I want to dress up as a hipster for Halloween...help me!
June 25, 2011 6:52 PM Subscribe
I want to dress up as a hipster for Halloween...help me!
I want to dress up as a hipster for Halloween, so I thought I should start early. What do I need to achieve this look? Where can I buy it? I'm a brunette Caucasian woman and I live in Canada.
I am not a twig person btw, so cramming my butt into American Apparel won't be happening :-D
I love hats and would like a hat to be a part of the costume.
I want to dress up as a hipster for Halloween, so I thought I should start early. What do I need to achieve this look? Where can I buy it? I'm a brunette Caucasian woman and I live in Canada.
I am not a twig person btw, so cramming my butt into American Apparel won't be happening :-D
I love hats and would like a hat to be a part of the costume.
Big black hornrimmed glasses. As worn by Hipster IE6.
A trilby with a stingy brim. Worn at night. (GRAR.)
posted by tel3path at 7:11 PM on June 25, 2011
A trilby with a stingy brim. Worn at night. (GRAR.)
posted by tel3path at 7:11 PM on June 25, 2011
Here's a visual history, from Paste Magazine.
posted by Cash4Lead at 7:25 PM on June 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Cash4Lead at 7:25 PM on June 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
You'll want an ironic t-shirt. Failing that, I would suggest a bowling shirt. I suggest scouring Goodwill every week or so. While you're there, you can also look for a trucker cap. Again, aim for incomprehensible. I assume you'll be wearing this in the evening, so sunglasses would be a nice touch. Finally, big chunky shoes would be required. Mary-Janes would be best, but whatever you've got will probably work.
posted by Gilbert at 7:44 PM on June 25, 2011
posted by Gilbert at 7:44 PM on June 25, 2011
I would want to do what this guy did.
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:59 PM on June 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:59 PM on June 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Great stuff guys! I am thinking this look would be easier to pull off if I was a guy.
Loving the self-indulgent dude bonobo!
posted by Calzephyr at 8:55 PM on June 25, 2011
Loving the self-indulgent dude bonobo!
posted by Calzephyr at 8:55 PM on June 25, 2011
Best answer: My sister is a proto-hipster, and unto you I say: may your fake tatts be nautical trad; may you mix old-school punk, mod & vintage fashion; black clothes paired with brightly colored accent pieces; liquid eyeliner, white eyeshadow + bright red lipstick. Be nostalgically outrageous for the sake of both nostalgia and outrageousness. Irony, too.
Go forth and listen to bands no one else has heard of and disdain them once discovered by the rest of us plebes. wink, nudge, etc
posted by smirkette at 10:00 PM on June 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Go forth and listen to bands no one else has heard of and disdain them once discovered by the rest of us plebes. wink, nudge, etc
posted by smirkette at 10:00 PM on June 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Make sure you bring along a few tall-boy cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Only Pabst Blue Ribbon!
posted by bardic at 11:12 PM on June 25, 2011
Only Pabst Blue Ribbon!
posted by bardic at 11:12 PM on June 25, 2011
Best answer: Do you want to look like a person dressed up like a hipster or like a modern hipster? The kind of hipsters everyone's suggesting you dress like above are, like, sooo 2008.
Based on my extensive research (living in obnoxious gentrifying areas of Chicago and having spent the last month in Shoreditch in London), this is what the hipster lady of today is wearing. (Well, except for the wolf shirt. Technically you just want something boho and vintage, but for humor's sake, you've gotta have the wolf shirt.)
1. XL (enough to style as in step 2) "wolf shirt"-type shirt. Like this, or this, or this. You should be able to pick one up at a thrift store. Here in America you can also find them for about 5 bucks in your average truck stop gift shop; I don't know about Canada, though.
2. Cut this large t-shirt down, 80s style.
3. Accessories would be a knit beret and some sort of large-framed glasses. Dark-rimmed glasses are kind of passe, but for a costume, they definitely do scream hipster. This lady here has the right idea. If your ears are pierced/visible under the hat, look for something dangly with feathers. Or maybe even dream-catchers. No makeup except for bright red lipstick.
Top part's done, now on to the pants!
4. The best choice here is a pair of high-rise shorts with patterned tights. If you're not comfortable in that, skinny jeans are OK, but the shorts really are the best choice.
5. For shoes, the only appropriate thing these days is a pair of brown oxfords. It used to be sneakers, but not any more. The chic hipster chick will always be in brown oxfords (well-worn, preferably).
That's the basic uniform.
6. If it's cold out (Halloween in Canada? I think it might be), acceptable outerwear choices are an oversized knit vest (kind of like this, but the fabric here looks too new--you want something kind of shabby), a grandpa cardigan, or a member's only jacket.
posted by phunniemee at 1:37 AM on June 26, 2011 [5 favorites]
Based on my extensive research (living in obnoxious gentrifying areas of Chicago and having spent the last month in Shoreditch in London), this is what the hipster lady of today is wearing. (Well, except for the wolf shirt. Technically you just want something boho and vintage, but for humor's sake, you've gotta have the wolf shirt.)
1. XL (enough to style as in step 2) "wolf shirt"-type shirt. Like this, or this, or this. You should be able to pick one up at a thrift store. Here in America you can also find them for about 5 bucks in your average truck stop gift shop; I don't know about Canada, though.
2. Cut this large t-shirt down, 80s style.
3. Accessories would be a knit beret and some sort of large-framed glasses. Dark-rimmed glasses are kind of passe, but for a costume, they definitely do scream hipster. This lady here has the right idea. If your ears are pierced/visible under the hat, look for something dangly with feathers. Or maybe even dream-catchers. No makeup except for bright red lipstick.
Top part's done, now on to the pants!
4. The best choice here is a pair of high-rise shorts with patterned tights. If you're not comfortable in that, skinny jeans are OK, but the shorts really are the best choice.
5. For shoes, the only appropriate thing these days is a pair of brown oxfords. It used to be sneakers, but not any more. The chic hipster chick will always be in brown oxfords (well-worn, preferably).
That's the basic uniform.
6. If it's cold out (Halloween in Canada? I think it might be), acceptable outerwear choices are an oversized knit vest (kind of like this, but the fabric here looks too new--you want something kind of shabby), a grandpa cardigan, or a member's only jacket.
posted by phunniemee at 1:37 AM on June 26, 2011 [5 favorites]
- ukulele
- Clark Kent Nerd glasses or just about anything that could be pre 1965
- mid 60's OTB hat
- I like the brown oxfords, a corduroy jacket and old jeans or vintage mens slacks.
posted by doctor_negative at 2:48 AM on June 26, 2011
- Clark Kent Nerd glasses or just about anything that could be pre 1965
- mid 60's OTB hat
- I like the brown oxfords, a corduroy jacket and old jeans or vintage mens slacks.
posted by doctor_negative at 2:48 AM on June 26, 2011
I made you an outfit (this is what the media has latched onto as the 'basic hipster uniform'. The pink line is supposed to be a hair tie and you're meant to stick some feathers into your hair and carry a PBR. No hat for you, though. I live in Hipster Capital and I rarely see any women wearing them. I'm not sure what you mean by not being a 'twig person', though. Some elaboration on that might help with a better costume!
posted by 200burritos at 6:31 AM on June 26, 2011
posted by 200burritos at 6:31 AM on June 26, 2011
Response by poster: I don't know if I can get Pabst here in Canada (haha I only go to the liquor store at Christmas) bu t maybe there's an equivalent.
Usually it is cold here by the end of October and/or there is snow on the ground. Something that would do between the car and the door would probably be OK :-)
I am really loving all the suggestions! Lorena Cupcake's outfits are kind of cute, but I'm not skinny enough to pull it off. I think it might be easier to go in drag. I could get a fake beard for the mountain man style. I was at hipster central yesterday and the knit cap, beard and plaid shirt look still seem popular. It's possible our hipsters are a year behind American ones :-)
posted by Calzephyr at 7:03 AM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Usually it is cold here by the end of October and/or there is snow on the ground. Something that would do between the car and the door would probably be OK :-)
I am really loving all the suggestions! Lorena Cupcake's outfits are kind of cute, but I'm not skinny enough to pull it off. I think it might be easier to go in drag. I could get a fake beard for the mountain man style. I was at hipster central yesterday and the knit cap, beard and plaid shirt look still seem popular. It's possible our hipsters are a year behind American ones :-)
posted by Calzephyr at 7:03 AM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
I hate when people give non-answers in askme, but this is a bad halloween costume idea, and for a few reasons. One is because the definition of how a "hipster" dresses is constantly changing - at this point saying you want to dress like a hipster is like saying "I want to dress REALLY trendy for Halloween" or "I want to wear what is in style with kids in their early 20's in brooklyn and LA". There really is no distinctive hipster uniform and if there is it is absolutely not halloween-recognizable like dressing like a punk or a goth or 80's new wave. I think trying to dress like a hipster for halloween is just going to prompt a lot of people asking you what you're supposed to be.
That said, if you're dead set on this I would take it to obnoxiously cartoonish joking levels - the foundation of your outfit should be jeans so skinny they look like they're sprayed on and maybe even unbuttonable. Square framed glasses so big and obnoxious they're extending off your face. Maybe wear a sign of some sort that says something like "halloween is so last year". Carry an empty box of PBR. Go the "goofy overblown stereotypes" route instead of the "accurate as possible" route so that people have actual cultural symbols that they can recognize. Otherwise you'll just look like a regular person dressing hip and trendy, and people not dressed up on halloween are buzzkills.
posted by windbox at 7:04 AM on June 26, 2011
That said, if you're dead set on this I would take it to obnoxiously cartoonish joking levels - the foundation of your outfit should be jeans so skinny they look like they're sprayed on and maybe even unbuttonable. Square framed glasses so big and obnoxious they're extending off your face. Maybe wear a sign of some sort that says something like "halloween is so last year". Carry an empty box of PBR. Go the "goofy overblown stereotypes" route instead of the "accurate as possible" route so that people have actual cultural symbols that they can recognize. Otherwise you'll just look like a regular person dressing hip and trendy, and people not dressed up on halloween are buzzkills.
posted by windbox at 7:04 AM on June 26, 2011
Response by poster: phunniemee...it's no problem at all to get animal t-shirts here :-D I live in Calgary and there's no shortage of them at all.
posted by Calzephyr at 7:06 AM on June 26, 2011
posted by Calzephyr at 7:06 AM on June 26, 2011
Response by poster: Your take is interesting Windbox, but I'm finding all the info I need and the answers have been great IMHO. My friends know I can't stand hipsters, so it is more like an in-joke than anything else.
As I mentioned, I'm not a twig person, so cramming my butt into skinny jeans is not going to happen :-D
posted by Calzephyr at 7:09 AM on June 26, 2011
As I mentioned, I'm not a twig person, so cramming my butt into skinny jeans is not going to happen :-D
posted by Calzephyr at 7:09 AM on June 26, 2011
To address what windbox said above: s/he's definitely right, to an extent. However, if you're someone who usually dresses decidedly un-hip and you'll be hanging around people who know you...I think the "I'm in a costume!" bit will come across just fine.
Thought of another thing while I was out earlier, that might play into your not-twig-shaped body. Hammer pants also seem to be big. Not the dashing gold lamé ones, though. Khaki, navy blue, or animal or floral print (decent example) would be great, especially if belted with a chunky elastic belt.
posted by phunniemee at 7:15 AM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Thought of another thing while I was out earlier, that might play into your not-twig-shaped body. Hammer pants also seem to be big. Not the dashing gold lamé ones, though. Khaki, navy blue, or animal or floral print (decent example) would be great, especially if belted with a chunky elastic belt.
posted by phunniemee at 7:15 AM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Hammer pants also seem to be big.
To clarify, that's supposed to be "big" as in "stylish" and not "big" as in "makes your ass look the size of a dump truck, no matter how skinny you are," though it accomplishes that, too.
posted by phunniemee at 7:17 AM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
To clarify, that's supposed to be "big" as in "stylish" and not "big" as in "makes your ass look the size of a dump truck, no matter how skinny you are," though it accomplishes that, too.
posted by phunniemee at 7:17 AM on June 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: There's a new form of hipster evolving right now, and probably will still be relevant come halloween. Now, if you dress like this, you will actually be dressing like a hipster. Whereas, the other options [faux vintage tshirt, 3 wolf moon, etc] seem more like someone doing an impression of a hipster. It really just depends on the vibe you want. How ironic you want to be. This website is the hipster bible for fashion.
Part 1: Take all of your hair, [unwahsed for a week], and pile on top of your head in a messy bun. Find some hideous fabric. Take however much you need for a headband, and double it, unsuring you have the biggest bow possible. Tie this around your head.
Example A Examlpe B
Part2: The top can go two ways. You could find a giant, ugle cable knit sweater. Bonus points if it's got a geometric pattern, or faux rustic accents like moose.
Example C Example D
You could also find something that's faux vintage-y and feminine. Ugly floral print and peter pan collar.
Example E Example D Example F
Part 3: With either of these, you'd pair them with ridiculous leggings that might be otherwise neat[ or not], and some cut-off acid wash jean shorts.
TL;DR
Whole look option 1 - Whole look option 2
posted by shesaysgo at 12:21 PM on June 26, 2011
Part 1: Take all of your hair, [unwahsed for a week], and pile on top of your head in a messy bun. Find some hideous fabric. Take however much you need for a headband, and double it, unsuring you have the biggest bow possible. Tie this around your head.
Example A Examlpe B
Part2: The top can go two ways. You could find a giant, ugle cable knit sweater. Bonus points if it's got a geometric pattern, or faux rustic accents like moose.
Example C Example D
You could also find something that's faux vintage-y and feminine. Ugly floral print and peter pan collar.
Example E Example D Example F
Part 3: With either of these, you'd pair them with ridiculous leggings that might be otherwise neat[ or not], and some cut-off acid wash jean shorts.
TL;DR
Whole look option 1 - Whole look option 2
posted by shesaysgo at 12:21 PM on June 26, 2011
Best answer: 1. I'd suggest going for one of the more silly or stereotypical hipster looks, like the dark-rimmed glasses without lenses and the wolf t-shirt. The more Lookbook fashion-y type stuff will make people think you're just trendy/fashionable and not dressing up for Halloween.
2. You can totally buy Pabst beer in Canada, and it has the same associations here. It's also gross so drink at your own peril :)
posted by vanitas at 12:14 PM on June 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
2. You can totally buy Pabst beer in Canada, and it has the same associations here. It's also gross so drink at your own peril :)
posted by vanitas at 12:14 PM on June 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Cool stuff! Thanks again guys for all your suggestions :-)
posted by Calzephyr at 5:56 PM on June 28, 2011
posted by Calzephyr at 5:56 PM on June 28, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dfriedman at 6:54 PM on June 25, 2011