Kids Back-To-School Tips
by Mary Lou Andre 

Back-to-school shopping can be stressful for both parents and kids. While the child wants to be "in style", parents want clothing that makes sense not only style-wise, but in terms of durability, price and appropriateness. It is not always easy to meet everyone's needs.

"Parents know that it is important to send kids off to school equipped with plenty of self-confidence, and part of that confidence comes from feeling good about the way they look," says Mary Lou Andre, president of Needham-based Organization By Design - a wardrobe management and personal shopping company that helps busy, professional women organize, plan and shop for their wardrobes.

Andre offers the following tips for parents to help make this year's back-to- school shopping stress-free:

• Make an appointment with your children to review all the clothing currently in their wardrobes. Have children try on items to see what they have outgrown and ask them to identify pieces they like and dislike.

• Clean out the outgrown and seldom-worn clothes. Either put clothing away for a younger brother or sister or donate it to charity. Then discuss what is needed to pull the back-to-school wardrobe together.

• Talk about the styles the kids will be wearing this fall. Discuss the difference between fads, classics and trends.

• Browse through a few back-to-school catalogs with your child and talk to them about the issue of "what one wants" and "what one can afford". A calm financial conversation at home is one way to avoid an emotional blow-out at the store.

• Wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes that are easy to take off and put on for less hassles in the dressing room.

• Take children shopping for a few hours, not the entire day. Long, shop- 'til-you-drop sprees usually lead to impulse buying, arguments and exhaustion.

• Avoid buying everything before school starts. Once your children see what everyone else is wearing, they might have different ideas about what they like and dislike.

What's Cool for Back to School from Gap

According to Gap, Inc. this fall the looks for back to school combine fun prints, playful patterns and bright colors inspired by classic collegiate styles.  For girls they can pair a brightly colored skirt with everything from a striped cardigan and suede boots, to an embroidered T and Mary Janes. Fall’s pants for boys will take them from the classroom to the playground in style and look great paired with sporty graphic Ts and rugby shirts. 

Source & Images: 

Mary Lou Andre is the author of "Ready to Wear: An Expert's Guide to Choosing and Using your Wardrobe" and editor of dressingwell.com.   

Images provided by Gap, Inc 

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