Get ahead of the class
Honestly, where did summer go?
With tax-free weekend Aug. 10-12, it’s time to fast-track back-to-school shopping.
One thing is for certain, there won’t be a shortage of trends to pick from. If you envision it, chances are it’ll be on a retailer’s rack somewhere.
Tiffany Reid, senior fashion editor at Seventeen magazine, said some of the season’s standout trends include tracksuits, statement or political tees, statement sneakers and ’90s fashion. Think bold, candy colors.
“There is a lot of carry over, same trends you’ve seen last year but done in bigger and better ways,” Reid said. “For example, the statement tees are more politically driven and message heavy. Teens are informed of the political climate of the world and proactive about letting others know where they stand on the issues that matter to them.”
The National Retail Federation estimates families will spend $27.5 billion on new clothes, electronics, shoes and other supplies for their kids this back-to-school season. Given that 1 in 4 students in K-12 is Hispanic, the federation predicts Hispanic households will spend an average of $833 on back to school, which is $148 more than other ethnic groups.
Denim, from embroidered to patchwork styles, will top every trend list. Reid said distressed and vintage denim and “anything that has character” are also faves for the magazine.
“After seeing the trends on the runway at shows, we have to make sure we see those same trends in the contemporary markets as well,” she said. “Trends have to make sense for our girl, so really the reader determines which trends we will feature.”
Given that many teens take their fashion cues from celebrities, they’ll likely be scrolling the Instagram accounts of Zendaya, Maddie Ziegler or Yara Shahidi for inspiration.
Another must-have are sneakers with thick soles done in “cool interesting ways.” Oh, yes, the “Dad” sneakers (with thick soles and a retro-nerdy look) will be around for a while, Reid said.
Adding to the list of trends is a growing demand for ethnic diversity. Take the Blended Designs’ 1954 backpack collection. It’s the brainchild of Casey Kelley, a former consumer analyst in Florida who decided to create a line of backpacks at the request of her 9-year-old son, Carter.
“My son wanted one with his face, or someone who looked like him, on his own bag,” Kelley said. “I did the research and found only 2 percent of character bags on the market feature children of color.”
Within three weeks of her son asking for his own bag, Kelley launched the 1954 collection in March 2017 on Facebook. After several celebrities posted images of her bags, the line sold some $250,000 bags in several months. The backpacks start at $34.95 and come in 14 styles and three sizes.
Kelley regularly attends expos and trade shows where she finds the backpacks have mass appeal. “Kids recognize at a young age that this isn’t normal to see a face that looks like them on a backpack, so they grab the bags and hug them,” she said.
She named it the “1954 collection” after the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional.
“If you change the images, you can change the narrative,” Kelley said. “I hope the bags will help build their self-esteem, and I hope they make children feel they can do anything.”
No shortage of trends to choose from for back-to-school clothing a