I stepped into Hollister for the first time in over a decade and now I don't know why I was ever intimidated to walk in

Gabbi ShawJan 11, 2022, 21:35 IST

Hollister in 2021.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Y2K fashion is having a comeback in a huge way.
I recently visited an Abercrombie & Fitch store and was impressed by the changes it's undergone.

Last month, I visited an Abercrombie & Fitch for the first time in over a decade after seeing how the brand was making a comeback.

During my trip to Abercrombie & Fitch.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

I decided to visit another relic of my youth, Hollister Co.

A Hollister in May 2009.Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Even more so than Abercrombie, I was afraid to walk into a Hollister store as a middle schooler.

A sign inside Hollister in 2005.aimie Trueblood/WireImage for Hollister Co./Getty Images

Here's what it looked like in its heyday. Hollister, traditionally, had a more laid back, beachy vibe than Abercrombie.

People queue to enter Hollister on April 5, 2010.travelview/Shutterstock

At the time, Hollister was just as popular as Abercrombie ...

Johnny Knoxville in 2005.Jamie McCarthy/WireImage/Getty Images

... but both stores faced a run of controversies.

A closed former Hollister in 2009.melissamn/Shutterstock

To see what Hollister is like in 2022, I headed to a store on 34th Street in Manhattan, right across the street from Macy's.

Hollister.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Here's what the inside looked like at first glance. I immediately noticed some changes.

Inside of Hollister.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

The first clothes I saw when I walked in were still covered in the Hollister name and seagull logo.

Clothes as Hollister.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

The name was all over the place.

Hollister sweatpants.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Though there was some attempt to keep with the beach, laid-back, flowy vibes of Hollister past ...

A dress.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

... I noticed that the aesthetic overall was much preppier than it used to be — or at the very least, what I remembered it to be.

Hollister sweatshirts.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Here's one of the sweater options I found.

A Hollister sweater.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Denim is still a huge part of the store, with almost an entire wall dedicated to different types.

The denim selection.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

The store wasn't really committed to any type of theme, though there were some attempts at adding a California vibe.

A poster inside.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Upstairs, I found that half the floor was dedicated to Gilly Hicks, a brand I'd never heard of before.

Gilly Hicks.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

But apparently it's been around for a while.

75 lifeguards at the opening of Gilly Hicks in London on May 3, 2012.Mike Marsland/WireImage/Getty Images

It was all athleisure, bras, and underwear, which has also become trendy.

Some of Gilly Hicks' offerings.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Overall, my experience at Hollister didn't leave me too excited. While the store has undergone a slight makeover, I didn't feel like I was getting anything that I couldn't get from Abercrombie ... or any other store, for that matter.

Me inside of Hollister.Gabbi Shaw/Insider

Overall, my experience at Hollister didn't leave me too excited. While the store has undergone a slight makeover, I didn't feel like I was getting anything that I couldn't get from Abercrombie ... or any other store, for that matter.

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I stepped into Hollister for the first time in over a decade and now I don't know why I was ever intimidated to walk in

Last month, I visited an Abercrombie & Fitch for the first time in over a decade after seeing how the brand was making a comeback.

I decided to visit another relic of my youth, Hollister Co.

Even more so than Abercrombie, I was afraid to walk into a Hollister store as a middle schooler.

Here's what it looked like in its heyday. Hollister, traditionally, had a more laid back, beachy vibe than Abercrombie.

At the time, Hollister was just as popular as Abercrombie ...

... but both stores faced a run of controversies.

To see what Hollister is like in 2022, I headed to a store on 34th Street in Manhattan, right across the street from Macy's.

Here's what the inside looked like at first glance. I immediately noticed some changes.

The first clothes I saw when I walked in were still covered in the Hollister name and seagull logo.

The name was all over the place.

Though there was some attempt to keep with the beach, laid-back, flowy vibes of Hollister past ...

... I noticed that the aesthetic overall was much preppier than it used to be — or at the very least, what I remembered it to be.

Here's one of the sweater options I found.

Denim is still a huge part of the store, with almost an entire wall dedicated to different types.

The store wasn't really committed to any type of theme, though there were some attempts at adding a California vibe.

Upstairs, I found that half the floor was dedicated to Gilly Hicks, a brand I'd never heard of before.

But apparently it's been around for a while.

It was all athleisure, bras, and underwear, which has also become trendy.

Overall, my experience at Hollister didn't leave me too excited. While the store has undergone a slight makeover, I didn't feel like I was getting anything that I couldn't get from Abercrombie ... or any other store, for that matter.