Since first going into a Hollister shop about a year ago I have been a big fan of their clothes. They fit well are are good quality and considering this they are reasonably priced for this type of clothes.

Hollister is the sister brand of Abercrombie and Fitch and as such sells the beach inspired type of clothes typical for this store- Shirts, short floaty skirts, camis, tank tops, jeans and a lot of knit wear all with the Hollister logo on it somewhere. One of the best points about this store though is that despite being part of this sort of brand it doesn't have prices to match and although not cheap is certainly no where near the Abercrombie prices.

The Store
All the stores I have been into have been very similar in design and layout. The front of the store is very eye catching against all the other shop front in a shopping mall. It is designed to look like a beach hut and instead of having the entrance in the middle, you step into a porch with a chair, chandelier and various plants and other accessories and on either side there is an entrance. Ladies clothes on the right and mens on the left. One thing I am less keen on is what happens as you enter the store: You are greated by a Hollister staff member giving you the following line-'heya, whats up?' although I do like to be acknowledged by staff I find it a bit strange being asked this and sometimes wonder if I should stop for a chat and poor out all my problems to them! Once in the store you are immediately greated by the Hollister scent that is sprayed all over the shop and on every item of clothing. I love the smell but for someone who isn't keen on it the shop quickly gets over powering.
The layout is arranged in a series of rooms filled wih rails and tables covered in neat piles of merchandise all layed out according to style and colour. There are also chairs and tables with magasines on giving a homely touch and giving somewhere for your shopping partner to wait while you queue for the fitting rooms. Trying to read the magasines will be a waste of time though unless you want to strain your eyes as the lighting in the shop is dreadful. It certainly adds to the atmosphere and if it was a set for a play or just an attraction it would work well, but as a shop the lack of light is a big problem. Even in the fitting rooms the lighting levels do not improve. My biggest problem with this is that you cannot clearly see what colour the clothes are. I recently bought a top believing it to be a deep magenta and when I got it home it turned out to be bright pink!
The centre of the store is a larger space with a cash desk with several tills and various other products such as body spray for sale.

The clothes
As I have already said the clothes are the beach inspired designs typical of the Abercrombie and Fitch brand and you will find the store full of people dressed head to toe in their clothes.
The quality is fantastic with natural threads being used. Their jeans and most of their clothes and 100% cotton which seems to be so rare for a reasonably prices high street shop these days. The fit is fantastic for me. I am very slim so often have problems finding clothes that fit me well but Hollister fit perfectly. My comment here would be that their clothes do only go up to a Large and they also come up quite small.
All clothes are also sprayed with the signature perfume making them smell lovely first time you wear them.

The staff
Apart from the greeting as you walk in I find all the staff helpful and very pleasant-not just in manner but also to look at! Hollister staff are always ridiculously good looking and I have to say that this can sometimes be a little intimidating especially in the fitting rooms when you come out to show a friend something and have several perfect looking staff watching you as well. It does though fit with the brand and the helpfulness of any staff member whenever I have asked for any help has certainly made up for anything else

Stock
The range of clothes in each store is great and most items come in several colours and designs. This is though where I have another small complaint- On one occasion I saw a top on one of the dummies in the shop and on asking a shop assistant where in the shop I could find it she informed me that they didn't have any left and didn't know what clothes would be coming in the next delivery so couldn't tell me when they would get more in. On several occasions I have seen something one day and when I have gone back a few days later with the intention of buying it I have been unable to find it anywhere. If you see something you want buy it while its there!

Overall
I love this shop but I do find its one people either love or hate. Some people seem to view the style of clothes and people who wear them in a negative way. I personally just see good quality, well made and well fitting clothes in lovely styles and colours and find that the shops make a very refreshing change from the rest of the high street. If you can cope with the huge amounts of perfume in the air go in for a wander round and you never know what you will find. (There are usually some clearance shelves in the very back room in the ladies section and some good bargains can be found here. I got a pair of 100% cotton jeans for £11.20)