YouLookFab Forum » Topic: What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: What does the term Hipster Style mean to you? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:08:08 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php MsMary on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051767 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 17:27:38 +0000 MsMary 1051767@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ And an oldie but a goodie: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAO4EVMlpwM" rel="nofollow">Hipster Olympics</a> BTW, for those of you who were wondering, I have concluded that Eagle Rock is the Brooklyn of Los Angeles! AnnieMouse on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051766 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 17:25:54 +0000 AnnieMouse 1051766@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ruth: Yes, hippies still exist. Some in the same way they have traditionally - tie died rejection of the bougie, living on the road by the trade of their skills. Others adopt the moniker in hopes of trading on the cachet of the subculture they simulataneously embrace and reject (an example: these sorts of "hippies" love going to festivals while not enjoying into the community aspect, and often look as though they're wearing a "hippie costume" as approved by Refinery29; often see being a "hippie" as a rite of passage). Still others integrate elements popularised by the counter-culture movement into their daily lives, acknowledging the crunchy granola-ness of it, but would not be immediately visually tagged as such. cciele on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051717 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 16:21:49 +0000 cciele 1051717@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/02/10-signs-youre-a-true-hipster/">http://www.elephantjournal.com.....e-hipster/</a> [and the rebuttal] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/02/signs-youre-not-a-hipster-sean-williams/">http://www.elephantjournal.com.....-williams/</a> Interesting take on what being a hipster means today. Aziraphale on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051699 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 15:56:03 +0000 Aziraphale 1051699@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I have thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's take on this.  Makrame, that poster made me snort out loud. We absolutely have hipsters in Vancouver.  It has reached epidemic proportions in places like Gastown and Commercial Drive.  I'm nodding along to Krista's thorough description, although by now there's quite a range in what hipsters wear.  It has evolved.  The key words are still "irony" and "retro", though.  Hipsters are more likely to wear hats than anyone else.  Both men and women often roll up their skinny jeans.  For men, the big bushy beard has burst onto the scene as the "new accessory".  The women are more likely to wear A-line skirts (often somewhat retro design) than the rest of the population, although they are equally likely to be wearing skinny jeans, cool shoes and an artfully draped scarf.  They tend not to have ridiculous hair or makeup, but often have flattering and slightly edgy hairstyles.   Although being labeled a hipster is not necessarily a compliment (in fact it's often not, because it can suggest a preoccupation with the self that is off-putting), I will say this: they usually look good.  They have style.   Also, there are many more people whom you wouldn't exactly call hipsters, but who sport elements of the look.  I do.  A lot of my friends do, too -- especially the ones who still live in Vancouver (i.e. who haven't moved out to the suburbs, as we have, to raise their children!).  I bet the other suburban soccer moms assume I'm a hipster, because compared to the yoga-pants-and-Uggs-sporting ladies out here, I dress funny.  ;-) L'Abeille on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051698 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 15:52:04 +0000 L'Abeille 1051698@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ahahaha! That spread is spot on. I work in a small rural Maritime town (farmers, fishermen and woodsmen)...with an elite, private university with a fine-arts flavour, that draws students from the big cities and around the world. So I see all of these iterations on a daily basis. Along with the aging-hippy or boho style of the professors and the town's artists. What Vix said, too--our town had gelato and Italian sodas before the nearby city, and great bands have performed here IN SECRET on their way to publicized gigs elsewhere. As I've been given to understand, the biggest distinction of the hipster is the "ironic" flavour (whatever they mean by that--self-conscious, I think). I, on the other hand, could never be a hipster, even though I wear nerd glasses, oxfords with dresses, fedoras, and wool vests over rolled-up shirt sleeves, because that is who I am, not who I'm pretending to be (also I think there is an age-limit). My kids, in their twenties, have a lot of hipster elements though they deny it forcibly. Especially the youngest--she tried to take away all my Mason jars to use for dishes. And has been mistaken for a homeless person. Krista on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051676 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 15:18:55 +0000 Krista 1051676@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I will second what Vix said - where the hipsters are is where the great restaurants and bakeries are. We eat very well in our area because of them! Their creativity and ingenuity has really revived our neighbourhood. It's quite refreshing! Mary Beth (formerly LBD) on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051637 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 14:37:50 +0000 Mary Beth (formerly LBD) 1051637@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think Annie and Krista both really hit the nail on the head - BUT - my view of 'hipster' is more in line with Nicole's 12-year old daughter... In Atlanta, 'hipster' is more of an attitude, than of attire - and the attitude I usually view, as an interested and objective observer, is that a many of the 20-something and early 30-something hipsters are poseurs.  There is an air of being vaguely neurotic and anxious and uncertain, so a lot of them will latch onto an idea or a sort of identity that rings hollow and fake.    And coupled with that, seems a chronic inability to commit to a decision. That being said, all the style elements mentioned above are present in the Atlanta hipster crowd, so at the very least, I know when I'm going to be standing in line for a looooong time at Starbucks. I re-read what I wrote above, and I sound like that Maxine cartoon - the grumpy old lady fussing at them young whippersnappers  ;) Vildy on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051623 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 14:29:24 +0000 Vildy 1051623@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yes, it's the irony. Often evident in the hats. Retro items, once worn pragmatically or respectfully, sported ironically, sometimes with a dustbowl look. ETA: oh yeah, and they rediscovered "sliced bread" and are the only ones who know how to appreciate it citygirldc on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051605 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 14:21:01 +0000 citygirldc 1051605@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I agree with Krista and Jules. I see a few hipsters here in DC, mostly when we go to a smaller rock concert venue.  Anonymous on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051601 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 14:17:04 +0000 Anonymous 1051601@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Interesting info! I think my DDs have an element of hipster in their outfits, but not overly so. BTW, does anyone know if there are any hippies still around? They were abundant in the '60s and '70s in the town I grew up in; so much so we nicknamed it "Hippy City." Just wondering if anyone still dresses that way. Vix on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051599 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 14:13:50 +0000 Vix 1051599@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Makrame, LOVE that evolution of a hipster photo spread; definitely fact-checked, ha!  As with all style genres accessories are a big part of the look, too -- when I was visiting Vancouver BC, comedian Simon King was doing a whole riff about Commercial Drive hipsters, including a may-or-may-not-have-been-true tale of someone who arrived at a poetry slam on a bike decorated in Barbie heads. Barbie heads with x’d out eyes. When I hit the Drive I snapped the photo below: High-stakes hipness at work, people. Me, I love hipsters because where they goeth, so follow restaurants and bakeries with amazing food. You parents with budding hipsters will have an inside track to where deliciousness lies.... <div> </div> Nicole D on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051590 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:55:16 +0000 Nicole D 1051590@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Haha!  My 12 year old daughter called me a hipster the other day, when I showed her my outfit.  I got the sense that she meant I looked like a poser.  Also, a friend of mine told me her daughter lives in a trendy Toronto neighbourhood which is known as :"Where old hipsters go to die." Ingunn on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051579 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:38:59 +0000 Ingunn 1051579@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think being a 'hipster' is nothing my teens aim for, but in my humble opinion, that's really what they are: Retro elements in their styles (fit and flare dresses, Doc Martens boots, retro make up etc) Holga/Diana cameras, vinyl records type writer(!) etc. The twenties and early thirties hipster crowd in Oslo are exactly as Krista said. Jules on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051569 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:23:02 +0000 Jules 1051569@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Big Beards for men, currently. And wearing heavy dark wash jeans at the height of summer - even on the beach! I find the guys' version really is a uniform, and thus, quite conformist within the group. Women seem to have a bit more leeway. Carla on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051565 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:05:24 +0000 Carla 1051565@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Funny, this! Just had a long talk with sons x 2 about hipster style, since they had recently referred to something of mine as 'hipster'!!!!! Suz on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051563 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:02:53 +0000 Suz 1051563@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ha! Krista nailed it. I'm staying this weekend in an area of Montreal absolutely rife with hipsters. They look exactly as she describes, with the addition of SPECS (lots of ironic eyewear, whether it is needed or not).  AnnieMouse on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051562 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:00:19 +0000 AnnieMouse 1051562@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I always think of it as rejecting current style by embracing decidedly out-of-moment elements in a self-consciously ironic manner. Hallmarks have been slouchy beanies, Buddy Holly-style glasses, fitted button front shirts with short sleeves (bonus points for plaid or flannel), or old band/ concert shirts for a genre one clearly isn't a part of (heavy metal tees are popular in my area) - for either sex. There's a slouching indifference to social norms, but a tight rigidity in adherance to its particular ideosyncracies (as with most subcultures). PBR is being replaced by komboucha and insolence with sustainability in my part of the US. ironkurtin on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051552 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 12:50:24 +0000 ironkurtin 1051552@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think it has its roots in grunge and rejection of typical business models and dress. I know a lot of hipsters, and they work hard, but they are in startups or media (online, advertising, gaming, marketing, publishing, music, entertainment) and look it. Makrame on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051537 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 12:21:58 +0000 Makrame 1051537@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Here is a fun photo spread with some explanations <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/12/the-evolution-of-the-hipster-2000-2009.html">http://www.pastemagazine.com/a.....-2009.html</a> Krista on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051532 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 12:12:34 +0000 Krista 1051532@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hipster style is quite common in the area where I live. I would describe the general uniform as follows: For men: super skinny jeans or pants, plaid shirts, slim fitting jackets, a sloppy tuque or a fedora, tattoos are common. Hi-top converse or Vans for shoes, sometimes a scarf as an accessory. Usually walking or on a bike (and the bike is usually a retro model from the 50s). Very retro influenced overall. For women: the female uniform is largely the same but if dressed up they will usually wear a dress that is fit and flare and very retro styled. The idea of this style is to be "counter-culture" or against the grain of what everyone else is doing. Style-wise, it is NOT the hippie style of the 60s and 70s but I think that the general ideals and thought processes of the group are similar. This is largely what hipster means where I am, I'd love to hear what it means in other cities! Jaime on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051526 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 11:54:08 +0000 Jaime 1051526@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think the term hipster is suffering a revival (or maybe I mean we are suffering its revival) and seems a conforming to non-conformity and the embrace of a lot of frumpy, supposedly out of style clothes, by people in their twenties and early thirties.  Deborah on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051505 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 10:33:29 +0000 Deborah 1051505@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It's one style I simply don't understand enough to define:). I googled it and found this:) <a href="http://m.wikihow.com/Be-a-Hipster" rel="nofollow">http://m.wikihow.com/Be-a-Hipster</a> rute on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051500 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 10:27:06 +0000 rute 1051500@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Never heard, it seems to me something very 70's, not a current word to describe ones style. Hil on "What does the term Hipster Style mean to you?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-does-the-term-hipster-style-mean-to-you#post-1051498 Mon, 14 Oct 2013 10:20:09 +0000 Hil 1051498@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I have a feeling that this is another of those terms that has different meanings to everyone and I would love to hear your interpretations and see your pictures and examples.