The culture of hypebeasts

Supreme, Balenciaga, Versace, A Bathing Ape and Louis Vuitton have been obsessed over by the young generation. Athletes, models and artists, who are icons for youth, have made it “cool” to wear upscale clothing and accessories. But really, what is the hype?

Hypebeasts, defined as people who wear trendy and pricey clothing, have become the latest fascination of modern-day fashion.

The recent Supreme and Louis Vuitton collaboration sold track pants at $790, compared to the popular Adidas track pants, which are priced at $30. Even then, the collaboration still sold out in seconds.

Needless to say, few hypebeasts seem to mind the high price tags, even if it’s higher than a month’s rent, a mind-set average consumers cannot wrap their heads around.

Sophomore Anees Mohideen is the opposite of a hypebeast. He can’t fathom the concept of spending more than $20 on an article of clothing. His shopping habits are simple: drive to Costco, walk into Costco, pick a shirt, buy the shirt, wear the shirt.

“I honestly don’t really care,” Mohideen said. “I think the stuff they wear looks good and it's pretty cool, but I’m just not into all the fashion stuff.”

Junior Aaron Yang can also relate to Mohideen’s view on these lavish spenders. Yang’s wardrobe consists of hoodies, basketball shorts and jeans, clothes that Yang says keeps him comfortable throughout the day.

“I wouldn’t spend money on expensive apparel,” Yang said. “I would spend it on things that I value more, such as new technology.”

Yang does not condemn hypebeasts, though. His belief is that everybody’s values are different and to him, that is just fine.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is sophomore Mihir Bettadapur, a hypebeast in his own right. Bettadapur has no problem wearing clothing from classic and popular retailers such as PacSun and H&M, but he is also an avid supporter of more luxurious brands, such as Billionaire Boys Club and Off-White.

Near the end of first semester of his freshman year, Bettadapur overheard some of his friends discussing their favorite clothing brands. From there, he discovered the entire world of streetwear and high fashion.

When asked about his attraction to these companies and what he wears in general, Bettadapur said, “I like wearing products that are comfortable, quality, and of course, hyped. Brand is important to me, but I wouldn’t wear something that screams the brand.”

Bettadapur has made strategic and smart moves to obtain the products he wants. In an effort to get anticipated products for the lowest price possible, Bettadapur uses apps that notify him at the exact time a fashion line drops.

Although Bettadapur wears a majority of the clothes he buys, he also resells some clothing to other hypebeasts. Bettadapur has flipped many of the rarest and most coveted clothes and shoes for sometimes as much as three times the product's retail price.  

Bettadapur uses the popular Adidas Confirmed app, which allows consumers to wait until the exact second every rare Adidas sneaker drops. Once the sneakers drop in price, users tap their screen as fast as possible, which sends an order to Adidas.

“I’ll buy things that sell out in seconds,” said Bettadapur. “For example, I bought the bred [black and red] Yeezy in February for the retail price of $220 and quickly sold them for $675.”

What outsiders do not know is that in order to secure an order, users like Bettadapur have to tap the screen within milliseconds, which requires fast and stable WiFi.

Bettadapur has undoubtedly been successful in getting these coveted items. When asked for his secret, Bettadapur smiled and replied, “I have fast fingers.”

So maybe this whole hypebeast thing is not just a trend after all. Upon further examination, it is a business that can result in a lot of profit for retailers and sometimes fashion lovers themselves. Maybe it is time to work on those typing skills, because, as Bettadapur has proven, there is money to be made.