Hipster Shopping in Las Vegas

I'll be honest; I don't really know what the term hipster means anymore. The word has become an over-determined and silly catchall that's ceased to have any real meaning.
There is definitely a stereotypical hipster look, one that's basically become a uniform of the indie-inclined. Many people choose to "dress the part" in the undying human quest to fit in, adopting the vintage fashion and over sized glasses that have become ubiquitous from Los Feliz to Brooklyn. I can't say I'm really above it... I do have a closet full of plaid and American Apparel shirts with band logos screen-printed on them. Plus, I also rock a mighty beard and sport thick black glasses (though I've had them since I was in high school and before they were trendy, but I guess voicing that protest is about as hipstery as one can get).

If you really want to fully embody the hipster style, whether to infiltrate a suspicious cell of ironic terrorists who want to overthrow the government based on the philosophy of Vice Magazine or you just want to put together a killer Halloween costume, it's easy to find the perfect retail outlets for hipster essentials in any major city.

Including Las Vegas, of course. Below is a listing of the indiest and most hipsterific retail options in Sin City. Visit them ironically if you like, shop at them because you're insecure and desperately want to fit in to a social group, or spend your money at these spots because they're cool and sell unique things that you like.

BUFFALO EXCHANGE
4110 S. Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89119
 

Buy, sell, and trade clothes at this hip vintage shop, which works as a locally sourced fashion exchange. Because the people who shop and trade in their old clothes at the store (a link in an extremely popular national chain) are generally extremely hip and in the know, you can usually find some really great clothes at hugely discounted rates from their original retail prices.

ELECTRIC LEMONADE  
220 E. Charleston Blvd.

A curated store catering to women, this place carries a mix of hip fashion labels and smartly selected vintage clothing. If you're looking for classic concert T-Shirts that will make people think you went to see The Dead or Janis Joplin in the 70's (even though you were born in the mid 80's), this is the place for you (though be prepared to pay handsomely to partake in their excellent selection).

BETTIE PAGE CLOTHING
Planet Hollywood Resort and Caesars Palace
  The classic look of the curvy pinup star is all the rage with cute hipster girls these days, and they can find clothes designed to capture her timeless style at these two specialty retail outlets on The Strip.


RETROSPECS & CO.
The Cosmpolitan

Designer eye wear with a vintage slant that can give you the perfect cool nerd look. Shop here even if you technically don't actually need glasses; you can be like those NBA guys chatting in their post-game press conferences with sporting the "big frames and no lenses" look! Or don't do that, because it's kind of stupid.

THE ART OF SHAVING
Mandalay Place and Canal Shoppes at The Venetian

If you've never paid for a professional shave, it's totally awesome bros. Get your lumberjack beard or killer stache shaped by a style assasin. And enjoy the hot towels. After you experience the faux old timey barbershop situation at The Art of Shaving, you'll never want to live in a world without hot towels again.

ZIA RECORD EXCHANGE

4503 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas NV 89102
Monday through Sunday 10 AM – MIDNIGHT


4225 S. Eastern Avenue, Las Vegas NV 89119
Monday through Sunday 10 AM – MIDNIGHT
 Neither Zia Exchange Shop location in Las Vegas is as big as the Amoeba megastores in LA, San Francisco, or Berkely, but then again, what record store is? Zia, which also has a few locations in Arizona, carries a deep selection of new and used CDs, Vinyl Records, Blu Rays, DVDs, and video games. Dig through their selection and you're sure to find some obscure vinyl to carry home in environmentally friendly messenger bag.

Bauman Rare Books
Shoppes at The Palazzo
Okay, you're probably not actually going to buy any books at this place unless you're rank is actually Captain and your last name is Moneybags, but this place is worth a visit. Basically a museum devoted to first editions of classic literature, lit geeks can look at and handle original copies of amazing classics like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that date back to a time when Mark Twain could have inspected the copies. An incredible place to find a great wedding gift for bookhead couples, try not to drool on these tomes, many of which are hundreds of years old.