to some thrift shops, grab a chai and then play kickball in a headband and short-shorts..Ugh i fcuking hate how everyone thinks im a hipster! *sweeps bangs to side dramatically and takes a short drag on a cig*"
by Willow6300371 May 31, 2008