Thanks to the popularity of Ex-Batallion and a bunch of other urban cultural touchstones we ripped off from African-Americans, being a “Hypebeast” is suddenly in vogue right now in the Philippines, even for people who seemingly can’t afford it.

For anyone who’s been sort of following American hip-hop culture, a “Hypebeast” is someone who dresses to impress other people. The minute that concept made its way to our neck of the woods, well, this happened…

Clearly, someone didn’t kill it with fire. It multiplied.

While it’s easy to make fun of this sub-culture (as we clearly demonstrated), it ultimately hurts nobody except if “fashion sense” were a living, breathing person. Besides, seeing as fashion is subjective, this might even be the exact style that you really, really like! We won’t judge.

In fact, here’s the Starter Pack!

 With that in mind, and with a lot of thanks(?) to Jessica Sojo, here’s how to unleash the Hypebeast in you!

Tuck your shirt in.

The first tip to any would-be Hypebeast is to tuck your shirt in. Yup: contrary to the hip-hoppers of old, you don’t want to look baggy and lousy when glamming up. The obvious exception to this rule is if you are wearing a jersey. By all means, you may keep that untucked.

Wear long socks, but never plain white ones

Unless your name is Michael Jackson, focus on the colorful ones that reflect your personality. Your socks need to be long, because you either wear long shorts, or skinny jeans that go well above your ankles.

Sneakers are game

The thing that ties the Hypebeast’s ensemble together would be their sneakers. If you have fake Jordans, fake Kobe’s, or fake LeBron’s, flaunt ‘em. But emphasis on “fake.” You’ll find out why in a bit.

Headgear preferred, but optional

Ever seen this hat?

That’s soooo mid ‘00s.

Don’t wear that, that’s totally passe. Instead, this is the hat du jour for Hypebeasts:

Much better.

Shades indoors? Yes, please.

This speaks for itself.

Too bad it speaks in gibberish.

Supreme reigns supreme

There’s only one “brand” to rule them all, and by “brand,” we mean cheap knockoffs…

Why?!?

For a brand so plain it hurts, Supreme is all over the place because they priced themselves to be high-end.  People who buy genuine Supreme products may not be getting much in the way of added quality, but a lot in the name of exclusivity. Supreme as a brand has made the mundane aspirational, and in knocking that brand off, it makes everyone special until nobody is.

Jacket in this heat? Absolutely.

The jacket is a must. The gaudier, the better. That thing you saw in the Starter Pack? Meh. Like the “Obey” cap, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Try this on for size:

If you can pull that off, you are officially a raccoon.

The jacket is an integral part of the Hypebeast’s swag. No matter how hot it gets in the Philippines, it’s the jacket that really spells out just how Hypebeast you truly are.

Don’t spend a fortune

Contrary to what you might think, a true Hypebeast wouldn’t even spend a thousand bucks on this list’s proposed ensemble. Instead of going to the department store or even to the tiangge, they would go straight to the palengke to buy their clothes, as they believe they are leveling up in fashion at the small cost of saving up their allowances (contrary to popular belief, Hypebeasts are not all cellphone snatchers).

Sure, you might laugh. But isn’t that the very same thing the so-called alta does when they stop going to Starbucks just so they can afford their LV’s and Jimmy Choos? In the end, we’re not so different, after all.

What are your thoughts on hype beasts? Tell us below!