Are Hipsters the Modern Dandies? – Analytical Essay Example
It is a well known fact that being a hipster is mainly a state of mind, a self-viewed image intertwined with sense of fashion and lifestyle. Hipsters are people with androgynous styles, both in hair and in clothes and it is a central part of their dogma not to be put under the influence of the modern world.
People who live their lives as outsiders from the norms of the majority reject the attitudes of the mainstream consumers who tend to wear and praise the fashion the designers and stores represent. Not being a piece of the puzzle is a part of them, as well as not being influenced by media, mainstream choices and advertising.
A hipster is a modern figure with a history and literature behind, being a representation of the dandies from the eighteen century. For those that are not familiar with the term dandy, this was known to be a man or a woman who portrayed themselves and behaved in a manner quite similar as the hipsters nowadays. Schmid (2002) has defined dandies as people “who place particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of self.” Baudelaire described dandies’ style as the “cult of self.” This is mainly the same definition given to nowadays hipsters and yet another supporter of the claim that this segment of population are the dandies of the modern times. The clothing, appearance and general understanding of others are quite the mirror of both terms, with both hipsters and dandies finding other’s appearance inadequate, boring and simply monotonous.
References
Baudelaire, C. (1863 ) The Painter of Modern Life. Available: http://www.dandyism.net/baudelaires-the-dandy
Schmid, S. (2002) ‘Byron and Wilde: The Dandy in the Public Sphere’ in Hibbard, J.(eds.) The Importance of Reinventing Oscar: versions of Wilde during the last 100 years
