4 Things Hipsters Do That We All Should Be Doing

You’ve probably seen them around Whole Foods, perusing aisles of organic, locally grown produce. Or maybe strolling your downtown streets wearing tight pants, mustaches, and thick rimmed glasses. Hipsters. Who are they? What are they all about? And more importantly, what could we possibly learn from them?

{hipster}:

Someone who follows the very latest trends and fashions, especially those outside the cultural mainstream. (But ironically, once they become trends, hipsters move on.) They are often found in your own hip downtown. Hipsters sport thrift store fashions and would rather peruse their grandparent’s closets for clothing inspiration than department store racks. Androgynous hairstyles and witty banter about bands you’ve never heard of are a sure tip-off you’ve got a hipster on your hands.

{why they’re cool}:

They’ve got a totally cool vibe. Like a Picasso painting we can’t quite figure out but can’t stop staring at either. Their fashion is cutting edge. Their conversations are a foreign language. And, dang, do they make slouch beanies look cool!

{4 things hipsters do that we should all be doing}:

1. They swim upstream.

Conformity. No way. Hipsters eschew anything mainstream and take the harder, yet possibly more rewarding route of defining their own fashion, music, and art. Although their holier-than-thou attitude is extremely annoying, there is something significant to be said about being your own, unique individual and not letting society shape you.

2. They think outside the box.

Hipsters are always open to creative ideas. They revel in progressive art, music, and politics. In the workplace, hipsters bring creative, analytical thinking to the table where most of us play it safe. Looking for a new mouthwash campaign? How about a monkey on top of a compost pile gurgling eco-friendly swish? It’s all good man.

3. They don’t follow trends…they make them.

You have got to have confidence to follow your own fashion feather on the wind, and that’s a tip we could all take from any hipster. Hipsters don’t follow trends…they make them. You know the faded, distressed jeans look? Hipsters originated that trend years ago shopping at thrift stores. Once a trend becomes mainstream, hipsters move on. In this way, they sweat confidence. It requires guts to go against the grain, and we could all use that kind of confidence.

4. They seek out the new.

Do you find yourself frequenting the same restaurants? Chilling to Weezer in the early years? Do you sometimes think you’ve become a bit boring? Boring is not in the hipster’s vocabulary. They are always on the lookout for cool new finds. Some hole-in-the-wall joint to discover, make cool, and then move on. A fledgling band to jam to until they hit it big. Although I can’t commit to the whole hipster lifestyle, I know my life for one could benefit from trying new things more often.

So whether you 1) disdain them, 2) are indifferent about them, or 3) have never heard of them…hipsters have brought at least four beneficial offerings to society. Now, anyone wanna go hit up some obscure food trucks?