Back-to-School Fashion Trends

Home & Family
on August 14, 2005

With teenagers being bombarded by images of young stars in outfits that cost thousands of dollars, whats a parent to do when it comes time for back-to-school clothes shopping?

Relax, says fashion stylist Trish Townsend, because there are plenty of trendy options that wont break your bank.

“Dont get sucked into the crazy trends, whether its the hottest new tennis shoes for $150 or the Louis Vuitton purse you see the Olsen twins carry,” says Townsend, who has dressed stars such as Jon Bon Jovi, LeAnn Rimes and Alan Jackson. “Kids run through trends so fast that you shouldnt spend that kind of money when there are so many great knockoffs.

“Kids now have the opportunity to find really nice fashionable clothing at a fraction of the cost at places like Kmart, Target and Dollar General. And with a lot of the celebrity designers, with their influence on fashion and their ability to parlay that into a lower cost, kids are able to look like models straight off the fashion pages.”

For instance, Sears fall line offers fashions that look very hip and expensive, yet the prices are extremely reasonable, she says. “The fit is really cute and its very tailored,” she says. “It looks quality; it presents well.” Townsend is also very impressed with JCPenneys fall line because it mimics clothes found in fashion magazines for a fraction of the cost.

With the increased focus on what entertainers wear, children often feel like they have to have expensive designer duds to be accepted by their peers, she says. “There are more television channels and more video channels, and people talk more about fashion. On those shows, like MTVs TRL, its always about fashion and looks, and everybody is so determined to have his or her own specific look.”

Clarence Simpson, 15, says that pressure of clothes as status symbols exists at his school, Maplewood High School in Nashville, Tenn. “The more clothes you have, the more money it seems like you have,” Clarence says. “I guess you have to keep in style with everybody else. Its like a competition in my school. On the other hand, its also like who can be creative and original.”

Perhaps the easiest and most affordable way to show individuality is to shop at vintage and thrift stores, Townsend says. “I dress a lot of people straight from thrift stores, and then you accessorize it with something modern from Target, Kmart, and for girls, Wet Seal and Charlotte Russe, which have timely accessories for cheap.”

Creating an individual look for less

Townsend suggests purchasing a vintage suit and decorating the jacket with fabric paint found at crafts stores. “You can take a cool, old vintage jacket and paint it with a really cool symbol or make it look tattooed on the outside and down the back, or stencil something on,” she says. “You can either buy it for $750 or make it yourself for $10.50.

“Painting clothes is going to be the coolest thing to do next,” she says. “Its like doing graffiti on your own clothes. Learn to make the clothes your own; put your own mark on your clothes. If parents set up a craft time and paint clothes and put on little signs or their names and school colors, it can be a fun family project.”

For all-cotton garments, Townsend recommends a bottle of Rit dye. She also encourages placing studs and rhinestones on clothes, as she did with a Johnny Cash T-shirt for singer Lee Ann Womack. “All the really expensive jeans have rhinestones on the insignia on the back pocket,” she says. “They have glue-on rhinestones or heat-activated rhinestones (which can be found at www.creativecrystal.com) and you can iron them on. You can wash them and everything.”

Because clothing designers express their uniqueness with individualized hemlines and silhouettes, anything goes now for girls. “Now the only thing that is popular is girls being girls,” Townsend says. “They are girly and frilly. And for guys, fashion has really opened up. Accessories for guys are a lot more openlike bracelets and necklaces.”

The good news for parents of girls is that the low-fitting jeans are rising up a bit in the waist. The bad news? The shirts have become lower cut. When it comes to such daring fashions, compromise may be the best solution. For instance, the layered look is all the rage, so encourage girls to wear a tank top under the low-cut shirt. “I like shorter skirts, but my mom doesnt like that,” says Lauren Ray, 15, who attends Hillsboro High School in Nashville, Tenn. “She tells me where I can wear them sometimes. I can wear them out with my friends, but not to school.”

Trends for boys and girls

For boys, the look has shifted from a more urban look with expensive athletic jerseys to a preppier look. “It used to be jerseys, but now its basically college (polo) shirts,” Clarence says. “I normally wear three-button collared shirts, blue jeans and a hat. You cant wear hats in school, so I just wear it outside so that everybody can see it.”

Townsend says fashionable polo shirts can be found at Kmart, Target and JCPenney for less than $25. “You cant tell a difference,” she says. “The only difference is the little insignia and nobody cares anymore.” Rock music-related T-shirts are popular now with boys and they also are extremely affordable.

For both sexes, Townsend says parents should splurge more on jeans because theyre a foundation that will be worn virtually every day. “Dont be hesitant to wait for a sale,” she says. “Check the newspaper. Jeans are jeans year-round. If they are on sale in the summer, buy them for back-to-school. Levis is always an affordable staple.”

One area to save money is with shirts, which are trendier and have a shorter life. The Western shirt has made a comeback for boys and girls, and Townsend is a fan of Wranglers line. “You can go on the cheap a little bit for shirts,” she says. “If you are a trendy kid, that is one place where you can change out more. I recommend layering for back to school.” Girls can layer a zip-up cardigan or blazer over a tank top, while boys can don a long-sleeve shirt or zip-up sweatshirt over a T-shirt.

Regardless of the style or price, the fit is the most important thing. “A lot of the girls bodies are changing and they dont know how to dress,” she says. “They dont look at their bodies logically. They want to wear what their friends wear and they need to focus on what looks good for them. If they wear the right cut, they can look taller and thinner and the clothes look better on them.”

To improve the fit, Townsend recommends trying on several sizes. “Just because you think you are a size 6 doesnt mean you should buy a size 6. You can buy anything from a size 4 to 8. Sizes are all over the board.”

Townsend alters everything she buys for her clients. “Clothes off the rack are a suggestion of what a size 6 should be,” she says. “You make it work for your size-6 body. You can do the alterations yourself or have them done inexpensively at your local dry cleaners. Its worth the extra $10 or $15.

“Anything that fits your body better makes it look more expensive because it looks like you own it,” she says. “Thats the difference with outfits worn on the Oscars red carpet: those things are fitted to every inch of their body. Therefore they look slimmer and the outfit looks even more expensive than it is.”

Trish Townsend’s Fall Fashion Tips for Boys:

  • Loose-fit or boot-cut jeans in an antique or distressed wash, paired with a Western belt with an interesting buckle.
  • A polo shirt worn under a fitted suit jacket.
  • Colorful tennis shoes. “Your basic white or black tennis shoes are out,” she says. “I bought a pair that was bright blue with a red stripe. Look for colors that are a little bit more in-your-face.”

Trish Townsend’s Fall Fashion Tips for Girls:

  • Longer skirts in fall colors, perhaps tiered, worn with boots or closed-toe espadrilles.
  • A tank top in fall colors, such as burgundy or brown, which will transition well from summer to fall weather.
  • A fitted denim jacket with a distressed fade. “If you want to cut the bottom off and make it shorter and let it rag at the bottom, thats cute too.”
  • Jeans with a slightly higher waist that fit well. “Those Kmart jeans are cute and Wrangler has a really cute new fitted girls jean. Its not too high; it is just not too low.”
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