Millennials want to forget many things about their adolescent years, like skinny jeans and even skinnier eyebrows.
Shopping at Hollister, though, is unforgettable for many of us.
The store’s cologne stench was so strong, it wafted through the mall. Inside, wood paneling, dim lights, and oversize plants transported you to an island boutique filled with babydoll tops and low-rise pants (and made you wish you’d worn night vision goggles).
The above have disappeared from Hollister over the past two decades in favor of a modern aesthetic designed to appeal to Gen Z shoppers.
At the same time, the brand has embraced retro styles, as have other retailers that were popular in the aughts. Abercrombie & Fitch — Hollister’s parent company — has experienced a revival, and Coach bags rose back to the top. The strategy is working for Hollister, in particular; WWD reported that Hollister’s sales increased 22% between May 2024 and May 2025, jumping from $449.2 million to $549.4 million.
Youths are nostalgic for a time they never experienced. So, on Tuesday, Hollister tapped into its “2000s vault” and released a limited-edition line of throwback styles.
Two millennial reporters from Business Insider checked it out on release day and felt like they’d gone back in time.
Returning to Hollister
By 9 a.m. on Tuesday, several pieces from the collection seemed to have sold out on Hollister’s website. As hopeful shoppers tried to shop for many of the 38 items, which ranged in price from $14.95 to $59.95, they ended up on an error page.
Rather than competing online, Amanda Krause and Samantha G. Pettyjohn, senior reporters on BI’s lifestyle team, shopped at Hollister in person.
Both reporters shopped at the store in their tween and teen years, making them eager to see the vault collection.
Here’s what they found:
Amanda Krause
When I arrived at my local store in New Jersey on Tuesday morning, I expected to find at least a few excited teens gathered outside.
A small crowd stood outside the Apple store down the hall, but I was the only person waiting for the Hollister gates to lift.
Once inside, I found what appeared to be the Y2K line displayed right at the entrance. There was no signage, so I used the brand’s website as a reference and confirmed with an employee that I’d had the right spot.
As it turned out, most clothing in the women’s sections looked like it could have been plucked from the early aughts, but only select pieces were from the limited line.
I browsed and remembered that Hollister expanded its sizing a few years back. Still, sizes seemed limited in-store, just like when I was a teen. I saw XS through XL pieces, though smaller sizes were available in bigger quantities.
I decided to try on two tank tops, one babydoll top, and a pair of athletic short-shorts.
To my surprise, I liked most of the items. The $34 button blouse was cute and timeless, while the $20 lace cami and $25 strapless piece brought me back to 2009.
As I later found out, the two sleeveless tops weren’t actually part of the Y2K collection — they just looked old-school. Even the employee who directed me to them seemed unsure which items were part of the collection.
Regardless, it was clear that all three tops were designed for young shoppers. The tank, for example, was so long that I had to scrunch it, just like I did in middle school. And the other tops, which had more defined busts, didn’t properly fit my chest.
The biggest winner shocked me: $20 fleece “shortie shorts.” They were comfortable, cute, and nostalgic. However, they also made me feel like I was late for gym class, so I decided not to buy them.
Clearly, I’m not Hollister’s target audience anymore — I’m not sure if I ever really was. Still, I can confirm that this collection is true to the Hollister of yesteryear.
And if Gen Z is into that, who am I to judge?
Samantha G. Pettyjohn
As I approached a Hollister in New York City a few minutes after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, I ran my tongue over my teeth, remembering the braces that covered them the last time I visited the store. With my teen years feeling very present in my mind, I took in the store, noting there was no crowd waiting to get inside. I only saw a few shoppers when I walked into the white-toned store, which had no particular smell. Where has my youth gone?
Once I got over the shock of how different Hollister looked, I noticed the clothes hanging from the shelves were nearly identical to those I’d begged my mom to buy back in 2008. The Y2K collection wasn’t specifically marked in the store, but I recognized the retro items because I’d seen them online (and I’m pretty sure I’d owned some of them in the past).
I giggled as I took in the displays of babydoll tops, mini-shorts, and Hollister-branded sweatshirts, feeling like I’d walked through a time machine back to my teen closet. I perused the racks of clothes, seeing a range of sizes but mostly XS and small items, which young shoppers were grabbing. A few of the teens shopping in the store told me they’d come to check out the 2000s vault collection specifically, though I noticed most left empty-handed.
As I scanned the store, I decided to try on a $24.95 babydoll top, a $19.95 lace-trimmed tank, $19.95 fleece shortie shorts, and a $44.95 mini-skort.
The pieces I tried on were cute, but I couldn’t stop laughing as I looked at myself in the mirror. It was like seeing 30-year-old me dressed as my tween self.
I’d also forgotten how long Hollister tops were, which always struck me as a design feature made specifically for girls hoping to convince their parents to let them buy the tiny shorts and skirts they came with.
The tops didn’t seem to be designed with someone with adult curves in mind, as they were ill-fitting on my chest, even if they fit well on my torso. I felt like the babydoll top, in particular, didn’t balance my upper body well, swallowing my waist instead of accentuating it.
I also couldn’t find a skort that fit me, as the options were too small or too big, but I liked the bow detailing on the back pockets.
My favorite item I tried was also the fleece shorts. They were comfy, and I got a strange surge of youth-like confidence seeing myself in an outfit that would have made 13-year-old me feel like a supermodel.
I didn’t buy them, but it was nice to revisit a style from my past.
Hollister’s Y2K collection was so retro that I felt like I’d outgrown it, but I imagine it appeals to young shoppers for the same reasons it feels too dated for me now.
Gen Z goes retro
For millennial shoppers, Hollister’s Y2K collection held nostalgic appeal, while Gen Z shoppers were excited to be able to buy items they can typically only get on resale sites.
Following the Tuesday drop, many shoppers took to Hollister’s Instagram comments to beg for more nostalgic merchandise, listing specific vintage styles they wished had been included.
After all, what’s old becomes new again. So, while Hollister logos and babydoll tops might seem so 2009 to millennials, they’re just the latest fad for today’s teens.
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