So... On a recent solo trip to the South Side, and Dee's Cafe in particular, I noticed a trend that was most irregular and a bit disconcerting. You really had to squint to see the hipsters.
Not that they were in urban camo or anything; they just looked more subtly hipster-fashioned than I am used to (Thanks a lot, Joe Mande). Next to none of the usual hipster spotting features* were visible at a glance. Case in point: I noticed That One Really Hipster Dude You Always See looking surprisingly normal, aside from retaining his glasses and mustache, while I swear I also saw That Girl That Always Looks Like An Egyptian Princess looking decidedly un-royal and with a lot less makeup than I remember.
It's possible that a lot of the obvious markers are rendered invisible by the onslaught of winter, hipsters' general dislike of bundling up in the elements notwithstanding. Sure, there were a lot of knit caps out, but in a Pittsburgh winter they appear on a lot of non-hipster heads as well. Same goes for tattoo-concealing wear, especially flannel. Skinny jeans have always been uncommon around here, but last night was ridiculous. Maybe they insulate less than the ol' boot-cut.
I do wonder if, indeed, this is just winter getting serious and the hip malcontent crowd is indeed keeping warm, and for some reason that means dressing more conservatively. I mean, nobody wants their obituary to say that the cause of death was 'went outside'. But I also, in a slightly paranoid fashion, am considering the possibility that the hipster is sublimating into some new form. Whether that's a renewing phase, or a slow disappearance, or a watered-down version, I don't know.
Is Pittsburgh the hipster retirement home?
* Yes, the railfan in me said 'spotting features', rather than the more reasonable 'signifiers' or 'giveaways'.
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