Back to School

The Ultimate Guide to Back-to-School Clothes Shopping for Kids

plus, shop our favorite items!
written by KATHY SISSON & JESSICA WELSH

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Graphics by: Aryana Johnson
Graphics by: Aryana Johnson

As the first day of school looms closer and closer, back-to-school clothes shopping usually accompanies the yearly tradition of picking out school supplies. And parents have a lot to consider when shopping for back-to-school clothes—like determining your child’s actual needs (“no, you don’t need another Spiderman T-shirt”), auditing their existing wardrobe, and checking the family budget.

It doesn’t help that young kids grow incredibly fast, many needing a near full overhaul of their closet after a summer of sandals and shorts. Come fall, you might realize their toes are pretty snug in last year’s sneakers and their favorite pants look more like capris or unintentionally distressed denim. So where to begin? Going through their existing fall clothes is a good first step. Make a pile of everything that still fits and note any gaps in colors or clothing categories. Next, consult our ultimate guide for back-to-school clothes shopping.

We’ve put together everything kids will need for their back-to-school wardrobe, including shopping tips like how to find quality budget-friendly basics and noting which kids’ items are worth a little investment. Plus, we found cute back-to-school clothes in every category from our favorite retailers. Read on for our guide to back-to-school clothes shopping for kids.

 

Basic Tops

Let’s face it: Kids are messy, and their tops will probably not last more than one school year. Save some money and grab a few budget-friendly multipacks of basic tops that can be easily mixed and matched. 

staple basic tees
Old Navy
3-Pack Short-Sleeve T-Shirt
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
staple graphic tees
Old Navy
5-Pack Crew-Neck T-Shirt
2 styles available
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
set of long sleeve shirts
H&M
5-Pack Jersey Tops
4 styles available
sizes 2T - 10Y
Shop now
set of long sleeve tops
H&M
2-Pack Cotton Henley Shirts
sizes 2T - 10Y
Shop now
white pocket tee
Zara
Pocket T-Shirt
3 colors available
sizes 6Y - 14Y
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green basic short sleeve
Zara
Premium Plain T-Shirt
4 colors available
sizes 6Y - 14Y
Shop now

 

back to school clothes shopping tip

 

Staple Bottoms 

Comfortable bottoms that can take kids from the classroom to the playground to after-school activities are a must-have for the school year.

girls high-waist jeans
Old Navy
High-Waisted Slouchy Straight Jeans
2 colors available
sizes 5 - 18
Shop now
pack of girls leggings
H&M
5-Pack Jersey Leggings
7 styles available
sizes 2T - 10Y
Shop now
pack of boys pants
Old Navy
Chino Built-In Taper Pants
2 styles available
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
boys green pants
Old Navy
Built-In Flex Cargo Taper Pants
4 colors available
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
girls denim skirt
Target | Cat & Jack
Button-Front Jean Skirt
sizes XS - XL
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pair of kids jeans
H&M
2-Pack Loose Fit Jeans
sizes 8Y - 14Y+
Shop now
pair of boys joggers
H&M
3-Pack Cotton Jersey Joggers
sizes 2T - 10Y
Shop now
kids light wash jeans
H&M
Wide Leg Paper-Bag Jeans
3 colors available
sizes 2T - 10Y
Shop now
girls flare leggings
Abercrombie Kids
Active Flare Leggings
3 colors available
sizes 5/6 - 17/18
Shop now
boys khaki shorts
Abercrombie Kids
Chino Shorts
2 colors available
sizes 5/6 - 17/18
Shop now

 

Easy Dresses 

Easy dresses are the ideal one-step outfit for busy school mornings. Don’t forget to pick up some simple biker shorts to make the dresses playground-proof.

red print dress
Old Navy
Puff-Sleeve Printed Swing Dress
2 colors available
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
navy overall dress
Old Navy
Corduroy Pinafore Overall Dress
4 colors available
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
grey gauze long sleeve dress
H&M
Patterned Muslin Dress
2 colors available
sizes 2T - 10Y
Shop now
beige patterned dress
H&M
Cotton Jersey Dress
7 patterns available
sizes 2T - 10Y
Shop now
set of biker shorts
Old Navy
3-Pack Long Jersey Biker Shorts
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
2-pack cotton shorts
Carter's
2-Pack Bike Shorts
2 styles available
sizes 4 - 14
Shop now

 

back to school clothes shopping tip

 

Layering Pieces 

For the early fall days when it’s chilly in the morning but warm by afternoon, you’ll want to have some layering pieces on hand for your little one’s school drop-off.

boys blue and white flannel
Old Navy
Hooded Soft-Brushed Flannel
4 colors available
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
girls cream cardigan
Old Navy
Cocoon Cardigan
4 colors available
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
cream and confetti sweater
H&M
Textured-Knit Sweater
3 colors and patterns available
sizes 2T - 10Y
Shop now
navy blue crewneck
H&M
3-Pack Sweatshirts
sizes 2T - 10Y
Shop now
grey zip hoodie
H&M
Hooded Jacket
5 colors available
sizes 2T - 10Y
Shop now
blue and white striped button-up
H&M
Cotton Shirt
3 colors and patterns available
sizes 2T - 10Y
Shop now
cable knit sweater
Zara
Cable Knit Sweater
sizes 6Y - 14Y
Shop now
sweater vest
Zara
Purl Knit Vest
sizes 6Y - 14Y
Shop now

 

back to school clothes shopping tip

 

Outerwear

As much as we might not want to think about cold weather and snow, it’s best to be prepared for anything the school year might bring. These are great pieces to invest in to get wear for multiple seasons (or even multiple kids!). 

boys black rain jacket
Target | Cat & Jack
Solid 3-in-1 Rain Jacket
4 colors available
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
girls pink rain jacke
Old Navy
Hooded Water-Resistant Tunic Jacket
2 colors available
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
patagonia vest
Patagonia
Los Gatos Fleece Vest
4 colors available
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
black puffer vest
H&M
Puffer Vest
sizes 2T - 10Y
Shop now
patagonia boys reversible jacket
Patagonia
Reversible Ready Freddy Hoody
8 colors available
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
patagonia girls jacket
Patagonia
4-in-1 Drop Tail Everyday Jacket
3 colors available
sizes XS - XXL
Shop now
winter boots
L.L.Bean
Ultralight Winter Boots
6 colors available
Shop now
green rain boots
Zappos | Hunter
Classic Rain Boot
9 colors available
Shop now

 

Shoes

From summer sandals to fall boots to year-round sneakers, your kiddo will need a few staple shoes to choose from—and they’ve probably already grown out of last year’s school shoes. 

black mary jane shoes
Ten Little
Mary Janes
2 colors available
Shop now
native shoes
Amazon | Native Shoes
Jefferson Kids Shoes
20+ colors available
Shop now
kids new balance shoes
Nordstrom | New Balance
Kids' 574 Sneaker
2 colors available
Shop now
blue vans sneakers
Famous Footwear | Vans
Ward Low Top Sneaker
5 colors available
Shop now
plae shoes
Plae
Ty Shoes
15 colors available
Shop now
teva sandals
DSW | Teva
Original Universal Sandal
5 colors available
Shop now
Lug Sandals
Nordstrom
Stevie Lug Sandal
Shop now
tan chlelsea boots
Famous Footwear | Dolce Vita
Davys Chelsea Boot
Shop now
mid top sneakers
Famous Footwear | Deer Stags
Warren Jr. Mid Top Sneaker
3 colors available
Shop now
navy blue sneakers
Amazon
Lightweight Running Shoes
15+ colors available
Shop now

 

back to school clothes shopping tip

 

Accessories

Allowing your kids to pick out a fun backpack is a great way to make back-to-school shopping a little more fun. Don’t forget to pick up a few cute hair accessories and new socks, too. 

rainbow backpack
Old Navy
Patterned Canvas Backpack
Shop now
patterned kids backpack
State Bags
Kane Kids Backpack
20+ colors and patterns available
Shop now
personalized backpack
Pottery Barn Kids
Mackenzie Aqua Rainbow Tie-Dye Backpack
Shop now
beis kids backpack
Béis
The Kids Backpack
2 colors available
Shop now
kids bombas socks
Bombas
Youth Ankle Sock 8-Pack
8 styles available
Shop now
girl's hair accessories
Maisonette
Pastel Hair Accessories Bundle
Shop now
kids hair clips
H&M
6-Pack Hair Clips
Shop now
navy blue baseball cap
H&M
Cotton Cap
3 colors available
Shop now

The Ultimate Back-to-School Checklist: What To Do Now and What Can Wait
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