You gotta do some things to be hip, otherwise, you're just average, plain and shallow. These are legit tricks with a high success rate. These range from wardrobe to communities you keep up with.

Lets start with the wardrobe.

You might think that caring about clothing is stupid and dumb. Maybe you think it's for girls who have an unquenchable thirst for shopping. I used to think both of those things, I also used to think I would never care as much as my mom did, because my mom did a lot. She used to drag me everywhere and I would sit on a jeans shelf before an employee told me to get off. I still don't care as much as my mom does, but I care enough to build a wardrobe that reflects who I am.
I have certain ethos to choosing clothing; you might not agree with some.

• No plain shirts with logos slathered on them.
  This is the easiest way for brands to advertise. This isn't free for them, of course. It's actually a (great) source of income, from YOU! You're literally objectifying yourself if you own a shirt like that. You're like their little doggy.

• Don't keep up with fashion.
  You'll be surprised how the minute you stop looking at social media and advertisements and start thinking of your own fits, fashion actually follows YOU. It's hilarious. Also, you'll save a ton of money because you're not buying new clothes that follow the ever-changing mainstream and you're not throwing away expired trends, all because you don't know the mainstream anymore.

• Own just enough, but not too much.
  This could sound confusing because I did not put a number; I don't need to. Now that you've stopped keeping up with fashion, you've removed any potential desire to shop uncontrollably. You might even have an idea of what you want now, even though no third party is dictating what you need.
  This is an amazing feeling: if you experience it, you're on your way to becoming hip.

You're going to need to think about colours and shades that go together too. This comes naturally so I won't go into depth.

Appearance

And by that I mean your physical body. There is an extremist community on the internet that revolves around an extremist idea about female attraction, and their solution is to improve physical appearance as much as possible to maximise your looks. I've spent some time scouting their various sites and talking with their members, therefore gathering some actually useful tips that I will share now. Some of these are a no-brainer, some are more subtle yet substantial, all of these are underrated.

• Eye brows and eye lashes have to be even.
  Some people don't care about this because they don't need to: their lashes are short and their brows are naturally always symmetrical. Not everyone has both of those privileges, and some don't even bear one. I'm one of those people. I started caring when I saw an old picture of myself, everything was nice and cute, except my brows were uneven and it was the first thing I noticed. Now, I just dab water on my finger and shape them into place; I don't wax them or anything, and no one needs to. I have thick lashes and they get in the way of my vision so I just use a finger to curl them outwards.

• Lip health.
  This is actually really important. Please hydrate, it fixes the issue almost immediately. Investing in off-brand lip balm will only make your cracked lips sparkle.

• B.O.
  Fixed by applying deodorant. Add a body mist or dry shampoo if you're feeling especially self-conscious.

• Skin Health
  There is a difference between a face full of acne and someone who watches out for their face full of acne, whether it be by washing their face or watching their diet. Washing your face doesn't have to be expensive or involve lots of steps. I started out with a brick and some hand soap once a day, I haven't changed at all and my acne has improved since I have started, not significantly. For me, the real problem lied within my diet. I love dairy, but cows and other animals that produce milk are often given hormones. These hormones leech into the milk we drink or make into cheese, and for some people, it's the root cause of their acne - it was for me. Thankfully, I did not need to completely cut dairy out of my diet to restore the hormonal balance in my body. I just switched to organic brands. Within a week, everything, and I mean everything, cleared up. Unfortunately, this did mean I had to stop eating Toblerones and M&M's. Fortunately, there are more dairy-free options. Some vegan treats do the job: Oreos are (surprisingly) dairy-free, and, despite how much you hate the fad, veganism has risen, and corporations have to follow the demand: every supermarket I know has a vegan chocolate section. Sorbets are, by definition, dairy-free ice creams, that's something for the summer!

Hobbies

It sounds almost silly, but count how many interests you have and then you can laugh again.

Durr, cartoons, umm, art, once i made banana bread with my mom during quarantine so i guess baking, memes too. uhhh, listening to music and gatekeeping pitchfork-core... gosh this is hard, oh wait!! swimming! umm, does math count?

Think about what you like, and deeply. Or don't, I didn't. I'm not saying you need to have a list of hobbies or anything. Less hobbies should mean you have more skill and a deeper knowledge in each of them than most people. I just mean that having solid hobbies can really help you formulate a more accurate depiction of yourself in your head. For example, someone who practises origami might like the rewarding feeling that comes with perfecting a piece, or maybe they enjoy the tranquility that comes with folding coloured paper. This could say that they find satisfaction in a job-well-done, or have a virtuous sense of patience and a deep appreciation for small, seemingly insignificant things. Finding out more about yourself helps you become more self-aware and encourages you to become more expressive (links back to your wardrobe).
Sharing your hobby with others is beneficial, whether it be in a club at school or an active anonymous forum. You can even discover more about yourself as you surf the internet or share passions. Just last month, I discovered that I loved to write stories even though I regard myself more of an artist, and I was on a pony forum! If you're young, expanding your skillset can make you more appealing to colleges and universities. For everyone, it chisels your personality, attracting new people, because a deep sense of self is reflected through conversation and mannerisms, believe me! New friends are awesome. They can teach you new things: you will pick up traits from friends subconsciously, especially if you admire their hard work and noble character.

Having morals and principles.

Ew, isn't this what my parents and church group babble on about?

Sort of. Having solid principles and values can be a good thing if you're also open-minded and flexible. Notice I did not say rigid.
Examples include:

1. Tell the truth.
2. Keep your promises.
3. Treat others as you want to be treated.
4. Do not judge.
5. Be dependable.
6. Do not bottle up emotions, feelings, or intrusive thoughts.

I do not mean:

• Listen to your parents and pastor.
• Being annoying to your friends because you think you need to intervene after some loser was being hurtful.
• Hate minorities because your culture says so.
• Believe in family values.
• Be a vulnerable person.
• Have a top 5 religion.

Like having hobbies, these things are reflected when conversing and are attractive to good people. They also help you stabilise yourself and maintain honourability within your identity.

If you've read the entire blog, which took me about 4 hours to write, then congratulations1 You've proven to be dedicated. Note: Following these tips actually lead to happiness and self-acceptance. That's the secret to being hip and cool. It really is! If you believe me, you're on your way to stardom.