The Contemporary Hipster - A Study

Hipster -



"a subculture of men and women typically in their 20s and 30s who value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter."- Urban Dictionary



The Hipsterfication of America



"In the past couple of years, Hipsterdom has entered — and in some cases, dominated — dominant culture. Hipsters, after all, know how to adapt: how to make the cheap chic, the disheveled dishy, the peripheral preferable. A shaky, shabby economy is the perfect breeding ground for hipsters."


Geographically speaking, hipsters are best known for their involvement with gentrification. Neighborhoods like Williamsburg in Brooklyn and the Mission District in San Francisco have gotten a complete makeover through this process, to the point where it's actually cheaper to live in some places in lower Manhattan than in Williamsburg. Gentrification occurs when young, hip, not-so-rich people want to live in a nice neighborhood, but can't afford it, so they settle on the significantly cheaper neighborhood adjacent. Birds of a feather flock together, and soon there's a significant amount of young, hip, not-so-rich people in this neighborhood, and local businesses start providing for the needs of this growing community.


As the population of such people grows, the neighborhood becomes more and more defined by that population as opposed to who resided there before. In the instance of Williamsburg, young, poor artists (who are generally regarded as uber hip) flocked to the neighborhood because of the cheap rent. Because of the current financial slump in our economy, the slow process of gentrification (or as city planners like to call it, revitalization) is actually more prevalent than in past decades because there's an increase in young, not-so-rich people in general. More young people in general means more young hip people, hence the flux of hipsters.


From observation of gentrified areas of Columbus, my hometown, hipsters seem to value local businesses, especially ones concerning beverages and food, resulting in a flux of various coffee shops, microbreweries, gastropubs, diners, and food trucks. While some of these items and services can be a little more expensive than going "mainstream" with big brands, all of them are extremely casual. There are rarely fancy black tie restaurants or other similar businesses in such areas. Even the more wealthy hipsters choose not to purchase what in the older generation would be considered a status purchase, such as a Lexus.

What Your Beard Says About You


Facial hair has become the official flag for contemporary hipster men. This article is a story about a 41-year-old man who happens to grow a beard, and the change in the way he is treated (by "normal" people and hipsters alike) is incredibly interesting.


"People around me also scratched their heads. Older friends looked at me as if I were trying too hard — the same as if I showed up at a high school reunion in leather pants. Friends my age said diplomatically, 'I don't think I could pull off a beard.' Translation: 'Neither can you.' "


"At downtown parties, I invariably found myself huddled in the corner with bearded guys in their 20s, talking about the new Fleet Foxes album or the best way to get past the velvet rope at the Box. I was a member of a tribe."

Welcome To Beardlandia

"In years to come, when they make movies or write books about this time, the beard will be used as a definitive visual shorthand for the early 21st century, as the moustache is for the Seventies and a pair of mutton chops for Regency England."The author makes a good observation that the amount of facial hair in today's culture is particularly contrasting to the late nineties and early 2000s with the growth of the dotcom bubble and the popular cleanshaven, prosperous-looking young men.

Fleet Foxes - White Winter HymnalThe Decemberists: NPR Tiny Desk ConcertThe Lumineers - Stubborn Love

While there are quite a few variations in the Indie/Hipster genre, I think the one of note is Indie Folk. There are so many playlists out there called something along the lines of "Hollering and Foot Stomping" which is actually a pretty good description. Along with that are lots of fiddles and cellos, tambourines, and other funky instruments such as autoharps (as far as I can tell, the more obscure the instrument, the hipper musician you are.) I think the beards and folk-style music go hand in hand, reminiscent of a simpler time.

Graphic design has definitely ingested the romance of nostalgia. Script lettering reminiscent of hand-painted signs is in great abundance, as are geometric typefaces, especially Futura. 

Calligraphy is gaining a following, although the flavor of present calligraphy varies quite a bit from past years. Letterpress, although not used today quite like it was before offset printing (if you were to create an indent in the paper, you'd be fired before you could say "oops") is also experiencing a resurgence.

Packaging design from the mid-20th century, with its simple, flat, and colorful aesthetic, is starting to become popular again. Mid-century modern furniture is starting to seep into today's interior design aesthetic as well, especially the credenzas.

In a world where everyone is obsessed with technology, it's interesting to see such a contrast with the growing aesthetic. The nostalgia for an earlier time runs so deep that it's a common occurrence to hear or read someone say that they would love to go back in time and live in the 60s, although it would be interesting to see if they would find the experience worth it without the presence of their smart phone. People talk about "unplugging" from their technology but I wonder how many actually do so.