I Grew Up in 2000s California – So If I Were Headed to College Today, This New Hollister x Target Bedding Would Be a Must-Have in My Dorm Room
I would have begged my parents to decorate with this effortlessly cool collection
If you were sporting a pair of Hollister Super Skinnies in the early 2000s, you were cool. And if you worked inside one of those ‘SoCal’-scented, shutter-windowed storefronts? You weren’t just folding T-shirts – you were a model, a celebrity, an influencer before influencers existed. Which is why it’s so iconic that the quintessential California surf brand has finally made bed sheets by way of its first-ever collaboration with Target.
My teenage self would’ve absolutely lost her mind over this. And as a California native, I would have almost certainly begged, pleaded, and prayed for this status-symbol new sheet collection in my dorm room. The stripes. The trailing florals. The seagulls! Down to the brushed cotton, crisp percale, and easy jersey constructions, all of it bottles up the soft coastal cool I wore almost exclusively for a good quarter of my life.
And while I did a pretty good job draining my parents’ bank accounts in pursuit of that look, every pillow, plushie, sheet set, and wearable throw blanket comes in under $65. Several of the comforter sets are even reversible, giving you two effortless looks in one – ideal if you like to switch up your bedding style each semester.
Back then, the Hollister flannel completed your outfit. Today, it completes your bed.
I used to enter the Hollister universe by squinting my way through dark, slightly sepia lighting. You, however, can simply stay in your home away from home. The flannel-inspired patchwork print, especially, is so Hollister circa 2008, and an easy way to make a standard dorm-room riser bed look less tragic.
Hollister hasn’t forgotten who made it famous, either. Pieces like the Study Buddy Pillow – with its kangaroo pocket for warming hands, threading charging cables, or holding study supplies – were clearly designed with college students in mind. It’s the piece my adult self is most jealous of. One early review admits they’re already ‘fighting over it.’
It wouldn’t be Hollister without a few seagulls. Now weighted for superior snuggliness.
I don’t need to tell you the 2000s are back. Vintage Hollister zip-ups and babydoll tops are going gangbusters on resale sites. History is repeating itself, and these are the pieces my college-age self would’ve had in her dorm room in a heartbeat.
Having suffered through college without one, I’d pair every comforter above with one of the best mattress toppers for dorm beds if you actually want to get some sleep. While you’re at it, round out your room with the other Target dorm essentials I’d buy today as both a grown adult and a professional style editor.
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