Hipsters i.e. the new punks

Hipsters started out, as having a “unique” sense of style that made them stand out, but lately seeing hipster-related fashion has become the norm in our everyday lives. We see the thick-framed ray ban eyeglasses, dip-dyed hair, studded clothes and galaxy printed clothes everywhere lately, thanks to the media.

Hipsters incorporated some elements of hippies and punks into their style, such as the long hair and studded shorts. This process of mixing styles and ideas together is known as bricolage. The subcultures bricoleur is typically the author of a surrealist collage and usually juxtaposes two incompatible realities, such as the mixing of spikes and jeans.

Hipsters were initially seen as a spectacular subculture since their style of life was seen as deviant and opposing to the dominant culture. Having different colors at the top and bottom of your hair used to be seen as a hair dye job gone wrong but these days it has been labeled as the must have hairstyle. Ombre and dip-dyed hair can be seen everywhere from tumblr to fashion magazines and celebrities. Ombre hair is less daring, as it appears to be a bit more natural than dip dying. Dip dying has gone to new extremes as people try their best to “make it their own”.

Ripped jeans are back in fashion, except now its jean shorts with spiky studs on the sides. Ripped t-shirts have also become the new fad and there are numerous videos on YouTube to show you how to rip your T-shirt in different ways. Nail polish has also become part of this hipster subculture and there are numerous creative styles that keep emerging.

Subcultures are concerned with consumption, as it through their commodities that they communicate the meanings attached to these commodities. When their purpose and style is normalized and becomes mainstream, their purpose is ruined. It is through the process of recuperation that the straying away from the dominant culture is somewhat repaired and the subculture is incorporated in the dominant culture.

There are two characteristic forms in the process of recuperation: The commodity form and the ideological form. The commodity form is the conversion of subcultural signs, such as clothes, music, into mass-produced objects. Corporations, clothing companies, benefit from this by incorporating these new styles into their market and gaining profit. The ideological form is the labeling and redefining of deviant behavior by dominant groups, such as the media. After the media normalized the concept of dip-dyed hair and socially constructed people into thinking it is fashionable, parents are more understanding to the idea, and there are more people doing it.