What is a hipster?
Everyone seems to want to know who/what/where is a hipster. There’s a trend to declare that there is no real definition for what a hipster is, though the word is used loosely by just about every publication imaginable.
What is a hipster? You’d be surprised. It could very well be YOU.
A hipster is an individual—one that usually fits within a certain subculture. Which subculture? It doesn’t matter. Because the definition for hipster is so very vague.
In its most simplest terms, a hipster is an individual who wants to know things. Whether it’s knowing of a band before anyone else, or knowing about the conflict in Syria, the history of taxidermy or obscure words in 20th century Americana. A hipster is someone that’s eager to learn, to see—and yes—even to do. Being a hipster means you’re part of a subculture. As a demographic, hipsters try to set themselves apart from culture as a whole, while simultaneously remaining within the culture. This is nothing extraordinary for a subculture, and yet there’s a certain stigma applied to the “hipster” label.
The term, Hipster, has become used rather frequently to identify anyone that doesn’t appear mainstream. So hipsters stand out from the crowd. (Even if they fit into their stereotypical niche of standing out from the crowd.) Personally, “hipster” is just about the only label I’ve ever felt comfortable with. It’s a subculture so vague it can cover all manners of sins, styles, and vices.
What does a hipster look like?
Hipsters wear skinny jeans and cargo pants, t-shirts and tank tops, trucker hats and no-hats. They drink wine, beer, gin & tonics, old fashioneds and Arnold Palmers. Many hipsters refuse to be recognized by that label or any label. And yet they’ll wear branded clothes. And yet many won’t. Are you starting to realize a trend here? Hipsters do one thing, and other hipsters do another.
Stereotypically (and really, what is any personified definition but a stereotype?), hipsters might look pretty basic.
Want to dress like a hipster? You probably already do. Anyone can be a hipster. Hipsters wear just about any brand you can imagine. Though really you’d generally associate Salvation Army, OxFam, Humana and other thrift & vintage shops as the shopping destination of choice for hipsters. Hipster fashion could include any type of label/brand from Urban Outfitters to something truly trendy and original—an indie designer perhaps. #supportlocalbusiness
Interested in traveling like a hipster? Check out my hipster city guides for destinations all over the world!
How to look like a hipster!
How to travel like a hipster!
We travel to see, to learn, to do, and to think.
We travel to experience new things, find familiarity abroad and connect all the strange dots that make this world so unique yet so familiar. We travel to push our boundaries so we can learn what we want out of life, where we want to be and what we want to do. We travel to learn.
We travel both far and near.
We travel to desolate islands and big cities, to far-flung places and to our grandparents’ houses. We travel to tourist hotspots and to undiscovered travel destinations. Home is where we make it.
We travel with an open-mind.
We travel with enthusiasm and eagerness to discover the world we live in, this world of ours and of our neighbors. We travel with few preconceptions, with a desire to get lost and to maybe find ourselves during the process.
We travel to meet new people—other travelers and locals alike—those that can introduce us to new ideas, new things, new adventures. We travel with respect, compassion and understanding for others.