Who else recalls the days when Hot Topic lived on the edgy side? Everything in the store appeared appropriately dark; many parents didn't let their kids inside lest the darkness seeped into their souls - or worse, their makeup choices. As Hot Topic employees reveal, the tiny shop with choker necklaces and nondescript body jewelry once provided a haven for wannabe emo kids and the real-deal ones. For a time, it stood as the most coveted destination in the suburban mall.
Now, Hot Topic feels a bit more watered-down. Millennials still consider it a nostalgic place, but the shop looks much cheerier. Bright colors illuminate previously shadowy corners, and Selena and Shawn Mendes shirts appear next to Panic! At The Disco and classic rock tour tees. The company even boasts a vast online marketplace, so you can buy all your glitter hair bobbles and pseudo-edgy Hot Topic accessories from the comfort of your own home - especially if you crave a '90s throwback. But many will always cherish the old days. Posers, turn back now.
Cute and form-fitting without cutting off your circulation like their Victorian ancestors. Beauty need not hurt when the rest of life is painful enough.
