There’s a bit of a tightrope being walked at the moment by men who want to remain well-groomed and fashionable but not be tarred with the hipster brush. Having acclimatised themselves to a seemingly endless number of trends, the scope of the hipster is unfathomably huge making it all the more difficult to avoid the pitfalls. Here are a few tips to help you remain just a regular guy.
Loop a Belt
For some reason the hipster community splits itself quite evenly into steam-punk Doctor Who tributes and teenage skateboarder throwbacks, neither of whom seem too enamoured by the idea of wearing a belt. For the former group, suspenders in lieu of belts seem to be the accessory of choice and the skater kids are dedicated to letting their shorts hang halfway down their butt crack. So keep it simple, loop a belt.
Enjoy things from 2001-2011
This 10 year period seems to be outside the blinkers of the common hipster. Their personal tastes and clothing decisions are made up of the incredibly recent (and often obscure) or anything that pre-dates (and includes) Will Smith’s album Willenium. Talk about Scrubs or wear an Interpol t shirt to remain relatively relevant and avoid that hipster stigma.
Sensible Facial Hair
This is probably the trickiest of the tightropes to tiptoe. Facial hair is enjoying a massive surge in popularity at the moment with a whole range of different audiences. Adam Choudhry from Kings Barbers Club explains: “We’re getting more and more men asking for facial hair care as well as a cut. We’re seeing an increase in moustaches being asked for, in particular.”
Our advice here is to follow the steps of David Beckham and just carefully maintain short designer stubble to avoid the hipster look.
Have a Pint
Craft beers and local ales are the popular drinks of choice at the moment. Bar franchises specialising in unusual ales such as Brew Dog are popping up all over the UK at the moment. A normal pint of lager with the football is the best way to differentiate yourself from the emerging mass and avoid boring conversations about hops and types of grain.
When in Doubt, Follow Jay Z’s Lead
Discard the self-deprecating, ironic nature of the hipster and follow the leader of the hipster antithesis – Jay Z. Throw away the roll-up ciggies and craft beer and light up a fat cigar to enjoy with an iced glass of patron. Arti Asal, of Tobacco Specialists, has noticed a rise in the number of younger cigar smokers thanks to hip hop luminaries: “Some people had warned that the current older generation would be the last of the cigar smokers, but we are seeing an increase in 20-somethings taking up the pursuit from a wide range of backgrounds.
Consider these steps as a temporary hipster bomb shelter you can protect yourself with until the whole thing blows over.
