hipster
Vintage vinyl collector
A hipster is someone who cultivates tastes outside the mainstream—indie music, obscure films, vintage clothing, artisanal everything.
The term carries mild derision, implying performative nonconformity or pretension: The café was full of hipsters with beards and fixed-gear bikes.
Hipster neighborhoods feature craft breweries and thrift shops.
The earlier sense—a devotee of jazz and Beat culture in the 1940s–50s—is now largely historical.
Quality from past eras
mustache · tattoos · piercings · beanies · suspenders · vinyl · fixie · plaid
Another available choice
- subcultureGroup with alternative norms
- anti-establishmentOpposing dominant institutions
- bohemianArtistic nonconformist type
- beatnikFifties counterculture member
avant-garde · progressive · activist · sustainability · minimalism · upcycling · freegan · co-op
Western Long Island borough
- WilliamsburgColonial-era Virginia city
- PortlandMajor Oregon city
- gentrificationWealthy influx displacing locals
- co-workingShared professional workspace
flea-market · pop-up · loft · warehouse · gallery · zine · podcast · brunch
Produced in limited quantities
- handcraftedMade manually, not machined
- farm-to-tableDirect producer-to-diner philosophy
- roasteryCoffee processing venue
- microbrewerySmall-scale beer producer
pour-over · sourdough · fermented · kombucha · charcuterie · bespoke · curated · organic
Expressing contrary meaning
- metaSelf-aware or transcendent
- self-awareConscious of own existence
- aloofEmotionally withdrawn, uninviting
- pretentiousFalsely grand or important
obscure · niche · mainstream · sellout · authentic · nonconformist · contrarian · snobbish
Free from external control
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- lo-fiImperfect audio quality, informally
- garage-rockRaw, amateur band sound
- shoegazeDistortion-heavy ethereal rock
chillwave · Pitchfork · Bandcamp · cassette · analog · turntable · synthesizer · ukulele
vintage
Quality from past eras
beards · mustache · tattoos · piercings · beanies · suspenders · vinyl · fixie · plaid · undercut
alternative
Another available choice
- subcultureGroup with alternative norms
- anti-establishmentOpposing dominant institutions
- bohemianArtistic nonconformist type
beatnik · avant-garde · progressive · activist · sustainability · minimalism · upcycling · freegan · co-op · commune
Brooklyn
Western Long Island borough
- WilliamsburgColonial-era Virginia city
- PortlandMajor Oregon city
- gentrificationWealthy influx displacing locals
co-working · flea-market · pop-up · loft · warehouse · gallery · zine · podcast · brunch · kale
small-batch
Produced in limited quantities
- handcraftedMade manually, not machined
- farm-to-tableDirect producer-to-diner philosophy
- roasteryCoffee processing venue
microbrewery · pour-over · sourdough · fermented · kombucha · charcuterie · bespoke · curated · organic · single-origin
ironic
Expressing contrary meaning
- metaSelf-aware or transcendent
- self-awareConscious of own existence
- aloofEmotionally withdrawn, uninviting
pretentious · obscure · niche · mainstream · sellout · authentic · nonconformist · contrarian · snobbish · elitist
independent
Free from external control
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- lo-fiImperfect audio quality, informally
- garage-rockRaw, amateur band sound
shoegaze · chillwave · Pitchfork · Bandcamp · cassette · analog · turntable · synthesizer · ukulele · banjo
- fashion adjectivesstylish, elegant, casual, formal, trendy
- fashion stylescasual wear, bohemian, formal wear, preppy, romantic
- Nonconformistsnonconformist, rebels, rebel, misfits, misfit
- stylestyle, stylish, chic, elegant, stylishness
- hipstermustache, skinny jeans, beard, flannel, vintage
- subculturespunk, punks, hippie, goth, hippies
hipsterconformist
One following accepted norms
normie · mainstream · basic · square · conventional
- hipster glassesChunky retro eyewear
- hipster beardTrendy unkempt facial hair
- hipster cafesTrendy urban coffee establishments
- hipster culture
- hipster briefsLow-waisted fitted underwear