Ridiculous fashion trends

[akatsuki]



I find it's a fear of commitment based on the logic that what's "cool" or "erudite" is inherently fleeting. If you take yourself too seriously or invest too much in one facet of something you risk being left behind or worse losing your identity, which is vehemently defended as unique despite the fact that it is quantifiable to the level of elitism (creating a further layer of irony). And really their entire subculture is based on contradiction and irony inasmuch that they come together in an effort to fight conformity.
Early movements towards individualism were born of expression, creativity or experimentation. It didn't matter what everyone else did; you were doing what you thought was cool. Today, what's "cool" is dictated not by the individual, but is rather thought of as the opposite of what the masses are doing. Again, irony prevails.
I've also heard an argument that it's a defense mechanism against an ever-informed generation where people have a much easier time accessing knowledge once limited to a much smaller group. The frustration of blurred cultural and intellectual classes, created by information proliferation, led to the creation of a condescending attitude. Which fostered an over-arching sense of irony.

That is a lot of nostalgia for something that isn't true for the most part. Pretty much every subculture has its norms and always has, whether punks or hippies, etc...

Frankly the thing I find most amusing is the massive derision for hipsters in a thread that basically is celebrating conformity.

 

[Patek]



Err, hipsters don't listen to emo - you are getting your subcultures confused.

Hipsters listen to bands featuring a wistful girl singer backed by a a DJ with a beard and a man banging a carved rock he bought from a monk in Thailand. Or a bloke wailing in a high voice about all the girls who left him, followed by an entirely unexpected analogue synth solo that sounds like a crow defecating into a bag of marbles. Or a techno-bluegrass-rap outfit with a name that is an unpronouncable symbol who say they are from from Bolivia but who live in Red Hook. 

^

What he said--and I live in hipsterville.

I think hipsters are just hippies without a cause. There is nothing emo about them.

 

[bourbonbasted]



That is a lot of nostalgia for something that isn't true for the most part. Pretty much every subculture has its norms and always has, whether punks or hippies, etc...

It did come off as a sweeping generalization. I was more echoing/piggy-backing off of PSG's statements about doing things they "thought were cool." My B.

Frankly the thing I find most amusing is the massive derision for hipsters in a thread that basically is celebrating conformity.

Up until your quoted post I was not so subtly poking fun at that very notion. And the fact that SF is a lot like the "hipster" movement. We readily pull knowledge that no one has even thought to consider. We fancy ourselves experts and tastemakers but feel our insights can only be truly appreciated by a select few. We passive-aggressively mock our own insistence on perfection or a "universally" agreed-upon standard. And we continually fight self-hate to the point that we cover our faces in pictures we post, even though they serve the explicit purpose of impressing strangers and creating authority.

 

[JapanAlex01]



I once dated a girl who, mid-relationship, decided that she wanted to go from sorority girl to hipster. Out of nowhere, without warning, she started listening to Animal Collective (and the like), eating only organic farmer's market food, dressing like a homeless person, and misquoting French poetry. Worst part is, that the sex didn't get any better, and certainly wasn't as good as I imagined it would/should be with a chick like that. Long story short, she's now engaged to the most "granola" options trader in history.

This wins thread award.

 

[LaymanX]

What I think is dead...
- Camo
- Super slim fit anything
- High water trousers
- Bright chinos with darker contrasting tops
- Skinny lapels
- Wearing dress shoes without socks (gag)

What I want to be dead...
- Fair isle anything
- Low rise pants
- Dress boots
- Quilted jackets
- Knit ties

 

[JapanAlex01]

You know what we all certainly need (whether we all know it or not) are some ******* HIGH-RISE JEANS!

 

[Christopher Essex]

I think the difference between hipsters and SF-ers is that hipsters celebrate non-conformity, but are the epitome of conformity because of it (but would deny that fact).

SF-ers are happily conforming to a set of rules (generally...I speak not of those that deliberately throw out rules that don't suit them - I suspect they are closet hipsters), but like to throw a bit of individuality into those rules (perhaps a small bit of sprezzatura or some other thing to set them ever-so-slightly apart from the baseline rule book.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

it was a joke man,

You may not have noticed, but so was my reply...

 

[Publius]

Breeches that go below the knee bother me. It's just unnatural, men should be wearing striped trunk hose. Seriously, though, there is a difference between having an opinion and acting as if certain clothing styles are innately superior and not a social construct.

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]



What I want to be dead...
- Fair isle anything
- Knit ties

 

[Fred49]

Great read thanks guys!

 

[MikeDT]



Q. How many hipsters does it take to change a lightbulb?
A. It's an obscure number you won't have heard of!

A. They buy trendy LED light bulbs, that don't need to be changed.

 

[Claghorn]

(generally...I speak not of those that deliberately throw out rules that don't suit them - I suspect they are closet hipsters)

Not sure I agree, but could you clarify on this? It seems you are suggesting that hipsterity is about the extent one deviates from the norm (provided an adequate and conscious understanding of that norm) rather than the motivation behind that deviation.

 

[Christopher Essex]



Not sure I agree, but could you clarify on this? It seems you are suggesting that hipsterity is about the extent one deviates from the norm (provided an adequate and conscious understanding of that norm) rather than the motivation behind that deviation.

I was trying to make the point that hipsters try to be unique in that they are interested in obscure and esoteric things/ideas/music and have no interest in the mainstream.

However, in doing so, they share those interests with other hipsters. This makes them a group of people conforming to non-conformity.

Anyway, I was trying to be humorous, rather than getting into a deep philosophical discussion of hipsters.

I recall seeing a sketch (that I think was posted on here) that said hipsters liked only obscure bands, and if they were finally successful, hipsters accused them of selling out.

Reminds me of some people with tattoos and/or piercings who go on and on about how unique and individual they are, and then hang out with a bunch of other people with tattoos and piercings.

 

[JapanAlex01]



Not sure I agree, but could you clarify on this? It seems you are suggesting, that hipsterity is about the extent one deviates from the norm (provided an adequate and conscious understanding of that norm)--rather than the motivation behind that deviation.

God, hipster-ism is so easy (it's in the name, duh!): It's about being cool; there are tendencies (clichés) amongst hipsters--like eye-rolling 24/7, track bikes (while not being a serious biker or on a track), ironic moustaches, greasy hair (that's bohemian, dude), tight jeans (which has bled into pop culture *shudders*), etc, etc.

Ironic, in the sense of hipster-ism, is about doing/wearing something, etc, that is meant to be a joke, but secretly the hipster is trying to be cool from his lack of non-conformity/uniqueness. EG: ironic moustaches.

Done. *Brushes off hands and walks away*