Chocolate Sunglasses

So in this article it claims that by looking at Japanese street style blogs, those kids "know what’s hip months, sometimes years before the rest of us". Now, not trying to bash the Japanese or anything, but to me, that's not really being "hip". Because, to me, being "hip" would be being with the current trends. Not several years ahead of them. I mean, hypothetically, I might really like full-body chainmail robes and wear them on a regular basis, and while they will (hypothetically) be in style 3 years from now, I don't think many people would be snapping my picture and labeling it "Hip". Perhaps "individualistic" or "daring", and more likely "freak", but not "hip".