Without getting into the exact definition of what hipster is, and assuming that pretty much anyone between the ages of 18-40 living in Chicago and Brooklyn is a hipster, I bring to you seven specific terrible hipster fashion observations I’ve made after living in Chicago for seven years and Brooklyn this week.
Please understand, also, that based on these very liberal perimeters I am a Chicago hipster through and through. I love us hipsters, however fashionably misguided.
1. Hipster Boys are Generally the Same Everywhere, except for
a. Shorts
Gossip Girl Shorts Douche
You will never see a respectable Chicago hipster in short plaid shorts. Or, god forbid, SHORT SHORTS. I don’t have the stomach to post a picture of the short short clad hipster men rolling around Williamsburg. It’s not that hot, y’all. I can see your balls.
b. Newsboy Pants
Billabong Meets Skinny Jeans
It’s like male Brooklyn hipsters decided skinny girl jeans were cool around their ankles, but their junk needed A LOT more room. These pants are sometimes jean, sometimes like sweatpants, sometimes (god help us) PLAID, but always ugly. They are belted high. No one in Chicago will ever wear these, thank you very much.
2. While Female Chicago Hipsters Try to Look Attractive, Female Brooklyn Hipsters Try to Look as Unattractive as Possible.
Tiny Shorts, Big Shirt
Big Top Tiny Shorts
Every girl in Brooklyn looks like this. Or, more accurately, this, plus 20-60 pounds. These twig girls don’t look good in this. I weigh 134 pounds at 5′ 6 1/2″ and I wouldn’t look good in this.
Hipsters in Chicago love high waisted skirts and vintage dresses. We like being cute. Hipsters in Brooklyn love looking like they are wearing underwear and their fat father’s dirty t-shirts.
High Waisted Big Skirt, Tiny Top
Brooklyn Hipsters: If you flip it and reverse it, and put this big on the bottom and the tiny on the top, it works MUCH BETTER! Every girl in Chicago looks like this. Because it’s cute.
3. Hipsters in Brooklyn are VERY worried about ankle safety.
Ankle. Collar. Sandals. <- Not my words
I’ve seen these in Chicago worn by fancy hipsters, yes. In Brooklyn EVERY hipster wears these.
I don’t think I could wear anything indicating my feet need a collar. Because my feet don’t need a collar.
Diaper Shorts and Ankle Collar Sandals
Ignore the diaper shorts for now. ::shudder:: Just… ignore this girl totally. We’ll come back to her. Often. Somebody explain to me how these sandals are cute. They cut your legs off in the WORST place, making you look short. If it’s cold enough that you want your ankles covered, wear boots. Or socks! If it’s hot enough that you need your entire food exposed, you don’t…
Never mind. Just. Forget it. I’m chalking this one up to woman can’t be explained and moving on.
4. Female Brooklyn Hipsters LOVE Airing Out Their Junk.
a. The Harem Pant
Just Your Typical Harem Pants
So you look the same coming and going! These, along with the ankle collar sandals, are in Chicago but worn by fancy hipsters and fancy people. Which, almost makes it worse.
Everyone here wears these! Fancy rich people, hipsters, and tourists. I’ve seen more harem pants this week in NYC than in the entirety of the rest of life.
b. The Harem Short
Harem/Diaper Shorts
(Also See Above Ankle Collar Picture)
I didn’t even know these existed before coming to Brooklyn. I have one statement: IF IT MAKES THE 80 POUND MODEL LOOK LIKE SHE’S WEARING A DIAPER, JUST IMAGINE WHAT IT WILL DO FOR YOU! Again, have never seen these in Chicago. And believe me, I would have noticed.
c. The Granny Harem Pant
Wide Leg Granny Harem Pant
Because harem pants aren’t big enough! These are everywhere in Brooklyn.
Imagine this pant as a skirt. Cute, right? Still a little heavy, but wearable. But this is not a skirt. This is pants. This. Is pants. Only in Brooklyn. And on Disney’s Aladdin.
d. The Dress Harem Pant
Dress Up Harem Pant
How can you wear sweat pants on a date or in the office? Call them DRESS HAREM PANTS. Again, all over NYC. Fancy hipsters, bum hipsters, fancy NYC ladies.
See that look on her face? That is the same look I have on my face looking at this picture! Camaraderie.
e. The Military Style Harem Pant
Military Style Harem Pant
Because your hips can never get enough room. .. ? What?! You look like Napoleon. Or a German WWI soldier. In a bad way. Again, never in Chicago. Unless we are participating in some kind of battle reenactment.
5. Chicago Hipsters Love Rompers! Not So Much in Brooklyn.
Kinda Cute Purple Romper
I’m not big into rompers but they are on every hipster in Chicago. Maybe Brooklyn already went through their romper stage and every hipster here is over them, but I haven’t seen a single romper around these parts.
To this I’m going to have to say point to Chicago. If I was forced by gunpoint to wear a romper or harem pants I would chose the romper. Please don’t tell anyone I wouldn’t choose death.
6. Hipsters Psychotically Love Fedora Style Hats in Brooklyn.
Hipster Fedora Hat
Every hipster in Brooklyn owns this hat. You can see Ed Westwick in the top picture wearing one, and Diaper Harem Pant with Ankle Collar Sandal’s girl has one on, too.
I have so many other beefs with Brooklyn hipsters that I’m going to let this one slide. They are fine, as far as hats go, and I can see Chicago hipsters embracing this hat, too.
7. Brooklyn Hipsters Love Bras/Boobs
Loose Oversized Tank with Bra
Maybe it’s just because it’s super hot here now, but I’ve seen so many bras this week! Very loose tank tops worn over short shorts or leggings and a bra is real big in Brooklyn. Call it my Midwestern sensibilities, but I’m positive tank tops in your size work just the same as really big tank tops.
Chicago hipsters show their bras off, too. But usually it’s a shoulder strap here, a back strap there, never full on cup showing in the armhole of your tank top. Chicago hipsters might run into their mothers, or bosses. Or, neighbors. Or brothers. Or an old college professor. A good Midwesterner doesn’t want strangers seeing their bra! It’s inappropriate!
The major difference here is simple: Chicago hipsters want to be cute. We are freaking cutesy, many times to a fault. Like, how are you going to explain that hamster tattoo to your grandkids? Where Chicago hipsters over-cute, Brooklyn hipsters under-cute. It’s like everyone in Brooklyn wears costumes for my amusement. And they are in a costume contest to see who can look the worst. And they are all winning.
I could, and probably will, write about how cute everyone is here, too. This is a summary of the worst Brooklyn hipsters have to offer. There is a lot of it. And I’m enjoying every minute of it.
Please knit me harem pants for Christmas. I’m beginning to feel like such an outsider.
THANK you!
Comment by PT — August 12, 2010 @ 8:12 am
I think this is my favorite post EVER. Love it!
Comment by Rachael — August 12, 2010 @ 8:30 am
Having just visited my friend in Brooklyn I agree with all of these, and you can see them on display all at once just by riding the L train (the Hipster express).
Brooklyn is the Proto-Hipster factory for the world. Armored footwear has already invaded, and it’s only a matter of time before Harem pants reach the shores of Lake Michigan.
Comment by Joel — August 12, 2010 @ 8:44 am
Oh boy, I saw that hat everyone at Lollapalooza this year (but not at Pitchfork for some reason). Totally agree that midwestern girls (and guys) are just way more sensible!
Comment by Laura — August 12, 2010 @ 9:48 am
THANK YOU for the belly laugh Allyson.
I am always starving for fashion advice because I feel like the dorkiest dresser ever..
this was perfect and I can’t wait for more!
xoxoxo
Cindy´s last [type] ..zoom
Comment by Cindy — August 12, 2010 @ 10:15 am
This is really funny. I’m with you on the bra thing – why is everyone letting their bras hang out this summer?!
But I hate to say is… this is all gonna hit Chicago next year. Wait for it.
At least you’ll be prepared.
Comment by Brett — August 12, 2010 @ 11:23 am
funniest post ever, hahahahahahaha!
jen´s last [type] ..watery depths dress
Comment by jen — August 12, 2010 @ 3:53 pm
interesting, although i can’t say anything as i don’t live in either chicago or brooklyn. the photo you have though, is not of a fedora. fedoras have flat brims. trilby hats tend to pinch up in the back. i live in zürich, and the harem pants and armor/cuff sandals are quite popular here. the loose oversized tank thing is also pretty popular here too. H&M here has tons of them, and i think 95% of the european female population under the age of 30 shops there, so it’s pretty widespread. i haven’t seen rompers here so much, except the ones with long legs.
Comment by sophie — August 12, 2010 @ 7:02 pm
The wide leg harem pant is also very popular in Spain. I was there in June and I was very upset because I saw many women wearing really cute ones. As you already know, not all harem styles are very flattering. I searched and searched and searched but size was gone gone gone.
Nicolette Caldwell´s last [type] ..Outlier Women’s Riding Pants
Comment by Nicolette Caldwell — August 12, 2010 @ 7:05 pm
dumb. new york is dirt nasty and sexy and fast. these are hipsters. ya’ll in chicago don’t live the life, you just like the lifestyle
Comment by fuckyeahnyc — August 12, 2010 @ 11:16 pm
Thankfully, I haven’t seen the harem pants anywhere but on celebrities and had just chalked it up to one of those trends thst some stuck up designer told one of them would look good. But, the bootlet sandals are everywhere in Atlanta — Hipster or not. I,too, was once entranced but as I have relatively thick ankles already, I had no desire to graduate to “cankles” status.
Awesome post.
Comment by jess elliott — August 13, 2010 @ 5:36 am
Allyson- I should not have read this at work…people hear me laughing and I am the only one in the room! One of the most enjoyable things you have written. Loved it, just hope no one from New York hunts you down in the bagel shops! Love you. your Mommy
Comment by skd — August 13, 2010 @ 9:18 am
Aw Mom! I’m so glad you liked it!
Comment by allyson — August 13, 2010 @ 9:20 am
I just read this, Hilarious!
I’m a fashion girl, but I wont wear a lot of the stuff out on the street today, because you know years from now, you’ll gonna say “What the hell was I thinking?”
Comment by KXphotography — August 13, 2010 @ 9:36 am
The straw hats are all over Chicago too. It’s a thing.
Comment by max — August 13, 2010 @ 10:51 am
LOVE this! I have a blog about Chicago fashion faux pas sightings and trends so I am always on the look out for some good hipster pics:)
Comment by Anne at El-No Chicago — August 13, 2010 @ 11:14 am
Dearest author:
I’m very concerned that your hipster card is about to be pulled, as every one of these fashion trends, aside from the male harem pant, is running rampant in the streets of Chicago…
I, personally, do note one major difference between the midwest and east coast hipster contingents– cleanliness. Williamsburg residents take being a “dirty hipster” to an entirely new level. In fact, one must venture into Manhattan (or perhaps Park Slope, on a good day) to buy shampoo…
Enjoy your stay in NY!
Comment by K8 — August 13, 2010 @ 11:21 am
That is what I’m quickly learning! Apparently the hipsters have changed a lot in the two weeks since I’ve been there!
Comment by allyson — August 13, 2010 @ 11:22 am
I’m old enough that I remember “harem pants” (aka “Hammer pants”) the previous time around. They were a terrible idea then. You know the phrase that starts “fool me once…” Yeah, the current generation should have learned from our disastrous errors. No one ever looks good in them. As a straight guy, I can say: ladies, if you want to annoy/repel straight guys, sport the harem pants. Your lower body will look terrible and mis-shapen – not fat, more like the body of an 80 year old.
BCBG on Oak hyped harem pants in their front windows this spring. I noticed it on April 1st. I thought it was the best April Fool’s Joke I had seen in a while. They were serious.
—————————————–
“ya’ll in chicago don’t live the life, you just like the lifestyle
Comment by fuckyeahnyc”
As a 4th generation, in-the-city Chicagoan the meta-problem I see with NY is the general lack of actual New Yorkers in NY. I’m guessing from the usage of “y’all” and “fuckyeah” that if we traveled back in time 20 years and asked fuckyeahnyc “who is the mayor where you live?” the answer would either be “Jimmy Bob Somebodyorother” or “I live in a rural area,” not “David Dinkins.”
Is Brooklyn fundamentally different than the Jersey Shore? At the Shore, folks from sucky parts of the North East gather for a few weeks or months, do themselves up in bizarre fashions, hook up, spend a lot of time talking about how “wicked awesome” they are and the Shore is, and then go back to the godforsaken suburbs and small towns. In Brooklyn, folks from sucky parts of the US (Oklahoma, Ohio, Alabama (I’m thinking of you, fuckyeah), etc.) gather for a few years, do themselves up in bizarre fashions, hook up, spend a lot of time talking about how “really amazing and important” they are and NYC is, and then go back to the godforsaken suburbs and small towns.
(One important irony in this situation: Many so-called “New Yorkers” have an astoundingly provincial mind-set. Because they grew up in Suckhole, Redstate, then moved straight to NY, they don’t actually know that much about the rest of the US, or the world for that matter. “Whatever is in NY is the best!” Let’s use pizza as an illustration. Where you grew up, they put ketchup and American cheese on wonder bread and called it “pizza,” so, yes, NY pizza is better than that. Let’s set Chicago-style pizza aside. (and, no, the crap at that Uno’s chain location at the mall isn’t Chicago pizza.) How many New Yorkers who claim that NY pizza is “the best in the world” have been to Naples or Rome? How about Turkey and tried their pide? Given the lack of actual Mexicans in NY, they probably haven’t even had a decent quesadilla. (What’s wrong with NY that Mexicans generally avoid it? oopps… tangent on my tangent.) So that lack of broad, worldly experience results in a bizarre provincialism that reflects a lack of direct (or even indirect) knowledge of what’s happening outside of NY. Because we Chicagoans don’t view our city as the “ne plus ultra,” we make an effort to learn from and explore the rest of the world, and not imagine that they are already at our doorstep.)
Here in the City in Chicago, we get our fair share of “visitors” from Minnesota, Ohio and such. Some stay, some spawn and move out to the burbs. But there’s a critical mass of actual Chicagoans to keep things on track. Our big problem in Chicago is that we’re too busy solving the world’s problems. We need to take a lesson from (so-called/temporary) “New Yorkers” and spend more time blathering on and on about how great we are and how great our City actually is.
Comment by tomdarch — August 13, 2010 @ 11:58 am
I haven’t been to Brooklyn since 2007 so I can’t comment on most of that, but I can definitively say that hipster boys in Chicago wear short shorts. All the time. I’m wearing them right now and I’m not even really a hipster. And they’re sexy.
Rock on, tomdarch. NYC’ers need to get their heads out of their asses and explore the rest of America…they could learn a lot from Midwestern “sensibility” (aka actually trying to look attractive) and Cali-Mex-Azn influenced SF/LA style.
Comment by Tom — August 13, 2010 @ 1:14 pm
Girl, all of those things exist in Chicago hipsterdom! Cutesy, vintage-loving hipsters (like us *cough*) are but one of many branches on the Chicago hipster family tree.
Comment by Gil — August 13, 2010 @ 2:08 pm
I’m assuming you were hanging around near the Bedford stop of the ‘L’? When you get a bit deeper into Brooklyn (i.e. out of Williamsburg) people get a lot more normal-looking and not blind slaves to fashion. I try to only be in that area of Williamsburg about once every month or so to go to a couple of the cute shops around there. If I went any more often, my brain would melt.
Comment by Lydia — August 15, 2010 @ 9:44 am
HAHAHHAHAHHA! “Don’t tell anyone I wouldn’t choose death.” Honestly, I would go with the dressy harem pants. I saw people wearing them in Paris that actually didn’t look that bad. The skinny-ankles-room-for-junk pants are just…just….BAD. DAISY NO LIKE. *sob!*
And I hate rompers. Even if they look decent on some people, I still have nightmares about being a kid and having my shirt attached to my pants and desperately needing to pee and not being able to get out of it.
but yeah, my mental health is fine. And you?
Rainy Daisy´s last [type] ..Goodbye California- Welcome Home
Comment by Rainy Daisy — August 15, 2010 @ 11:17 pm
Just wait 2 years and the Chicago hipsters will be wearing what the Brooklyn hipsters wear.
FWIW, all the bike boy hipsters of Chicago compare short short tan lines so you might see more of that than you think. Also I totally show my bra with the big tanks! You won’t get me near those damn harem pants though.
Comment by Kim — August 16, 2010 @ 2:13 pm
Unfortunately, from what I’ve seen here in Chicago, the bra flaunting trend has infiltrated the Midwest. Within a month or two, they just started showing up. EVERYWHERE. It’s gross. I don’t mind a strap accidentally peeking out from under a tank top (it happens) but if I can see your entire back clasp, you deserve a slapping. Especially if there’s a roll of backfat melting over it.
Comment by peeviewonder — August 16, 2010 @ 2:34 pm
“Also I totally show my bra with the big tanks!”
Kim, I think we need to see a picture.
Comment by Yowsa — August 16, 2010 @ 2:45 pm
Rock on, tomdarch, even if you did just bash my home state. 20 years ago, the mayor where I lived was some guy named Dana who preferred to be called Buck. Sue me, I didn’t vote for him.
Comment by Christina — August 16, 2010 @ 3:25 pm
I just saw this mentioned in The Reader!!!! WAY TO GO ALLYSON
Comment by Emily W — August 17, 2010 @ 9:37 am
Oh thanks Emily! So great to hear from you!
Comment by allyson — August 17, 2010 @ 9:38 am
I stumbled upon this article and feel compelled to say:
Who do you think you are?
Also, is it your JOB to go around and criticize people for what they choose to wear, or do you just enjoy being an asshole?
Or does it give you lots of Chicago-cutsy things to post on your little blog?
Or can you just not come up with anything better to spend your time thinking about than attempting to shoot other people down or talk about how sensible your midwest mentality is?
YAWWN.
Comment by bullshitevader — August 19, 2010 @ 6:20 pm
I think I’m Allyson! And you live in Indiana! Celebrate your Midwestern mentality – minus a large dose of curmudgeon.
Comment by allyson — August 19, 2010 @ 9:11 pm
Those vintage dresses I see all over Logan Square? They’re hideous.
Comment by Jon — August 20, 2010 @ 10:37 am
Allyson,
This post about hipsters is stupid. Does being labeled a hipster make you feel cool?
Love,
Vasantha Smear
Comment by Vasantha Smear — August 20, 2010 @ 11:06 am
My god. You’re either living in a bomb shelter or only read about Chicago through Flavorpill.
Are you kidding?
Chicago hipsters unfortunately subject us to all of these things (with the exception of AA-style parachute pants)
@tomdarch
You’re an idiot douchebag. I got to ask if you’ve ever been to NYC. Actually, no, I don’t because if you think NYC pizza is ketchup with American cheese on wonderbread, then clearly you’ve never been to Di Fara’s, Tototano’s, Grimaldi’s, or even Lombardi’s where sauce is made from scratch on top of Neopolitan-style high-temp flatbread. You do know what that is right?
It sounds like you’ve never traveled the rest of the country. This NYC vs Chicago pizza debate is tiresome because it really should include SF, Portland, Miami, LA, Philly, and every other city that has water, flour, and an oven.
Chicagoans don’t view their city as “ne plus ultra” and are open minded? Wow. Did you not notice that Chicago is nothing but a city that glorifies chains?
Ask the average Chicagoan what their favorite pizza is and most of the time it’ll be Giordano’s, Lou Malnati’s, or Gino’s East. What do those places have in common? Manufacturing factories that ship pies to their franchisees.
Oh, and that Chicago hot dog thing? I’m pretty sure Hot Doug’s is the only one in Chicago proper that doesn’t serve Vienna Beef everything. Not one infamous Chicago hot dog provider be it Weiner Circle or whatever does anything but Vienna Beef with Vienna Beef toppings. Homogeneous as fuck.
Chicagoans have a major chip on their shoulder and cannot praise their own city without talking shit about other cities and expose their own lackluster knowledge.
PS. Really? You’re going to cite the quesadilla as an example of *real* Mexican food? Mija, you’re a little ways from home. I can buy huitlacoche in NYC, but not Chicago. At least use the cemitas at Cemitas Puebla as an example or something that isn’t bastardized?
Comment by Terry — August 20, 2010 @ 11:10 am
first off, i don’t know whether to give you props or laugh at the fact you claim you’re a hipster.
second, i don’t live in NY. but, you obviously are from the midwest, and really like your cliche silhouettes, mom-patterns and overly-safe accessories. you’re not minimalist, you’re taste is boring. i don’t love every thing hipsters wear, think some of them look outright ridiculous, but i do appreciate playfulness and experimentation. that’s what fashion is.
third, this is a reason why chicago is a fashion/style blackhole that no one really cares about.
Comment by kelly — August 20, 2010 @ 12:29 pm
A “true” hipster admitting that they are a hipster is akin to a truly cool guy admitting that they are cool; that’s just not cool. One would instantaneously lose their hipness by admitting that they are in fact a hipster.
From NPR.org, from the author of The Hipster Handbook:
“Every culture has its rules,” Brand reports. “For hipsters there is one cardinal rule: never admit that you are a hipster.”
Comment by Hammer Pants — August 20, 2010 @ 1:47 pm
Allyson, I enjoyed your post and I’m sure your probably a great person. There is one thing about your post that I disagree with for whatever it’s worth, which is very little.
A “true” hipster would never admit to being a hipster.
I had a hipster coworker who I tried to get her to admit to being a hipster.After much harassment at work and social events, she finally, while drunk admitted to having some hipster “tendencies”.
Yes, I did take advantage of her drunk hipster self, but she proved to be a “true” hipster.
reply
Comment by Hammer Pants — August 20, 2010 @ 1:47 pm
I’m super impressed with how much anger you managed to incite about something so completely meaningless. Yay!
Comment by Annie — August 20, 2010 @ 1:49 pm
I know you are exactly right, and I fought it for a long time, but I am what I am! From the pixie cut to my bike transport to the clothes I make myself to how overly educated I am for my job.
The difference is that I love hipsters! We are going to wear our harem pants and make the world a better place. Ironically, and without showering.
Comment by allyson — August 20, 2010 @ 2:19 pm
I was cracking up at your post (I adore your sense of humor!) and then got to the comments and Whoa! Your commenters are either Incredibly Serious and Important or Mighty Hilariously Impersonating Serious People.
Two very enthusiastic thumbs up! Fine holiday fun!
tara´s last [type] ..Your Questions- Answered- It’s all about the benefits Edition
Comment by tara — August 20, 2010 @ 2:40 pm
Thank Gawd I’m an Awld Fahrt! I will never have to wear those shorts or sandals.
And the harem pants? They were on the dollar table sale at Penny’s in 1957. Only they looked better. Come to think of it, the shorts were right there, too.
Comment by Awld Fahrt — August 20, 2010 @ 2:43 pm
This is the most controversial knitting blog post of all-time!
Comment by PT — August 20, 2010 @ 3:04 pm
An overgeneralization or two in an article is fine for comedic effect, but the 12 “every”s in this short piece are about 11 too many.
I’ve lived in Chicago for about 20 years, and have visited hipster ground zero in Williamsburg, Brooklyn 3 or 4 times this year (going again next week). I’ve seen dirty trying-to-look-unattractive folks in Chicago and cute-vintage-dress-wearing folks in Brooklyn. However, I agree that there may be more of the latter in Chicago, and for a very good reason: Chicago has kick-ass thrift stores!! Stuff I’d reject at the Village Thrift I’ve seen at Amarcord on Bedford for beaucoup bucks. So what may seem like a matter of taste may be driven by economic necessity.
Comment by TSmith — August 20, 2010 @ 3:42 pm
I am from Brooklyn, but not a hipster.
Apparently I am a Chicago hipster living in Brooklyn. I wear waisted skirts and vintage dresses, as well as rompers…so does the general population outside of Williamsburg. That’s just regular style here.
I love Chicago too. It’s a great place to hit the town and have a good time, but it doesn’t have the flair of Brooklyn. Hipsters in Brooklyn have to be edgey and out there with their fashion. If they weren’t, Brooklyn wouldn’t have the same feel.
Comment by Queen of the Click — August 21, 2010 @ 11:58 am
I am moving to chicago soon. This blog post taught me that I’m going to be bummed. It’s not under-cute hun, it’s just not midwestern…
Comment by me — September 1, 2010 @ 5:33 pm
I can’t believe you are writing about fashion. You don’t seem to know that rompers have come and gone in many places. Your ideas about portion show that you don’t what fashion forward is. And that cute picture is so boring and suburban.
Comment by yousuck — September 6, 2010 @ 1:47 pm
Salut homo sapiens! Good web page, although not really every thing is actually functioning in the intended way! But that is up to the actual website owner to resolve … Anyway, I just wanted to discuss this pretentious theory concerning human relationships that I came across this morning – birthday. Evidently there is this company which states that all people born on the same day are the same and they are most similar. I am gonna test out the demos cause you know this seems a bit fishy to me however I want to see for myself. Test it out.
Comment by Freeman Angis — January 3, 2011 @ 10:24 pm
Portland Oregon ia where the true hipsters are at!. Nice looking ones in fact.
Comment by Mel — January 8, 2011 @ 3:08 am
This blog is so mainstream.
Comment by David — February 3, 2011 @ 1:51 pm
Not only is everything talked about hear missing any actual fashion input from an industry or design perspective, it seems to be the typically bland musings of a Midwestern “hipster.” Brooklyn is more fashion forward, as evidenced by these pictures and common sense – city on the coast, better off financially, etc all means edgier fashion. Every time you gave examples of how we’d do it differently in Chicago, you unconsciously said “but we’d do it three years behind.” Sorry, but this is a laugh, you have very basic knowledge of style, where it’s going, and what it means. You sound like the typical Midwestern person that prattles on and laughs at trends they don’t understand because they’re uneducated on the matter. Not unlike the stares some of us get when walking through a grocery store, you completely undermined something you don’t get.
Comment by someone with a clue — March 19, 2011 @ 4:50 pm
Kudos to Terry, Kelly, and Someone with a Clue. I’ve lived in both NYC (12 yrs) and Chicago (last 3 yrs) and they all kept it real. While I found this quite funny and the pics interesting, this really comes down to bland musings by a individual who knows a little something about Chicago and much much less about NYC.
Most Chicagoans are quick and ferocious in their defense of their city, especially when being compared to NYC. And this is where I think the comparison goes wrong. NYC is much more like London (international, diverse, BLENDED, progressive and fashion-forward) and anyone whose actually lived in both (or all three) would tell you this straight off the bat. No need to defend Gotham – Chicago is not even in the same arena.
But again, interesting and thoughtful… just off the mark I think.
Comment by Lizard — April 5, 2011 @ 11:41 pm
You all are really harsh. I read this light-spirited blog and then got to all of the Chicago bashing. What is with all the venom?
Comment by So over it. — May 4, 2011 @ 10:16 pm
I live in Chicago now, and lived in New York from 2007-9, and I saw more hipster girls wearing vintage dresses there than I do here.
Comment by Alex — May 5, 2011 @ 8:34 am
Girl, you’re misguided. I’m sure you stayed in one part of Brooklyn, a.k.a. Bedford Avenue. Brooklyn is huge. I’m from Chicago born and raised and have been living in Brooklyn now for 3 years. Hipsters, like New Yorkers, come in all shapes and sizes and levels of “hip.” and also different parts of Brooklyn, not to mention the city as a whole. The hipsters in Williamsburg aren’t even hipsters…the prices there are so high now that all the real hip kids live off the beaten path in Bushwick or southern parts of Brooklyn where there aren’t boutiques on every corner.
I’m sorry the thrift stores here aren’t filled with cutesy old navy fashions ala suburban “vintage.”
Comment by Lucy — June 2, 2011 @ 8:14 pm
wtf, no one wears half the shit you posted here. stupid post.
Comment by Ryan — June 27, 2011 @ 3:26 pm
haha, fuck hipsters!
hipsters hating on other hipsters for being hipsters. hilarious.
Comment by who cares — July 12, 2011 @ 2:25 pm
you’re not embracing this brooklyn fad because it’s advanced. get your eyeballs ready. it’s coming to chi-town town soon.
Comment by coleen — July 29, 2011 @ 1:07 am
and may i add? brooklyn hipsters are 98% midwesterners, mostly from ohio, illinois and michigan =D
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Comment by carving watermelon whale — February 8, 2012 @ 2:32 am