The modern hipster is lost. Once fitting snugly outside the realm of the mainstream, hipster culture has slowly been transmuted into the exact entity it strives to differentiate itself from. While the knee-jerk reaction might be to disagree with this idea (after all, it is hard to see many similarities between the average, polo-and-blue-jeans-wearing twenty something year old and the guy smoking an organic cigarette while wearing a wool cap in July), there is some rather compelling evidence to prove the point. However, for the sake of argument we must first address what exactly it takes to be labeled a “hipster.”

The most difficult aspect of dealing with hipsters is defining the term itself. Any hipster worth his salt would deny accusations of being such, as would most other people. Therefore, a comprehensive list of hipster characteristics needs to be established. Archetypal hipsters can be identified by their fashion sense, hobbies and interests, and attitude. Clothing style is the first thing that most notice upon encountering a hipster in the wild. Distressed skinny jeans, thick-rimmed glasses, and shirts that are either vintage, bearing ironic slogans, or purchased from stores such as American Apparel are all staples of the average hipster’s wardrobe. Other telltale signs of hipsterdom may include shaggy, androgynous haircuts, ironically bad facial hair, fedoras or trucker hats, and the occasional chest tattoo. Interest-wise, hipsters will typically favor PBR beer, American Spirit cigarettes, indie rock with folk influences, and obscure films and literature. Macbook Pros and the latest iPhones are often seen peeking out of two dollar satchels purchased second-hand. However, these factors alone do not represent a hipster. The final and most pressing factor of hipsterism is attitude.

Pretension is the personality trait most commonly associated with the hipster and is reflected in many of their fashion choices and interests. For example, hipster fashion sense is often accompanied by the belief that it is a step ahead of mainstream fashion (or, in the case of vintage clothes, a stand against consumerism). PBR (or other similar trappings of the “trashy” that are ubiquitous in hipster culture) is seen as an ironic criticism of class divisions. Obscure films, music, and literature are simply signs of the intellectual capacity to appreciate art that is eschewed by the mainstream. Many modern hipsters simply seem to pick up on and emulate a general attitude of superiority that leads to such widespread derision of hipster culture. This watering-down of hipster convictions is what has led to the hipster having such a susceptibility to marketing by the very mainstream they strive to avoid.

Hipster culture has been branded. Notice the number of brand names mentioned in the above paragraph. PBR, American Spirit, Apple, American Apparel - all of these companies often tend to be mentioned whenever hipsters are discussed, and with good reason. Brand loyalty such as this can be explained by the aforementioned cultural “watering-down.” Take Apple for example. Recently, Apple has become one of the most successful modern tech giants. However, its hipster fan base only seems to grow. In the late 90’s/early 2000’s, Apple was still a bit of an underdog. The iPod was brand new and the iPhone was yet to revolutionize what people used to expect from a cell phone. Apple computers were usually the “go-to” for the artistic types who wanted to “think different” and avoid the starchy-clothed businessman image that went with Microsoft. Given hipster avoidance of anything mainstream, it is easy to see why Apple became a favorite in their circles. However, the modern hipster lacks these convictions, and has since only continued relations with Apple out of conformity. American Spirit tobacco is billed as all natural and organic, which would have attracted early hipsters with a desire to step outside of mainstream American consumption of additive-rich products. American Apparel is based on conscientious consumption, creating products free of sweatshop labor and featuring a catalogue of pictures that seem to have been taken with a 1970’s crime scene camera. This appeals to the hipster’s love of both all things vintage and condemning mainstream consumerism. PBR used to have a reputation as a cheap beer for those with the reddest of necks, but is now sipped by 20-somethings with $2000 laptops and designer glasses in a grand statement of irony. Brand recognition has become, in a backwards way, an integral part of hipster culture.

In keeping with the hipster theme, I’d like to end with what I consider to be the ultimate irony of the branding of hipster culture - despite whatever ironic statements might be made with the purchase of some hipster favorites, consumption is still consumption, and a hipster’s dollar is just as good to the executives at huge companies as anyone else’s.