Millennials rejoice! Topshop is back… but you’re delusional if you think it will be the same

AS I was aimlessly scrolling through Instagram on Tuesday night, my full attention was suddenly grabbed as the instantly recognisable Topshop motif popped up on my feed.

A video, accompanied by dramatic music, showed a man and woman standing on the roof of a building, followed by flashings of the iconic sans serif ‘Topshop’ and ‘Topman’ logos.

Three of the same videos were shared by the fashion retailer, accompanied by the simple, yet intriguing caption: “We’ve missed you too.”;

My attention hastily moved to the comment section and it was flooded with posts like “MOTHER OF GOD!!! Actually going to make my year”; and “Please open stores again”;.

My immediate reaction was excitement — and other Topshop fans also seem to believe that the teaser could be a hint at a possible return of physical stores, too.

Scrolling down a little further to investigate, I saw the face of London Major, Sadiq Khan.

He had posted in partnership with Topshop, sharing memories of the famous store that stood on the corner of Oxford Circus.

“Wouldn’t it be great to get Topshop back on Oxford Street?”; he said.

The plot thickens…

Fashion frenzy

Topshop officially has its own website again, after years of just being on ASOS, under the domain topshop.com.

All it says on the website is “Coming soon”;.

In November, ASOS — the parent company of Topshop — did acknowledge that topshop.com would be relaunched.

And Jose Antonio Ramos Calamonte, head of ASOS, hinted that he would not ignore any option to grow Topshop — including a physical store.

So this could actually happen, and like any millennial, my appetite for a nostalgic return of one of Britain’s most famous high street stores is present and correct.

But after my initial excitement, I then thought – would it really be great to get Topshop back?

Like many other women in their thirties and beyond, I have nothing but fond memories of the brand — and, in particular, London’s flagship Oxford Street store.

It’s a bit like how you felt when you had your first crush — the butterflies in your stomach, the excitement to see them — but would you feel the same anticipation if you saw them now?

At one point, for me, that giant, three-floored 8,000-square-foot shop was more of a landmark than Big Ben or Buckingham Palace.

When I moved to London at 18, I would meet my friends there and we would spend our Saturdays hunting for an outfit to wear that night.

This was an emporium of clothes, shoes, jewellery, bags and fashion-minded folk who all appeared to have great style.

There would be pop-ups, DJs, beauty bars and even smaller brands in the basement, full of hidden treasurers.

It was an experience more than a shop.

I remember when thousands of skinny jeans-clad Topshop fans waited for hours to get their hands on Kate Moss’s collection in 2007 — a fashion frenzy that has not been topped since.

The end of an era

But alas, amid competition from fast-fashion giants, in 2020 the party was over.

Topshop fell into administration as part of the collapse of Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia retail empire.

The fashion industry was in mourning, but by 2021, ASOS had revived the brand online.

Personally, though, I have not bought a single Topshop item since the doors closed. Why? Well, I’m not in my twenties any more.

It’s a bit like remembering how you felt when you had your first crush — the butterflies in your stomach, the excitement to see them — but would you feel the same anticipation if you saw them now?

Not likely, they’ve probably lost their sheen a bit — wearing dad trainers and carrying around a pot belly.

This is how I feel about Topshop. What we liked in our 20s isn’t our taste now in our 30s and 40s. We’ve moved on.

At one point, for me, that giant, three-floored 8,000-square-feet shop was more of a landmark than Big Ben or Buckingham Palace.

Sure, we’re excited to see if they do set up a new shop, but it won’t be a time machine.

It won’t transform you back to your former self, or your former body.

Nor will it return you to a time when bib necklaces, platform heels and bodycon dresses were at their peak.

And if you believe that it will be the Topshop that you remember, you’re delusional.

A new generation

When I asked colleagues what they would want most from its return, they said the ‘Jamie’ jeans.

Topshop still sells them online, I told them.

But I was shot down with “Oh but they’re not the same”;. Maybe they’re not, or maybe we’re not the same.

In fact, Topshop does have some brilliant statement pieces online at Asos, like the viral sell-out yellow trench coat.

But if you don’t have a clue what I’m talking about then sadly, you’re no longer Topshop’s target customer.

For us fashion geriatrics, Topshop now has a new following of younger, digitally minded women who are checking what’s dropping online every day.

Whether these Gen-Z shoppers will bother schlepping into a real-life store remains to be seen.

But for us millennials, it might just be better to cling onto the memories rather than rekindle our first shopping love – only to be left bitterly disappointed.