Hot Topic Supports DIY?

[hechopormi]

So I work for Hot Topic as well as receive the frequent e-mails from the online store.
Today I received this link in my e-mail:

Hot Topic - Do-It-Yourself Fashion (http://community.hottopic.com/hottopic/InFashion/diy_fashion_032409.asp?roi=echo4-5222458879-4422148-3b22ed7993bf9cb87f01b4cac84e7a98&cm_mmc_o=PkAw+ZByEwf*-5ybk*Za+KGQ+dzltbBE*2twgL+RAf+Za+mfYkw)

They show just a few simple cut and tie transformation techniques for clothing probably inspired by the recent popularity in books like Generation T and the "99 Ways" series.

What do you guys think? Should other stores jump on this new bandwagon?
What else could Hot Topic do?

I'm just happy it's not "OMG KIDS GO GREEN REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE IT'S SO COOL" like Wal-Mart and most clothing retail stores in the mall are doing. It's getting a little old and I think the product being environmentally friendly is, according to a scale of general value (not $$), WAY more valuable than the advertising they put in to selling these "green" products.

I've gone green. I love DIY.

Do you know of any other stores or retailers that are doing something similar to show kids that they don't always have to have "new clothes" to transform their style? I love this idea and support it 100% and I feel like a lot of you guys too!

[gothictany]

Yes I got that same email too!;) they have a before pic of these two emo kids and then a after pic with the chicks tee all cut up (cute) and the pants into shorts. The guys tee all cut up too. I just saw the website and they have step-by-step on DIY instructions.
I think it's pretty cool of them....there's too many spoiled kids out there! Get off your ass and DIY!
Even the emo kids can do it!!
Geez;)

[madonnaontherocks]

i couldn't give less of a f*ck about hot topic diying

besides, its advertising to buy their clothes, then cut them up, which i think is pointless and not very diy at all

[KoolKatKellie]

omg. i made one of these posts a while back... lol

[KoolKatKellie]

im a fan of hot topic lol

[crafty.rebel]

im a fan of hot topic lol
yeh, and many members ripped you for it..

[crafty.rebel]

besides, its advertising to buy their clothes, then cut them up, which i think is pointless and not very diy at all
well the SMART kids can use the diy ideas on their old clothes and not specifically hot topic clothes, didya think of that?

[madonnaontherocks]

well the SMART kids can use the diy ideas on their old clothes and not specifically hot topic clothes, didya think of that?

I think if the SMART kids wanted to cut up their shirts they'd be SMART enough to figure it out from the other millions of tutorials for t-shirt cutting on the web

[Miss_Gagarin]

well the SMART kids can use the diy ideas on their old clothes and not specifically hot topic clothes, didya think of that?

she's wise the little one...

Green washing is here to stay, so we have to put up with it. But having studied it last summer, I noticed some companies are sincere in their green-vows.

[goofipinay]

I think if the SMART kids wanted to cut up their shirts they'd be SMART enough to figure it out from the other millions of tutorials for t-shirt cutting on the erb

I think the "smart" one would keep his mouth shut before offending someone again.

I also think the "smart" one would respect people's choices and decisions, however...unappealing it may be.

[madonnaontherocks]

however...unappealing it may be.

:)

[goofipinay]

Just keep your mouth shut.

The true DIYers on ThreadBanger show up on the Your Projects forum.

[crafty.rebel]

look, i didn't mean to question anyone's intelligence and didn't want to start anything here, just saying, some kids might not have heard of the diy world this way. ya know using old clothes to create something new and cool, and if they follow hot topic and see this it could open their eyes to the diy world, starting at hot topic and, who knows, maybe ending up here on threadbanger to find tuts and such.

just saying that if kids spend like 30 bucks for a shirt i doubt they'd cut that new shirt up, they might think of using the diy ideas on other clothes, ofcourse there's the stupid spoiled brats that don't know the value of a hard earned dollar...

end of rant.

[hechopormi]

look, i didn't mean to question anyone's intelligence and didn't want to start anything here, just saying, some kids might not have heard of the diy world this way. ya know using old clothes to create something new and cool, and if they follow hot topic and see this it could open their eyes to the diy world, starting at hot topic and, who knows, maybe ending up here on threadbanger to find tuts and such.

just saying that if kids spend like 30 bucks for a shirt i doubt they'd cut that new shirt up, they might think of using the diy ideas on other clothes, ofcourse there's the stupid spoiled brats that don't know the value of a hard earned dollar...

end of rant.

THIS WAS THE POINT OF THIS POST.

just saying. =]

I guess Hot Topic gets a bad rep because of several reasons:
(1) all the Hollister and AE and Aero frequent shoppers think it's scary
(2) all the scene/emo type kids think it's either REALLY cool or a poser store
(3) adults think it's a bad influence.

I really don't understand why people don't really like Hot Topic, but to comment on what donna said:
I asked my manager about it and she told me that Hot Topic actually is trying to go green and support DIY. The whole idea was to inspire it, using their clothes. Obviously they want to show DIY and use new stuff to try and sell the clothes. That's what SMART retailers do.

BUT I was also doing some digging and researching and first hand questioning and found that Hot Topic, back when they first started, were more of a Pac Sun/Aero type store, mainly trying to get the "cool kids" in the store.
Later, the whole company turned to punk. Punk kids are very infamous for DIY and cutting up t-shirts. Hot Topic is turning back to this original concept to draw in new customers.

NOW ends the rant. lol

[mlssfshn]

Hot Topic is the only one on this band wagon. Gap has in the past had DIY craft project kits. It's all a marketing ploy.

[luminari]

i dont care wat u say i love that store and the people in it. some of my best friends work there and thanks to them i found threadbanger thay told me all about it

[ClkwrkDragonfly]

I really don't understand why people don't really like Hot Topic, but to comment on what donna said:
I asked my manager about it and she told me that Hot Topic actually is trying to go green and support DIY. The whole idea was to inspire it, using their clothes. Obviously they want to show DIY and use new stuff to try and sell the clothes. That's what SMART retailers do.

Well, I can't speak for all people who don't like Hot Topic, but I can say that a number of old school goths, punks, darkwavers, etc hate it because it cranks out little cookie cutter parodies of their respective subcultures.

However, it's like you said, they're smart retailers. Hot Topic is run by business people, not elitist scenesters (which is why most goth/punk/cyber/etc shops fail spectacularly). They know that their target market is finally wising up to the fact that they're seen as a joke by the old guard for all wearing the same exact band tees & such. So Hot Topic gives them back their imagined sense of individuality while still allowing them to be little consumer slaves. It's win-win really.