Sanderson thinks it’s more a case of evolving than dying. Talking to theObserver last week, he suggested there are now two types of hipster: “Contemporary hipsters – the ones with the beards we love to hate – and proto-hipsters, the real deal.” And herein lies the confusion.

“Historically, proto-hipsters have been connoisseurs – people who deviate from the norm. Like hippies. Over the years, though, they inspired a new generation of young urban types who turned the notion of a hipster into a grossly commercial parody. These new hipsters want to appear a certain way, to be seen to be doing certain things, but without doing the research. So they appropriated the lifestyle and mindset of a proto-hipster.”
—Morwenna Ferrier, The end of the hipster: how flat caps and beards stopped being so cool
I still think the term ‘hipster’ is silly because it doesn’t mean anything.
Let me rephrase that: hipster means so many things to so many people it has lost it’s meaning. Depending on who I’m hanging out, they’ll point out different types of people they think are hipsters. Based on anecdotal evidence, I can only conclude hipsters are non-conservative people, who might or might not dress in a quirky fashion. They also might or might not have beards and might or might not have dark-rimmed glasses. And suspenders.
Whenever someone says they’ve spotted some hipsters, there’s always a strong whiff of cynicism that comes with it and too much cynicism is not healthy.