When did Portland first become a hipster darling?

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by westboundrambler

I guess you could call it a "fad" but I don't. Old stuff is just more interesting, old music is better, things used to be made better. I like old stuff, not because it's a fad but because it makes me feel comfortable. My first choice of a house would be a rustic log cabin, my first choice in music is tunes from the 60's and 70's, my first choice in a car is a 1947 Cadillac Series 62, my first choice in movies are flicks from the 50's-80's, my first choice in a guitar is a 1974 Gibson SG custom, and I prefer my concerts without jumbo trons.

For some it's a fad for some it's the real deal. For me it's my history. What I am trying to point out and probably not succeeding very well is that there are people like you who genuinely go for this stuff and know something about it. The ones who I think are phony are those who get into it just to make a statement or just for "show" trying to make it look like they are part of a certain culture. But in fact all they are doing is putting on the costume to identify with that culture without knowing what it is all about. I see those a lot on the streets of Portland. I even knew some who hung out on the streets and then went home to their nice suburb dwellings at the end of the day that were anything but retro.

If someone adopts the culture of another era and is genuinly into and knows about the culture of that era that is real. But just dressing in a certain way or listening to some music because that's what's "in" right now is a fad.

[westboundrambler]

Originally Posted by Minervah

For some it's a fad for some it's the real deal. For me it's my history. What I am trying to point out and probably not succeeding very well is that there are people like you who genuinely go for this stuff and know something about it. The ones who I think are phony are those who get into it just to make a statement or just for "show" trying to make it look like they are part of a certain culture. But in fact all they are doing is putting on the costume to identify with that culture without knowing what it is all about. I see those a lot on the streets of Portland. I even knew some who hung out on the streets and then went home to their nice suburb dwellings at the end of the day that were anything but retro.

If someone adopts the culture of another era and is genuinly into and knows about the culture of that era that is real. But just dressing in a certain way or listening to some music because that's what's "in" right now is a fad.

Yea for sure. I've met people like that, not many but they get on your nerves real quick.

[westboundrambler]

Originally Posted by Minervah

See I am just the opposite. I have worn glasses since I was five years old. I have found that type to be very uncomfortable. I was so happy when wire glasses came into being. So much more comfortable because they are lightweight and I have a small face that doesn't accomodate large thick frames well.

I didn't say everyone who wears horn rims were doing it just to be stylish. I just said they remind me of the 50's and I think many do choose them because they are faddish. To each his or her own. If that's how they want to make a statement, fine. But if they think they are doing it to be unique, they are not.

Yea, sorry I kind of attacked you, you make some good points. I was with some buddies at a bar one time and this guy starts hitting on a friend of mine. Well during process (he was wearing the same glasses as me) he asks if my glasses are real (as in prescription) and I just kind of stared for a second, cuz I didn't really understand, and answered in a confused tone "yea, aren't yours?..." and no, they weren't, I honestly didn't know that was a thing (wearing glasses without a prescription or other medical reason), hence why I was confused. So yea I get wear you're coming from, I just don't see that much. Apparently Portland may have more in store for me though? If so, ah well because I do things and go places for the positives, but annoyances are definitely in existence, but I can definitely appreciate where you're coming from.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by westboundrambler

Yea, sorry I kind of attacked you, you make some good points. I was with some buddies at a bar one time and this guy starts hitting on a friend of mine. Well during process (he was wearing the same glasses as me) he asks if my glasses are real (as in prescription) and I just kind of stared for a second, cuz I didn't really understand, and answered in a confused tone "yea, aren't yours?..." and no, they weren't, I honestly didn't know that was a thing (wearing glasses without a prescription or other medical reason), hence why I was confused. So yea I get wear you're coming from, I just don't see that much. Apparently Portland may have more in store for me though? If so, ah well because I do things and go places for the positives, but annoyances are definitely in existence, but I can definitely appreciate where you're coming from.

No problem. I have been posting here a long time and I often pi$$ people off.

I was actually thinking of a neighbor of mine regarding those glasses. His are phoney. They are just a fashion accessory along with his knit hat he wears even in the summertime. I tease him about it all the time. It's one of those with the braids hanging down on either side. I call it his "Heidi" hat. But basically he is a nice guy. After all, he hasn't punched me in the nose yet.

Yeah, when you come to Portland you will find quite a few phonies who think they are living in the TV show "Portlandia." But the real deal is here too. They just don't stick out as much.

[ChehalemValley]

I've been wearing perfectly circular frames since the 80s when I was in high school. My first ones were labeled "Lennon" which tells you who the manufacturers were cuing off of. Even then they were a pretty obscure item in catalogs. When I wanted some new frames a few years ago I figured it'd be a snap to get some in the wake of Harry Potter; the opposite was true, though - no circles at all; I had to buy frames off eBay. Fashion is the fickelist.

Hipsters are just the latest incarnation of beatniks/hippies/whatever people my age called themselves in the 80s - DIYers? We dodged a bullet there, no memorable media label. The "hipsters" I've met are just kids who are enjoying life, living low, being artistic, rejecting society's usual expectations of them to go to college, rack up debt, take out a mortgage, move to the suburbs, commute to their 9-5, etc etc etc. Some of them are shallow posers; what else is new? I heard the same stories way back when about faux punkers with peroxided hair headbanging until 2 AM before driving back to their cul de sac split level. Some of today's hipsters will still be doing their thing 30 years from now.