Fashion Friday: Back To School Shopping!

It’s that time of year again – back to school shopping. I love to shop and my daughter, Saylor, follows right in my footsteps. My son, Parker, however loathes everything about shopping starting from just mentioning going shopping to the car ride to the store and then actually having to walk in the doors. Needless to say, he’s actually pretty easy to shop for because he really doesn’t care what he wears as long as its not pink and the shoes make him go faster. Saylor is a little fashionista from head to toe and has a very strong opinion when it comes to her fashion choices so she’s much more difficult.

Since my children grow like weeds, I made the choice when they were young not to spend a fortune on their clothes until they could at least wear them long enough for the clothes to fade and show some amount of wear. I have been buying Parker Converse tennis shoes since he popped out. I love everything about them! But he has gotten a little tired of wearing the same shoes just in different colors. Last year, we tried Vans for the first time. Normally, shoes will last Parker at least from August until December when I buy him one more pair to last him until the end of school. Unfortunately, the Vans didn’t make it past October when the suede started wearing off and just looking really shabby. So back to Converse I went but this time I let Parker design his own shoe. At converse.com, you can design everything from the style, color, color of the laces, color of the sole and personalization. Parker loved this and about 3-4 weeks later, he had one of a kind shoes that lasted until the end of the school year and beyond. I typically buy his shoes from Nordstrom where their return policy is so awesome. My son really isn’t that hard on shoes but if for some reason they fall apart or have any issues, they will happily replace them. They also have a half yearly sale on fall merchandise so you can find really good deals on shoes.

As for Saylor, I usually shop Gap for her jeans because she’s a little hard to fit but for dresses and tops, I have discovered Harajuku Mini at Target. This line was designed by Gwen Stephani and is just beyond cute. I love the prices for sure but am just obsessed with the overall cuteness of the ruffles and black and white checkered designs. These designs remind me of the 80’s (which I am admittedly still stuck in sometimes) from the asymmetic hems to the one shoulder tops. Harajuku typically features a checkered bow on the back of tank tops that gives a little girly touch to an otherwise tough tank. There are also matching accessories that compliment any of the pieces as they are all meticulously coordinated and easily mixed. Target is pretty good about running sales and when these items are marked down, they are a steal. I usually don’t wait for the sale because some of the sizes are sold out but even at regular price, they are super affordable and so fashion forward. The best part of Harajuku is that they are very well made, and while Parker is not a tough kid, Saylor is my little tomboy and can destroy anything you put in her path. Harajuku has held up so well and I’ve been so happy with the designs, the prices and the quality.

So, there are so many choices when it comes to kids clothes and obviously these are just a few. But from a mom who wants her kids to be cute, comfy and stylish, Converse and Harajuku fits the bill.

Summer is almost over! What great ideas to you have for back to school shopping?