A Fresh Take on Hot Topic

They say you only get one chance to make a first impression, but sometimes looks can be deceiving. When I was in high school, Hot Topic in was the go-to spot for those angsty teens who fancied themselves “alternative.” The walls were black, the music was moody, and the shirts (sometimes literally) said “I am misunderstood.” As I exited adolescence, I never thought I’d set foot in that store again, until some reexamination changed my point of view.

From the outside, Hot Topic strikes an imposing figure. A twisted wrought-iron gate wards off parents and preppy types alike. Jagged red lettering spells out the name and evokes images of bloody horror movie titles, and beyond the threshold all is dark and foreboding. But on the inside, things are not as they may seem. 

Perhaps this is a sign of the times. With the advent of hipsterdom and the resurgence of good pop music, Hot Topic has stocked their shelves with a bit more color and vivacity. Maybe kids these days just have a lower propensity to fill their wardrobe with snarky black tee shirts than my generation did. Who knows? What is clear today is that shoppers of any taste and persuasion can enjoy a trip to this store.

There are of course the requisite band and logo tees, now infused with bright neon colors as far as the eye can see! And of course, this is still the place to go for gear on your favorite movies (Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Twilight…) There are shoes and accessories with which you can manageably express those punk influences: Doc Martens and Chuck Taylors, skull rings and spiked bracelets. But there are also some more mainstream styles like this season’s hot colored jeans and cute retro-feminine dresses. 

Music remains firmly at the heart of this operation, and you can still buy CDs and records at Hot Topic. (Do people still buy CDs?) If some band has stolen your heart, you can find all sorts of paraphernalia from clothing to wristbands to notebooks to backpacks.  And if you need help finding your bliss, I must say the salespeople here have always been remarkably friendly and helpful, despite or perhaps because of the intimidating nature of the store.

Opportunities still abound in Hot Topic to live out your youthful rebellion, be it with a pistol-shaped belt buckle or rainbow-hued Manic Panic hair dye. The difference is that at a slightly increased age, it all seems far less self-serious, and more like good clean fun.