What Is an Urban Hipster?

The "urban hipster" has morphed into many fringe movements like grunge, punk, hippie and beatnik. These hipsters are all offshoots of the original ideal that defines an alternative lifestyle.

Today's generation of urban hipsters have iPods and laptops, although they are still considered bohemians and juvenile delinquents. They wear thrift-store clothes, leggings, layers of mismatched clothing and are into dreadlocks, styles that still mimic the jazz musician of the '40s. Tight pants, leggings, torn and ripped clothes, tights with big, visible runs and dresses with combat boots create a montage of the new hipster ideal.

The urban hipster wears unusual colors and is bold in style. The style of each hipster cannot be duplicated. Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg describe urban hipsters as people who live out of the mainstream and have a spiritual outlook. They are not defined by current trends of dress, work, or thought but seek to create their own.

The punk movement is an offshoot of the original hipsters of the '40s with the signature mohawk haircut of that culture. The hipster of today is the urban wanderer, living as he chooses and moving when it suits him. The urban hipster is not anchored to a certain geographical place but travels like a modern gypsy.

Urban hipsters affect a generation of offspring who learn by example. The urban hipster is not clean-cut and usually has long hair that is not manicured in style. The image of the urban hipster is cool and carefree.

You won't find the urban hipster shopping at malls or big chain stores. Each hipster creates a homemade look. The hipster uses a patch-work of odds and ends and anything goes. The inventive hipster uses thrift-store threads, cutting and sewing them for a custom look. The hipster does not shop where mass-produced things are found. Hipsters are not mainstream and their clothing reflects this.

The hipster of today is into rap and hip-hop with access to Internet downloads and websites containing related paraphernalia. The hipster is now equipped with a cell phone, iPod and laptop, making him accessible to other hipsters around the globe. As an urban wanderer, the hipster now has access to different ways of getting around.