Ok, Bangkok hipsters. I like you, I do. I like your funny shaped glasses and your shabby but alarmingly overpriced drinking venues and your mock horror when I mention Taylor Swift. But one thing has to stop: your boring fashion sense.
I know hipsters, by definition, don’t think of themselves as hipsters, but if you’re reading this whilst wearing coloured loafers, listening to something either ironically bad or that you know full well most of us have never heard of and you’re contemplating your next angular haircut or fixie bike ride, then I’m talking to you.
I don’t want you to stop what you’re doing. I like the fact you still use a camera with film in it and that you play a berimbau. I just wish you’d be a bit more innovative with your fashion sense too. I write about fashion subcultures and, to be honest, you’re making it really hard for me. There’s only so much I can write about tailored shorts worn with a suit jacket or brightly coloured loafers and brogues. And enough with the turned-up chinos already! The same goes for the girls; waistcoats, slouchy t-shirts, sheer ankle-length skirts, pulled up socks and a hat are cool, but is there something else you could wear? Anything? There is a whole world of clothing out there.
You can pretend all you want that you don’t care about fashion, but we all know that’s a lie. Your hair is too pretty for that to be true. Now, I know in Bangkok you are slightly more limited when it comes to styling yourself than the hipsters of New York, Tokyo and London, for instance. The weather here is just too hot to wear layers of scarves and patterned tights and hundreds of rings and there are fewer vintage markets and shops to rummage through, but there must be another way. It’s getting to the point where if I see another pair of laser cut brogues, I may break down and cry.
I’m not suggesting you ditch your fedoras all together. I’m just suggesting maybe switching it up once in a while; perhaps you could try wearing a top hat or a fez or something else faintly ridiculous? I would be truly delighted to see someone walking around in a bowtie, a cloak or some gold jeans.
Bangkok hipsters, I implore you: Ditch the uniforms, and use a little imagination instead.
Photo: Hipster trap. Hat tip to Jeff Greenspan’s lovely Urban Traps
