R.A.G. New York

There word hipster invokes the the momentary feeling of bile welling up in one’s throat and it’s rare to see anyone willingly identifying themselves with the title.  Yet, I write this article because I’ve noticed a growing trend among the hipster crowd as I walk through the streets of New York City.  They have gone from tight, spandex clothing from American Apparel, to the coveted DIY graphic t-shirts reminiscent of the punk generation.  Much like the the proverbial parasite described by Agent Smith in the movie – The Matrix, the hipster is a consumer of worlds (or in this case other subcultures).  Hipsterdom constantly attempts to appropriate iconic materials of other subcultures, deem it cool, and then call it their own; the graphic tee-shirt is no different scenario. 

This idea of Hipsterdom and how it’s destrying not only the individuality driven graphic tee, but also all of western counter culture is best described in this article here: 

Below is a short quote from the indepth article:

The American Apparel V-neck shirt, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and Parliament cigarettes are symbols and icons of working or revolutionary classes that have been appropriated by hipsterdom and drained of meaning. Ten years ago, a man wearing a plain V-neck tee and drinking a Pabst would never be accused of being a trend-follower. But in 2008, such things have become shameless clichés of a class of individuals that seek to escape their own wealth and privilege by immersing themselves in the aesthetic of the working class.