Russian Invasion — Remembering the “Hipsters”

There are two S’s: the stilyagi and the squares.

Like “Grease” (1978) and “Cry-Baby”(1990), “Hipster” (2008) falls into the category of teen musical where the good girl falls in love with the bad boy. In the case of this Russian retro-musical, however, it is the opposite. Here we have the good boy (Mels, a model student and Komsomol[1] member) who falls in love the bad girl (Polya, a hipster).

The Russian word stilyagi translates to those who are obsessed with fashion, or “hipsters.”

In a city like New York, it appears that everyone is or borderline (or trying very hard) to be a hipster. But what does a modern-day hipster look like?

First, you should have a hipster hobby, such as photography or baking or painting. It is very hip to be passionate and into certain things. Second, it is important for you to have indie music/art taste, even better if the names mentioned are little known. Lastly, dress the part. Vintage or something new that looks vintage is good. Rule of thumb: stylish/chic, but be effortlessly so.

Oh, and fyi, “lumbersexual” has replaced  metrosexual as the “It” look for urban hipsters. An article in Elitedaily describes the lumbersexual male as “hipster-outdoorsman hybrid”:

The lumbersexual man is essentially an urban woodsman. He is brawny, wears expensive flannel, has an impressive beard that is painstakingly unkempt and represents the ultimate sense of manliness.

And, just for fun if you care for a light read, here’s a 2010 piece that complained about the state of Brooklyn as a result of hipster invasion. (read: “The State of Brooklyn“)

Lumberjack (beard included) hip supposedly in (image credit: http://fashionbeans.com/Scotch & Soda Amsterdam Blauw)

[1] All-Union Leninist Communist League of Youth

 

 

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