Generation Lost: So Original It's Mainstream

                
  (Because having a HOW TO GUIDE to something doesn't make it mainstream at all...)

What original is: Preceding all others in time; first. or, not derived from something else; fresh and unusual. aka being your individual unique self.

What original is not: wearing two different earrings, thick dorky looking glasses, and bright colored clothing that does not match for the sole purpose of looking "different."

What that is: STUPID.

If every person waking up in the morning knew this and dressed accordingly, the world would be a better place.

It seems to me that nowadays everyone has this crazy need to be "original." Especially in the way you dress. They want to look exactly the opposite of what mainstream society looks like. They're the cool kids, the rebels, the hipsters, whatever the heck you want to call them. They're "Above the Influence" and all that. They're supposedly independent thinkers who go against our cultures norms and expectations.

Now in theory, that sounds great! These are the kind of people who are helping this lost generation find its way right? Wrong. These are the people that are taking this generation deeper and deeper into the dark forest of confusion from which it may never return.

I have to admit though, the hipsters entertain me. I looked up the definition of the word on Urban Dictionary and found a lengthy one, probably written by a self-proclaimed hipster.

"Although "hipsterism" is really a state of mind,it is also often intertwined with distinct fashion sensibilities. Hipsters reject the culturally-ignorant attitudes of mainstream consumers, and are often be seen wearing vintage and thrift store inspired fashions, tight-fitting jeans, old-school sneakers, and sometimes thick rimmed glasses."

Ok, so the first step to becoming a hipster is simply declaring yourself a hipster. And then comes their "distinct" fashion sense which I see has been summed up nicely in one sentence. Most hipsters dress exactly the same. Seems very fresh, unusual, and DIFFERENT.

"The "effortless cool" urban bohemian look of a hipster is exemplified in Urban Outfitters and American Apparel ads which cater towards the hipster demographic."

Wow. You mean you can dress like a hipster by shopping in two extremely mainstream stores? That's so very original! Because what I buy at Urban Outfitters is going against mainstream society! Who are they kidding? Hipsters are NOT a counterculture. They are a very BIG part of our culture! Looking like a hipster is so IN! But somehow, all the stores that sell this clothing manage to convince the stupid teenagers of the world that by shopping at American Apparel you're being original! Oh and who could forget all those attitudes and accessories you need to have that are listed up at the time in the how to be hipster guide! By acting the same as about a million other homeless looking "individuals" you're really sticking it to the man!

And then there are those who try so hard to be original that they throw together these strange outfits that look like they belong in some kind of circus act and call that "cool." Wearing one pink sock, one green sock, a skirt, a strangely patterned shirt, a scarf, and a pair of old ballet shoes, doesn't make you cool. It makes you look like a 3 year old playing dress up.

It drives. me. crazy. Everyone is so busy trying to be original, that they become mainstream. Once again, society has managed to get to us through advertisements and TV shows with an even more clever than usual way for us to become all alike. And we're so darn lost about everything that we don't even notice it! They could tell us never brushing your hair was crazy and original, we'd all stop doing it, all become the same, not see it, and look like a bunch of crazy idiotic savages. (...apparently grungy looking hair IS a part of the hipster look. I rest my case...)

Here's a thought: wear what you like. Who cares if it's something that's high fashion in Hollywood right now, who cares if it's not! Don't be influenced by what's going on around you. Be yourself. That's what being original really is. Looking how you want to look despite what others think. Not dressing in a certain way because you're trying to prove something.