15 Brands Hipsters Love

Image via Complex Original

The life of a hipster is tough. The 11am sun creeping into the bedroom is too bright to ignore, the yay supply is dwindling and the dealer is nowhere to be found, and tonight it's $14 artisinal cocktails again? By rocking a Starter jacket, any hipster can re-live the golden era of their childhood when they were on their parents' health insurance plan and looking dumb was fine. These qualities and others will melt away the hectic life of modern-day bohemia, and the Starter jacket almost acts as a shield to responsibility and giving a fuck. A self-respecting hipster would surely stock this in his wardrobe, since respect is very rare for today's hipster.

Much like Starter, it's all about the OG brands making a comeback and hipsters supporting it even if they barely have any memory of when this stuff was first cool. American hipsters may never admit it, but their British counterparts are probably cooler and better-dressed, and Fred Perry is a big reason for that. Since Fred Perry has been around for so long, hipsters can just pretend they were down back in the day, and they're just supporting it now again in a vintage-y way, making them retroactively cool even if they were lame as fuck or a huge jock.

Disdainful, condescending, and really skinny - the French are kinda the OG hipsters. So it's only natural the American hipsters would want do drape themselves in simple basics from A.P.C. that, like hipsters, state their coolness without saying much. And even going beyond clothing, hipsters have emulated the manners and odor of the French. The francophilia of this hipster generation all started during the collective junior semester abroad in Paris, and embracing the French love of believing that they're better than the average American.

The standard uniform for any artist, musician, or writer is all-black everything, and it just so happens that these are the top three dream careers of the hipster. So in the spirit of the ancient hipster mantra, "fake it 'til you make it," the modern-day bohemians have been flocking to Oak. Draped in head-to-toe noir, the dude wearing these clothes can appear deep and insightful, even if he's only memorized one philosopher's quote and uses it several times at the same party.

Authenticity is a prized value for hipsters. If a band/artist/chef/brand isn't keeping it real, then they might as well be selling hipsters a bridge in Brooklyn. And since Brooklyn is so real, someone's probably buying it. But even more authentic is Pendleton, the Oregan-based brand that started in 1889 when a British immigrant began producing Indian blankets. The brand is a fluid channel for hipsters to appropriate Native American cultures, which are probably the realest ones of them all, cause, you know... (hipster makes vague gesture with PBR-filled hand and balefully stares across the party).

Hipsters have appeared in the mainstream now, but one thing the hipsters in car commercials won't admit to because of contractual obligations is that they love drugs. And what clothing brand is more enjoyed by those on drugs than Jeremy Scott. Just look at that shit! It's so insane that you can't help but have fun with it. And besides, hipsters didn't move to the big city from "super-oppressive" suburbs to blend in; they're here to stand out and go wild in Jeremy Scott clothes!

Their lookbooks are comprised of Polaroids and modeled by skinny boys who look like they write poetry about the inadequacy of sex. Not only are they a hipster's favorite clothing brand, hipsters base their Instagram identities after Band of Outsiders. But it's definitely a more expensive, and thus, aspirational brand for hipsters; there might be a piece or two from BofO in a hipster's closet, but at this point in their "creative" career it's more about the brand's image than actual product.

Acne is the brand that brought slim Scandinavian cool stateside, and gave everyone the chance to dress like they're the significant interior designer they advertise themselves as on Craigslist. In a backlash to the neon and flourescent '80s craziness that hipsters were really into for a minute came the austere blacks and greys of this Swedish brand. And with it, the party died. When was the last time you saw a hipster smile?

The household brand of the coolest store in the world (said the hipster with a disdainful eyeroll) creates kooky clothing that is equal parts fun and weird. And with the modern-day hipster, these clothes that you'd expect to maybe see at the club on the weekend are showing up at Tuesday job interviews. And when they don't get the gig, of course it's not because they wore a mesh Miami green polo shirt to the interview. It's the economy's fault (and Obama, the hipster whispers in his head). This is the first step of the hipster eventually becoming a Republican in his middle age when he actually has made some money.

For hipsters, wearing Keds harks back to a simpler time; a better time when tennis shoes were appropriate anywhere, and people who dressed preppy weren't all dicks. Of course, this extremely whitewashed romanticization of history leaves out a whole bunch of terrible stuff, but who wants to remember sad things? And besides, nothing will get you through tough times/unpaid internship like a reliable pair of kicks. That and a monthly allowance from your parents.

Vans bring that West Coast cool that makes you feel so comfortable in any setting that you could just, like, sit anywhere. They're the basic kicks that have been reliable since 1966, and the Authentics haven't deviated much from their original designs for good reason. Catch your local curb-sitting hipster giving condescending looks to mellow-harshers while they sit wherever they want being their own individual. Because nothing says "personality" like having the same shoes as everyone else. 

Everyone knows hipsters take some style influence from the '80s, but only Levi's was able to make the 1880s cool. It makes sense though - by romanticizing the past, hipsters aren't faced with the daunting responsibilities of current times. And who could ask for a better spokesman than Walt Whitman - the bearded inhbaitant of Brooklyn who was a pioneering gentrifier. The guy in the photo is so inspired that he's setting off to gentrify the ocean. Rent's about to go up, marine life.

What are hipsters but their former children selves in bigger bodies? They have the same waist size, are coddled by their parents, and still adore cute fuzzy things like their mustaches and dogs. Well with The Mountain, hipsters can wear their loves on their sleeves, and torsos. And no matter what the animal - dog, cat, wolf, or dragon - The Mountain's got every genus covered with their signature big face tees. There are a must for any hipster who's sick of ironic slogan tees after those went mainstream.

They may not want to admit it, but the average hipster's closet is at least 35% American Apparel. From the tees to the hoodies to the tube socks, this one brand essentially created the hipster archetype that anyone could hop onto. All it took was a trip to whatever mall the nearest AA was in, throwing down a few bucks, and voila, you can express your authentic individuality while looking like everyone else.

Macklemore went double platinum on the strength of celebrating hipsters' favorite pastime. We're not shitting on thrift stores and vintage wear, but try to find a hipster who's isn't proud of smelling like must and boasting about the non-labels on their thrift finds. Pro Tip: The best thrifting is in Florida because it's where rich New Yorkers go to die.