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Hipster. A word with an elusive definition, leaving behind - without fail - the question, what is a hipster?
Let's be honest here. I haven't the faintest idea. Countless people have tried to describe to me the hipster, and I've yet to truly understand what/who a hipster is. It's a topic of constant debate in our Accolade News meetings, usually ending with one among our ranks tossing his hands up with an exasperated "I don't understand what a hipster is!"
In our meetings, it goes a little like this: hipsters originated in Oregon (hmmm.... the exasperated one is from Oregon). Hipsters don't identify themselves as hipsters. Does this mean that they'll tell you what they don't know what a hipster is? Hipsters have eclectic taste in music, like Paul Simon, but never anything mainstream-eclectic. Hipsters are always ironic. If your irony is imbicilic, you are thus, not a hipster.
Dress is an entirely different matter. I once participated in a conversation where a girl was attempting to describe to a group of us the implications of the hipster dress code. What I salvaged from the attempt was that a) hipsters dress like old people and aren't ashamed to admit it, or b) hipsters follow the non-trend of wearing clothes that aren't mainstream, popular, and they must have a tinge of irony at all times.
Mainstream is, as I have learned, a no-no in hipsterdom. Instead, a throwback is the norm. Classic literature must always be found in the backpack, satchel, or pack. Music must be old-school, but not so old-school that your parents hum it randomly around the house (unless, of course, your parents are the ultimate hipsters). No modern art, styles, interests must be held. Clothing is generally vintage, from hats to shoes. Glasses are iconically large rimmed and colored. Intelligence grants you the highest from of hipster regailia.
The principle commonality among hipsters is the ironic vibe that must be upheld at all time in countenance, speech, and personality. A hipster must be deliberately ironic, but it must at the same time be subtle. A hipster refuses to identify themselves as a hipster. This is key. If you hear a person say anything along the lines of "I'm so hipster" I can personally guarantee you that person is not a hipster.
So what about those people who fit all the categories of hipsterdom, and don't even understand the hipster movement? Those who rock the argyle and skinny jeans, the leather satchels filled with books, and the old school musical tastes without even noting that they are the unintentional epitome of a trend?
These people are the embodiment of hipster.
Ironic, isn't it?
&etc says:
Man, why does that argyle, messenger bag, and Oregon combo sound so familiar...
Meg Redner says:
I feel like he's on the Accolade staff, oddly enough...
notcodyshafer says:
-This is actually not Cody Shafer, but his wife. But yes. This blog was seriously great and fantastic. One of my favorites about the hipsters. One time I was at a Goodwill with Cody and we overheard this particular Accolade staffer legitimating reviewing a film, talking about the imagery, over a bin of whatever. At the Goodwill. :) If we want to get into hipsterish behavior, that is a prime example. He's awesome. Also, because I'm married to Cody and understand how outrageous music fans can be (and we are) - Paul Simon is not eclectic-music. If we're talking Hipster music, we're talking music that people have never heard of, like Captain Beefheart, Imagine Dragons, or some "I knew about them before they got big" music. Paul Simon was incredibly mainstream in the 60s, does Grammy performances, stuff like that. He's done a VH1 Music Story teller whatever that show is called. That is the farthest from eclectic or hipster and pretty maintstream. If regular old people, like my mom, have all of his albums, then I wouldn't say he's a hipster staple. /But Simon - He's incredible. And Simon and Garfunkel are one of the best duos out in music history. /Sorry, I'm a nerd.