Hipster Style and Lifestyle
Hipster Fashion, Clothing and History.
A lifestyle made of independent music labels, vintage clothes and above all, well groomed beards and mustaches: Hipster fashion has changed the look of men, with cuffed jeans and shirts with carefully rolled sleeves and big-rimmed glasses.
For some it is simply a fashion, for others a philosophy of life made of many small values that become signs of immediate recognition: the hipster doesn’t like classic consumerism and is keen to create a personal dimension made of genuine food, craft beers and coffee, the rediscovered passion for music listened on vinyl, moving around the city strictly by bicycle, searching for old design objects, pocket watches and old cameras. But they are also great smatphone enthusiasts.
Among men, one of the elements of recognition of the hipster is the thick beard or mustache with a very particular shape, of course, retro.
baboshkaa supsenders
Hipster Fashion Clothing and History
1940s Hipster
Hipster Fashion Clothing and History
What does the term Hipster mean?
Although the word has come back strongly in popularity in recent years, the origin of the term dates back to the 1940s, when jazz and bebop went crazy in America.
The young people intolerant of social conformism and dedicated to a lifestyle based on the freedom of choices and the rediscovery of inner individuality were mainly white, middle-class boys who tried to lead the same lifestyle of African American jazz musicians.
The term hipster replaced “hepcat”, a word that indicated those who were passionate about hot jazz and bebop and who wanted to distinguish themselves from lovers of swing.
But it could also be traced back to the term “hipi”, which was the slang way in which African Americans said “open eyes”, or from hop, a term used to indicate opium.
As Norman Mailer wrote in his 1957 analysis (The White Negro: Superficial Reflections on the Hipster): “A hipster is a White Negro, a white man who is passionate about an African-American culture and imitates its main features”.
The jazz-loving hipster disappears, however, when new musical genres occupy the scene completely. With rock and its subsequent developments, punk and post-punk, the hipster seems to have literally disappeared. Until, in the era of dismantling all the myths of the twentieth century, that is between 2000 and 2010, a particular male figure reappears, who prefers comfort, the charm of vintage clubs, the values of his grandfather to the cultural provocation against the establishment.
In any case, today the word hipster has taken on a very different meaning from that of the past and indicates a young man who tends to be disinterested in politics and with strongly unconventional ambitions, who is recognized for extravagant attitudes and eccentric clothing.
The young hipster is a lover of art, creativity and intelligence. Having abandoned the exclusive passion for jazz music (as it happened in the 1940s), now the hipster is a fan of indie rock and vinyl that he recovers at the flea markets.
Hipster Fashion and Clothing
A hipster does not follow the stylists who dictate the rules of mass style, but takes refuge in a very personal vintage style, made of skinny trausers, old sneakers, tight shirts, very basic t-shirts, accessories directly from the 70s and 80s.
The unmissable detail? The large, dark-rimmed glasses that cover the face that gives the idea of a true nerd. Cool in every details but in an informal way.
By now there is almost no need for practical guides to the hipster look. The shirt should go with the cuffed jeans, or better yet, with light brown or dove-gray chinos.
While the jean are tight, the hipster sweaters and cardigans are the opposite, oversized. Preferably vintage, to be recovered in the grandfather’s closet or in second-hand shops.
The shirt chosen is vintage, it tends to have a small and narrow collar, buttoned up to the last button. The fantasy is preferably checkered as a lumberjack.
The beanie is a must-have: the hand-made wool ones of any colour are the favourites. For scarves, preferably long and bright coloured wool.
Photo by Toa Heftiba
Hipster Fashion, Clothing and History
The extra touch is always given by the detail. For the hipster man the detail is an accessory rich in style as can be a tie, preferably narrow and not too long, but also the bow tie to combine with the shirt or the coloured suspenders.
To complete the look, a hipster chooses sneakers, possibly from some niche brands that can distinguish him from the mass. In case of unavailability of the particular pair of shoes, Vans slip on or Converse All Star are the preferred ones, of any colour, in any season of the year. Alternatively, the hipster man also wears playful moccasins and tight classic laced shoes.
The hat is necessary, especially the country folk cloth ones, with a wide brim, or the 30s flat caps.
Hipster Women Outfit
Hipster Fashion, Clothing and History
What about women?
Hipster girls also love vintage dresses with floral motifs or other bright designs, with black or coloured socks or shorter shirts to wear with knee socks on the coldest days of winter. In summer the same clothes can be worn but with bare legs and sandals on the feet.
Vintage band shirts are also popular between hipster girls, especially those featuring bands from the sixties, seventies and eighties, such as Rolling Stones, Cream, Blondie and Cure or simply striped. The blouses are tight with extravagant details.
Ripped jeans during the warmer months are in great demand, with a shirt that leaves the belly button uncovered. The shorts typical of hipster fashion reach the central or upper part of the thigh. A typical daywear for a hipster girl is a pair of blue or black tight jeans or leggings worn under an oversized flannel sweater or shirt. Christmas sweaters are also popular and not just at Christmas!
The favourite coat of hipster girls is a light denim jacket, worn over a shirt or a vintage dress.
Among the footwear they choose vintage boots or oxford shoes, retro leather boots, high and low, black or brown. Some hipster girls prefer Converse or Vans shoes.
Accessories such as caps and hats are widely used, especially rather large beanie hats. Decorative scarves are accessories often used by hipster girls, made of light fabrics for the warmer months and handmade models for the colder ones.
Unmissable are the strange sunglasses and the thick-rimmed glasses.
