Let’s All Give Thanks To Hipsters

By Brittany

Love ‘em or hate em, no one can deny that we are surrounded by the hipster generation these days. We are living and breathing in the second-hand smoke of Parliament Lights everywhere we go.  I have spent some time observing them in their natural habitat (dark basements and dive bars in Brooklyn and the entire campus of Virginia Commonwealth University) and have seen the light.

Hipsters really aren’t that bad. In fact, I kind of like them and the wonderful changes they’ve made to our world:

Jeans: Dear Hipsters, Thank you for putting the kibash on baggy jeans. If I had to see one more pair of Tweety Bird boxers muffin-topping out of a sagging mess of denim, I would have gouged my eyes out. And while I may be slightly envious of your lean legs, that’s my own burden to bear. Rock on, skinny-legged hipster. If you got it, flaunt it.

The Polaroid Camera: Yes the Polaroid camera is coming back! And I’d like to thank, in part, the hipster generation. There’s nothing hipsters love more than the instant gratification of seeing themselves in all their avant-garde glory on film. But hey, don’t we all? Otherwise, websites like this would never survive.

The Art of Facial Hair: You may not have thought facial hair to be an art form, but I can guarantee you it is. And it is one that hipsters have explored in depth. The time and precision it takes to perfect a pencil-thin stache is almost obscene.  Never have I seen so many chin-whisker-mustache combinations in my life. I applaud you, uniquely-groomed hipster. You are a special brand of street art as you walk past me.

American Apparel: I’ve often contemplated which came first, the Hipster or the gold-lame filled American Apparel store. But either way, Hipsters brought my favorite deep-v t-shirt to every corner of the U.S.of A. And I do love them for my weekly entertainment that is trying on unitards and trying to figure out where I could wear them.

Eyewear: As a contact-wearer for the past 9 years, I have serious issues when I have to wear my glasses out in public. I feel vulnerable to attack and ridicule. But we all have those days when our eyes simply reject any foreign objects in and around the vicinity of the eyeball. Hipsters have brought sexy back when it comes to eyewear. My retinas thank you.

PBR: I’m not going to lie to you. I enjoy a frosty PBR from time to time. They’re usually a special at bars, probably because they assume no one will order one. But if you’re offering me a $2.50 Pabst Blue Ribbon, I’m gonna take the bait. Hipsters have turned cheap into hip when it comes to binge drinking at a good price. There’s no shame in accepting a PBR, especially when a young hipster bought one (or 5) for you.

Scarves for Men: American Apparel has created the man of my dreams. And in all of my fantasies, Mr. Right is wearing a checkered scarf in a well-fitted tshirt. It takes a special kind of man to pull off a man-scarf. I’m thinking Ashton Kutcher, ladies.

Fanny Packs: I no longer have to be burdened with the task of carrying around a purse or clutch all night. I can strap on my handy fanny pack and hit the local hipster scene with my hands free for more important things, like my Polaroid camera.

[Photo courtesy of LATFH.com. One of the best sites I've ever seen.]