Now, were the whole 2000s Hollister stores somewhat toxic? Absurd? Absolutely unhinged? Yes. It was all very much classist and not inclusive at all. But I also, somehow, miss it, like a bad ex-boyfriend. The old stores remind me of the nostalgic days when shopping in person was a true experience, something you could not replicate online. These days, shops feel so humdrum—all modernized and stark, and playing clinically-commercial music at levels that are always approved by corporate. (Hollister back then, meanwhile, felt more lawless—like the music was being DJ’d by one of the bored teens at the checkout counter.)
So, while we certainly do not need to bring back the 2000s Hollister business model per se, perhaps brands can have more fun with how we physically shop again? I currently avoid buying things in-store at all costs, much preferring the ease and convenience of online shopping—but maybe a label out there can convince me to make the physical trek once again, by capturing that one-of-a-kind feel that Hollister’s had back in the aughts.
The fun was not in buying the pieces, after all, but the wild journey it took to procure them. I drove hours to those Hollisters because of the adrenaline rush it gave me once I was inside that dark, loud store. When fashion was fun. So, if you know of such an exhilarating store still in existence, please send it to me, so I can relive my teen fantasy once again. Extra-dark lighting and in-store bullying not required.