In a nutshell, a hipster is a person that lives a lifestyle that seems to mimic that of the counter-culture of the 1960s. The reason hipsters have this type of following is because of the way they dress, the fact they smoke marijuana, and a few other things.

Hipsters are more than just their fashion sense, though. Many of them have a deeper meaning, especially those that are well-known.

This type of person was first coined in 1964 by author Todd Gitlin when he called them “dirtbags.”

However, as time passed, they became known as hipsters, as were most of the rest of the counter-culture. However, the first hipsters did not wear a lot of makeup and experimented with different ways of styling their hair.

There are many different kinds of hipsters out there, as well as different words you might hear to describe the people in your circles.

Hipster generation

This is the term that describes an older generation that still celebrates the 1990s differently. These people tend to use items they had growing up and continue to go out with friends.

The term used for this crowd is their “punk” and “crack,” at least if they are from the “rock and roll” generation. This is because they have many different interests than older generations. Their tastes and experiences are different, too, and they often go out in public with friends and listen to music or go out dancing to feel young.

Some of the most famous hipsters are Bill Gates, Dave Grohl, Snoop Dogg, John F. Kennedy Jr., and Justin Bieber.

Diving deep into hipster history

The term “hipster” was first used in the English language in 1965 when Gilda Maria “Jackie” Landecker used it to describe the artistic and sub-cultural section of the youth culture in the 1960s and 1970s. Jackie’s definition of the hipster was an emerging and controversial artists’ counter-culture with an attitude of independence.

She described the hipster as a “self-consciously spoiled, pretentious, an original, young male of the post-war generation, who secretly yearns for power but would rather look foolish than be trampled by the mighty.”

From there, the term evolved into a hyper-critical and creative sub-culture centered around the generation of the 1960s and 1970s with a strong self-confidence that embodies and promotes art and style. Basically, the hipster is usually a man in his early 20s who often refers to himself as a “bourgeois man.”

His style of dressing and demeanor is typically dark and preppy in nature. He loves his own particular style of music and almost always wears fashionable jeans, sneakers, t-shirts, sweaters, and hats.

He usually consumes sophisticated beer and wine, likes to listen to classic rock bands, watch classic films, and listen to instrumental music.

The name “hipster” comes from the 1962 novel The Hipster by Howard Zinn. At that time, it was not yet known as the term that it is today. It has been used to describe the Bostonians in Zinn’s novel, who were described as a loosely knit, carefree, unpretentious group of people who would spend their time outside of the city.

In essence, they were basically urban-style trendsetters in the artistic and counter-cultural scene. The core values of this group were freedom and a high level of self-confidence.

Zinn was able to identify these values by looking into popular culture through interviews and pictures of these artists and hipsters. He was able to see their individual style and way of dressing and characterize them as creative people who came together and embodied a group of eclectic artists.

This group was completely against the authority and conformity of the dominant power structures of the time.

Old Navy secretly hated by hipsters

Just because an item or a situation is popular doesn’t mean it is good. This is the term used to describe the popularity of Old Navy, a clothing brand.

Many people think it is “cool” to wear Old Navy clothes, but for some reason, people don’t want to talk about the company or even admit that they wear their clothes.

There are reasons for that. Many Old Navy clothing items are made in China. Many items have been made to look like other brands, but many of the Old Navy shirts and jackets are cheaper and still look fashionable.

The other reason that some people don’t like Old Navy is that the clothing is made from synthetic materials, which means that they last a lot longer than other items. This makes some people, especially parents of young children, feel guilty about the long-lasting shirts that they are buying and that Old Navy also ends up making a lot of money.

Snobbery is still around for hipsters

People can still be snobs. They can be petty and angry, too. This might be the biggest reason some people hate the term “snob” – it is used negatively.

Some people use the term to make fun of someone that they think is trying to show off.

The word snob implies that someone is trying to show off how great they are, while snobbery is something you know. Some people don’t like the word because they think it puts them down.

The majority of people still think that using the word snob puts them down. Some people think that “snob” is a sexist term, while others still think it is derogatory and negative.

Hipster issues

First, “hipster” characterizes young men in this way because it is a heavily feminine and even humorous description that emphasizes and exaggerates the “nerd-esque” characteristics. This makes young men the equivalent of a “bewildered 12-year-old girl who just sees everything upside down.”

Most hipsters have a bizarre fascination with classic rock and a collection of colognes and creams that would make Huggies blush. The fact that this group is so sexist and sexually repressed is a sad commentary on society today.

Second, this term also misrepresents the diversity of sub-cultures and counter-cultures in modern times. In his book, We Live in Public: On Growing Up Online, Joel Rose discusses how this idea of a hipster categorizes people by age, race, education, occupation, income, and politics.

While this group of people had some commonalities, they were very diverse and sometimes contradictory in their politics, values, and social perspectives.

So, this not only disregards some of the demographics of this group it also devalues the fact that young men of all races and social-economic backgrounds can be totally devoted to their own art. The idea that hipster is predominantly a white male term limit and does not tell the entire story.

I am tired of seeing these sweeping generalizations that “all men are androgynous and gay.” What about the young woman who loves men and the young man who likes to shop for shoes and makeup?

What about the young person who grew up in a conservative family and desperately wants to experience a broad range of culture, food, music, and hobbies? These all-inclusive terms can actually help people of all different backgrounds to identify with one another and relate to their experiences in life.

We are not all “hipsters.”