We asked people who *still* wear Hollister and Abercrombie – why?!

In modern society, there is a collective of people that choose to flat-out defy the natural course of human evolution by sticking firmly with what they know. Whether you think they’re brave or just blissfully ignorant of the reputation that precedes them, it’s undeniable that these people are living on a different plane of existence to the rest of us. We are, of course, referring to those few remaining people that still wear Hollister and Abercrombie clothing.

Are they wearing a brand that should’ve faded into death along with Kanye shutter glasses and New Look 3-for-15 tees? Or is there something oddly admirable about the likeness that “works at Hollister model” still sits at the top their Facebook profile? Whatever it is, surely they’re the only ones who have the answer, and I wanted to find out what makes the few existing Hollister-wearers remaining in this world tick – as it turns out, there’s a multitude of reasons.

Daniel, 23

I still wear the Abercrombie aftershaves because, unlike the clothes, the smell isn’t outdated. I’ve always liked the smell, and don’t feel a lot of people wear it so when I smell it in public I find it really distinct. I have also received a lot of compliments when wearing it as opposed to when I wear other brands.

I’d die for you, Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce.

Ollie, 23

I wear a couple of Hollister bits because they all last so long and they’re comfy. I honestly don’t care what anyone has to say – are we still at that age where you judge people for what brands they wear?

Alex, 22

My mum still buys me Hollister t-shirts for birthdays and Christmas, and I just don’t have the heart to tell her to stop. More often than not I’ll wear them when visiting – it’s become a running joke with my siblings and dad that I always turn up wearing colourful seagull-emblazoned t-shirts.

Harriet, 22

I’m not ashamed to say that I regularly wear and buy Hollister. The brand has come a long way and the branding is a lot less “in your face”, plus I just enjoy the experience of going into the shops where everything is dark and it smells really good. It’s a nostalgia thing above anything else. A trip into town isn’t complete without a trip to Hollister, even if I don’t end up buying anything.

George, 26

I used to work at Hollister, so I have a load of their clothes. They made plain t-shirts which I have a selection of, and I wear these fairly often because the fabric is thick and they’re not too heavily branded. At the end of the day, why wouldn’t you wear clothing that you already had just because it has a little seagull stitched onto it?

Having said that, when the CEO said he didn’t want overweight or unattractive people wearing the clothes that wasn’t very cool, and totally not very “surfer dude” of him.

Tom, 23

If I’m being completely honest, there is no shame here. I got my Abercrombie & Fitch jumper from my mum for Christmas and I loved it. I don’t care if it’s perceived as uncool and I wore it everywhere.

Although I have lost it now and think it’s at my parents’ house… would I still wear it if I had it? Unashamedly, yes. They’ll come back into fashion one day, mark my words.

James, 24

I have a pair of Hollister boxer shorts that I have owned for 5+ years. They have holes in them, they’re a couple of sizes too big, and they’re my comfortable ones for when I lounge in the house. I wouldn’t be seen dead in actual Hollister clothing – unless I died in my pair of Hollister boxers.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• All the truly terrible clothes Topshop produced that absolutely no one will miss

• If you’re still buying clothes online during lockdown you need to sort yourself out

• Stop buying clothes from charity shops just to re-sell them on Depop