Instant Hipster: Just add PBR
| November 8, 2011 | Posted by Sophy Bot under Hipsterdom, Identity |
Do mustaches a hipster make? Skinny jeans? Leggings? I set out on a hunt through Flickr to see just how much fashion effort it takes to be labeled a hipster. The answer: not very much at all.
A mustache only a scarecrow could love
The hipster scarecrow comes to us from the Portland Nursery, carrying a few of the best-known identity markers of the hipster: thick-rimmed glasses, a mustache and a flannel shirt. Apparently, combining these three items is all it takes to make a straw man worthy of mockery.
2 wheels good - 4 wheels bad
This photo is labeled “Hipster Fixie Bicyclists.” The assumption here is that riding a certain type of bike automatically makes you a hipster. Note that we cannot even see these people’s faces, but already they have been labeled and judged.
PBR, rollies and plaid - the hipster trifecta?
Here we have a young couple that the photographer has labeled as hipsters. Take a look at their appearance – other than the PBR and the rollie cigarette, what is it that earns them the hipster designation? While the gentleman’s jacket may be plaid, it’s not really the type of flannel normally associated with the hipster aesthetic. Would this image still earn the hipster label if they had nothing in their hands?
I see you baby. Drinking that Pabst.
On Flickr, this photo is titled “Caught Pabst-Handed” and labeled as definitive proof that its subject is a hipster. PBR notwithstanding, there’s not much about this guy that cries hipster. Yes, he has facial hair and is wearing what looks like a handmade scarf, but other than that he’s dressed quite normally. Would he still be called a hipster if his hands were empty?
Smoking is hip. Smoking in front of graffiti is hipster.
What exactly is it that makes these two hipsters? The photo shows them smoking and hanging out in the kind of place that has a lot of (artistic) graffiti. We can also see at least one visible tattoo on each of them, but other than that their clothes aren’t particularly wild or flamboyant. Are they labeled as hipsters simply because they’re smoking in “cool” surroundings?
Hipster-in-training
Here we have a photo of a child trying on her daddy’s glasses. Obviously the “hipster” tag placed on this photo had to do with the frames and not with the child, but the implication is that anybody who wears these glasses is automatically considered a hipster. Did you think hipster or child when you first looked at this picture?
Where's Tom Selleck when you need him?
Finally, we have the “Mini-Hipsters.” The label is clearly used as a joke in this instance, but the implication – echoed by the photo caption, “The mustache is the new trucker hat” – is that there are certain identity markers that instantly make you a hipster.
We’ve reached the tipping point in the popularity of the “hipster” label. On the one hand, all it takes to be called a hipster is sporting just one or two of the associated identity markers. On the other hand, we’ve completely stigmatized the term by associating it with a variety of negative personality traits. It’s a dangerous brew we’ve stirred up, and one we should all take more notice of as fashion trends trickle through society and the label continues its meteoric rise into the mainstream. Let’s take a moment to remember the golden rule: treat others as you would like to be treated. If you don’t want to be labeled a hipster just because you wear a certain item of clothing or drink a certain type of beer, then don’t label others for doing the same. After all, it’s just fashion.
Photo credits: frykitty, stevendepolo, Samantha Jade Royds, Lewis Kelly, Anna Majkowska, edenpictures, Clinton Steeds.
" and has spoken about the hipster effect at 
Its a shame that the term Hipster has become used to describe such a broad demographic. I think it just became a Lazy way of going about trying to put a face to a sudden unprecedented growth of people whom started dressing in a retro fashion, rather than any type of substance attained through life experience. When I reflect on the term “hipster” I am reminded of the various elitist individuals whom ran in impenetrable cliques, and seemed to have been enlightened by their esoteric knowledge of what was cool, and obscure. When the “Norms” caught wind of what they were missing out if, they had already fallen so far behind in attaining such a title, that they no longer thought it worth the time to go rummaging through thrift store record bins, and read science fiction novels. They felt the sure way to break through into the sought-after realm of “hipsterdom” was to don the appropriate garb, and begin with the in-depth research needed to understand the poses and gesticulations, even mimicking such vocal idiosyncratic modulus ways of the true hipsters out there.
Much to the surprise of the true hipsters, the had suddenly lost their sway in the ramparts of the pseudo-hipster flood that washed away any true value that was once held as a high art form among what we once called the Individual.
the law of diminishing returns set in. suddenly the Term hipster began to broaden its definition, which was already vague to begin with, with a bunch of restless kids whom wanted to have more than what they were willing to attain through exhaustive hours listening to horrible music, reading horrible books, so that they could discern between what was great, and what was not. it was this pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment that were the devices that the true hipster had built their reputation upon. One does not become a hipster because they own a few David Bowie albums, or because they have a few Frank Herbert books lying around their bedroom floor. Though, to know a true hipster, you have to be willing to rummage through the entanglement of information that they are willing to divulge, which can be a tiring pursuit in itself. Hence, the conundrum we now find ourselves in. I feel it more important to find the true hipsters in the vast seas of faux-coolness, rather than try and define what classifies a hipster. where are you, my true hipster of lore. Reclaim your fame!
Interesting take, Pablo. I think the classically cool hipster had to do with rarity and obscurity. For instance, finding the newest record by a given band took dedication in both finding out about it and tracking it down. Being casually cool was impossible, as the cultural markers of hip were hard to come by and took dedication to do so. Your average Joe didn’t find out about cool things because he wasn’t part of “cool” conversations (i.e. your average Joe didn’t run with the in crowd). Nowadays, rarity is becoming an obsolete concept. Anybody can find anything online, and hear about it just as easily. The pursuit factor is gone, thereby changing the very meaning of what it means to be cool/hip. Here’s an interesting article that discusses similar concepts: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/music_box/2011/04/lester_bangs_basement.html
Not that it matters hugely, but the “Caught Pabst-Handed” photo was a joke. The individual in the frame was my roommate at the time. He’d often poke fun at my hipster-ish tendencies, so when I saw him drinking PBR at a show one night, I took a picture and sent it to our mutual friends.
Also, I’m curious: how’d you find the picture?
@Lewis Kelly
Ah, that explains it. Thanks for clarifying. I found all of these photos by doing a search of CC-licensed Flickr images for the tag “hipster.” I was essentially looking for any photos labeling people as hipsters based on appearance alone, particularly those that contained any of the identity markers associated with hipsters – in this case, PBR.