What makes a style “indie”? Who is a hipster? Who is to say that a young man with shaggy hair, skintight jeans, and a worn flannel shirt is attempting to emulate the rest of his friends who also choose to listen to Arcade Fire, Metric, and Wolf Parade? Indie might sound like a simple shortening of independent, but in reality, it is a trend with some definite lines of stylistic demarcation.
How to Spot a Hipster, What Clothing Items are Common to Indie and Hipster Style?
Any self-respecting indie kid has to have an appropriate wardrobe to hit the scene in – whether it's a quick walk to Starbucks with the netbook to present the image of being a contemplative writer or artists or to the local record store to buy the latest Stars album on vinyl.
- Skinny jeans, tights, or vintage corduroy: Either of these choices is acceptable. Slimmer indie trend followers will likely prefer to adopt the skinny jean look, or perhaps a pair of coloured tights – more common amongst women than men for obvious reasons. Vintage corduroy pairs very well with a more distinguished indie look that often includes blazers or tweed patterned professor's jackets for a more intellectual look – also adopted commonly amongst older college hipsters.
- An ascot or ironic necktie : Believe it or not, the ascot has made a return to men's fashion, particularly amongst ironic twenty-somethings increasingly ditching the bandana for the ascot in many cases. Neckties are also very popular, often worn with a band t-shirt or even a polo shirt in order to facilitate aesthetic disjunction.
- Converse All-Stars or Hi-Top Sneakers: The perfect match for the skinny jean or legging combination, the time-honoured Doc Martin has been appropriated by the hipster or indie fashion community into their own style sensibility. Sleek, narrow, and evoking a hint of tough-guy tones from it's association with the sports and skateboarding community – Converse all-stars or any type of stylized hi-top sneaker in a variety of patterns and colors are common.
Shopping Online for Popular Indie Fashion Labels
The ease of online shopping for indie fashions – often from handcrafted communities such as etsy or retro thrift outlets – has also lent a great deal of steam to the subculture. Sarcastic and geeky t-shirts for guys and girls alike are selling in droves over at indie sites such as Threadless, T-Shirt Hell, and Busted Tees.
Common Threadz is a non-profit organization which offers humanitarian aid to Africa from the profits of all products that they sell. T-shirts, tunics, v-necks, hoodies, and long-sleeved shirts for both men and women. While many of the designs are produced by professional artists, there is a large contingent of styles that have been designed by individual orphans. The sale of these shirts profits the orphan directly.
No matter which outlet you choose for all of your hipster spotting or indie shopping needs, it is impossible to deny that it is a growing fashion subculture with a great deal of crossover into other social arenas. The hipster style, like it or love it, is here to stay for well into the immediate future.
Nicholas Morine - Nicholas Morine Bachelor of Arts, English Language & Literature Master of Philosophy, Humanities (Candidate) Memorial University ...
