RIP Claire's, the purest store in any mall
As a child, when my mom finally let me roam the mall alone with friends, the first and only stop that mattered was Claire's.
The hip AF store was the go-to place for accessories you definitely didn't need, and jewelry that was very, very cheap and ~extra~. It's where you got your feather-covered slap bracelets and rainbow knee socks. It was the land of statement chokers and press on nails. If you were especially cool, it's where you got your ears pierced... FOR FREE.
Claire's was and still is all that, but according to Bloomberg, the company is prepping to file for bankruptcy — a sign of possible doom for its stores across 47 countries.
Please hold my fake eyelashes while I cry!
Claire's played an iconic part in young girls' (and boys') lives, and I, a 24-year-old woman, was so shook upon hearing the news that I shrieked in horror at my desk.
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Claire's is where I bought make-up for the first time, and my mom was totally OK with it because IT DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP ON MY FACE. It's where I purchased blueberry scented roll-on body glitter that I used exclusively for dance recitals in to feel fancy. It's where I got my first bottle of mood-changing nail polish, ugh! This is the Limited Too fiasco all over again.
What even is the point of malls now? I can't even imagine such a joyous place filled with brightly colored stuffed animals, fuzzy sleep masks, irrelevant coin purses, scrunchies — even though they went out of style — tiaras, and cat ears closing. My gosh, where am I supposed to buy cat ears YEAR ROUND, now?
The simple act of stepping foot into a Claire's was like floating on a damn cloud connected to a rainbow — and now you're telling me that rare feeling is going to be stripped away from the world?
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Much of the Mashable office was also shook by news of Claire's imminent death, including my colleague Proma, who fondly recalled getting her ears pierced there at age nine, a second piercing at 14, and a cartilage piercing at 17.
"It's sad that Claire's is closing," she said. "However, this is probably the best sign for me to stop shopping there as a 27-year-old woman."
With that said, our hearts goes out to all the current and future teens in the world who may not get to experience this joy. I honestly have no idea how middle school students today will form solid relationships without Claire's exclusive line of Best Friends jewelry to gift each other, so good freaking luck out there.
Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.
