Modern Looks: 5 Ways to Adapt the Hipster Style
If you embrace vintage vogue, thrift store chic and a mode of dress that says more about your attitude than it does your bank balance, you may be ready to leave the suburbs behind and adopt a few urban-dweller, hipster-inspired accents of your very own. Mainstream fashion designers are taking hipster style more seriously these days, too. That isn't necessarily a contradiction in terms, either. Hipster style isn't a blanket rejection of all trending fashion influences, but it does reflect an unmistakable disregard for the gratuitous and a distain for the superficial -- usually.
Let's explore five ways to be hip in the 'burbs. This is a fun look that's surprisingly liberating.
5: Embrace Skinny Jeans
This is basic hipster gear and probably always will be. It's also convenient for riding or walking around town and enjoying deep discussions about life's big questions. Hipster jeans should be a bit battered and faded. The idea here is to get the point across that you'll opt for comfort and convenience over fashion any day. Oh, and make sure the jeans you choose have a nice taper to the ankle. Pair them with a nubby cardigan or knitted scarf for winter, and choose lightweight vintage shirts for summer in gingham, plaid or paisley. Urban Outfitters and American Apparel both have collections that embrace hipster chic. In theory, hipsters avoid labels, but the look has become so popular that mass market designers have begun using hipster elements in their ready-to-wear collections.
4: Layer Your Look
Learning to layer garments effectively is a key ingredient in constructing a hipster silhouette. For a hipster look, envision garments with hems of varying lengths bisecting the body. Think jackets, tight hoodies, blazers, vests, cardigans, flannel and oversized shirts. Add texture with leather, denim and bulky knits. Now balance all that fabric with a pair of tight jeans or leggings and a body-hugging tee. It sounds as though the style would appear hopelessly messy, but if you pull it off, it manages to look casual, carefree and comfortable.
3: Play Down Your Feminine Side
The hipster look was originally pretty androgynous, but that's becoming less of a component of the trend. Girly touches are still somewhat subtle unless they're added as an unexpected or ironic counterpoint. Some retro blouses and skirts using large scale prints and other vintage patterns are considered hipster but still give off a feminine vibe. They will usually be paired with leather or denim to counterbalance the frilly effect, though. To keep things from becoming too stark and somber, delicate flowered headbands, intricate jewelry and brightly colored nail polish are popular. Feminine lingerie is popular, too -- probably because it's so unexpected.
You may have 20/20 vision, but you still need a pair of glasses, and we don't necessarily mean shades, either. Glasses with non-prescription, clear lenses and thick black frames have the perfect intellectual look for the modern hipster. They're a popular fashion item these days, so your friendly neighborhood optometrist won't raise his eyebrows when you ask to try on some hipster fashion eyewear. Vintage eye glasses are popular, too, so check your attic for harlequin or round wire rimmed frames you can recycle. Oh, and once you have the perfect frames, try wearing your long hair in a topknot or French roll. It's a Marian the librarian look that's back in style -- with a hipster twist.
Hipster style employs distinctive accessories. Your look won't be complete without adding a few of them. Here are some suggestions:
- quirky hats (floppy hats or Fedoras work beautifully)
- brightly colored belts
- chunky or hippie jewelry
- boots
- Converse shoes or unusual sneakers
- ballet flats
- wrist cuffs
- messenger bags (or other leather or canvas options)
- leather jacket (creased, worn or torn is great)
- patterned leggings