It looks like spring's finally here, and with it, a change of fashion. To all you scenesters who spent the last five months assembling the perfect ensemble of shearling coat, commemorative knit hat and ironic scarf: It's time to start all over again. Break out the \Marathon '86!"" tees and the beat-to-hell All-Stars, because it's a whole new scene out there.
The change can be a little intimidating, I'll admit. And far be it from me to assume I have all the answers, so I did a little research in the interest of the basement-show-going public. The hipsters we all want to emulate so, so much are naturally a few weeks ahead of the curve.
My co-workers at the grocery store are all either stoners or hipsters, and stoners don't shed their skins very often, as a rule. Interestingly enough, all of the hipsters seem to live together in a small house with a big basement and either make movies or write symphonies when they're not stacking cans or something. It's a cultural anthropologist's dream and a dearth of good fashion sense.
Take Rylan for example: A one-time Alaskan bodybuilder, he's got the handsome good-looks of a young Johnny Weismiller. He plays the bass. He made it through the Christmas season with darkly colored khakis and an ace swoop of chin-length blond hair. But it's spring, so he upped the cool ante with a close-cut, somewhat-spiky 'do. To complement the change, he bought some jeans at the Gap, which might not seem that ""cool"" right off the bat, but if you constantly complain about the fake-distress marks they come with, it should save you some indie cred-that, or wear a rare Shellac shirt'your choice.
Or maybe you're more like Chad, the introspective, bespectacled, expensive-guitar playing member of the household. Favoring dark v-neck sweaters over collared shirts, Chad had to put up with being called ""Weezer"" all winter, but spring might put an end to that'so long as Chad chooses something that Rivers doesn't wear on the cover of the upcoming Maladroit. Last summer, I hazily remember Chad wearing a number of collared shirts over one another, and that's a good look'functional and stylish. If you attempt the Chad, make sure to accent it with a leather arm cuff, an expensive toothpick and the same shoes your friend bought a month before you.
Are you a dropout of the Milwaukee hardcore scene? Go for ""The Todd,"" a classic style consisting of white Converse EV IIs and short, tapered jeans. Anything else is optional, because you're to cover it up with an army field jacket 90 percent of the time. That, and a general air of irateness. If you're on a budget, go the preferred way of unfriendly sandwich-makers: Swap a bunch of t-shirts with a likeminded friend, and BAM'you're so much cooler.
Myself, I've decided to go with a budget-mod look: Lacoste and Fred Perry polo shirts at all times. That's all it takes; add some aviators when you're feeling sporty, and sleep the rest of the time, to get that authentic bedhead look. After all, we can't all run the Underture project, but damned if we can't dress like it. See you at the show-cheers!
