A lot of us have that one friend that is vegetarian or vegan, prefers music in vinyl form, and probably dresses alarmingly like your dad did in 1980. When people try to recreate this style, they always look like they're trying too hard, because it takes a certain type of person to genuinely embody the "hipster" aesthetic these days.
If you're trying to figure out if one of your friends is working too hard to achieve this look, or if they're just THAT into their new Neutral Milk Hotel vinyl, you might look for the following things:
1. Their mom jeans are NOT from American Eagle or Urban Outfitters
Yes, hipsters wear mom jeans. No, they don't buy them at popular retailers. A true hipster piece of trash probably found their favorite pair of mom jeans at the local resale shop for less than $10. Even better, she snagged them out of her own mother's closet before they were sent to the resale shop in the first place.
2. They are a coffee snob, but they don’t talk about it
This one is a weird one because these days both hipsters and basic white girls love themselves a good cup of joe. The difference? The true hipsters maintain the stereotype of being complete coffee snobs (probably love a french press from that tiny coffee shop on the corner), but they don't talk about it. Posting a picture of their latte on their Snapchat story probably isn't something that happens either.
3. They secretly, or not so secretly, judge everyone else’s taste in music
A seemingly timeless characteristic of the hipster crowd. They all seem to have a painfully unique taste in music, yet simultaneously judge everyone whose music taste differs greatly from their own. Seems a little counterintuitive, doesn't it?
4. Food, food, food
Okay. Contrary to the previous point that showed how hipsters sometimes religiously embody the stereotypes they fall under, food is a different story. Yes, a lot of "hipsters" eat organic, are on some sort of trendy diet (keto diet anyone?), or are vegetarian or vegan (yes, there's a difference!), but often times these choices have a lot less to do with someone's hipster aesthetic than one may think.
Diets are complicated. It takes more than a dedication to a hipster aesthetic to stick with being vegan. So, don't let food fool you. A lot of true hipsters love Chipotle just as much as you do.
5. Colors, or lack there of
Everyone knows that the easiest way to spot someone who is a true hipster, or someone who is trying to be, is by what they're wearing. The truth is, a lot of true hipsters are hard to spot, because their wardrobe is painfully dull in color. Lots of black, white and gray. Maybe a hint of army green every once in awhile. And this goes for accessories too! If you see a girl with dark rectangular glasses and a flannel, but also a hot pink manicure, she's probably not as hipster as you may think.