How an old meme is giving Claire’s some much-needed attention

A staple of the millennial mall experience, Claire’s is known as the place where teenagers can score whimsical jewelry and get their ears pierced. But on social media, the accessory retailer is also a dentist’s office, a surgical procedure room, and a go-to stop for any medical needs.

“Got my IUD bedazzled at Claire’s,” one user shared on Threads recently, attracting thousands of likes. Others shared how the store will be part of major life events, like the user who wrote: “Finalized my birth plan. I’ll be delivering at Claire’s.”

While this is a joke, of course, it’s not entirely a new one.

Claire’s has been somewhat of a meme online for years, with social media users leveraging the company’s ear-piercing notoriety as a springboard to invent new (and satirical) procedures that the company also offers—all in the name of humor.

Where did the Claire’s meme come from?

While the exact origins of the meme are difficult to trace, many users point to Tumblr as the birthplace of the joke, with one particular phrase: “I got my lobotomy at Claire’s.” Its popularity even sparked merch, with the phrase ending up on pins, stickers, and T-shirts.

The meme had gotten lost in the ether of the internet, but it has resurfaced, with Claire’s unexpectedly trending on Threads. But this time, users are getting even more creative with the procedures.

“My mom said she can take us all to Claire’s for our abortions if one of your moms can pick us up,” one user said. Another added: “They did my vasectomy with butterfly clips at Claire’s.”

One user even posted a fake screenshot of Claire’s website offering procedures ranging from lobotomies, vasectomies, and even autopsies.

Still others have taken the extra step of including fellow mall-era icons. “Hey. Claire’s operations specialist here. We’ve seen the Threads. Please do not get your dental work or significant surgeries done here,” a user, who is not actually a Claire’s worker, said on Threads. “Go next door to Build-a-Bear.”

Claire’s could use a little goodwill

The resurgence of the meme, and in turn Claire’s popularity online, follows a series of difficult years for the company.

The retailer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice in the last decade, and at one point it was closing hundreds of stores. But the brand ultimately found a private equity buyer and has since rolled out a series of strategies to captivate the attention of Gen Z and Gen Alpha shoppers.

But the meme is not, at least as far as the internet knows, part of the strategy—and many Threads users are pointing out how strange the sudden virality must be for the brand and the social media managers behind the accounts.

“Imagine being the social media person at @claires and logging onto Threads today.”

A day after the meme appeared, the Claire’s Threads account, which had not been active since 2024, joined in on the discourse.

“I got my grandma taxidermied at Claire’s,” a user said. The official Claire’s account responded: “And she had the cutest earrings. May she rest in peace.”

While sustaining the cultural relevance requires more than just a meme, the company at least has not shied away from tapping into the random moment.

“Hey @claires, asking for the class, how did you get someone to run an account that’s been sitting dusty for so long in like no time? Did a random employee just get appointed?” a user asked on Threads.

Claire’s responded: “Someone watered the social media manager.”