Shopping for back-to-school clothes is a rite of passage for the K-12 crowd, as well as a drain on parents’ wallets. Here are some basic guidelines for shopping smart when you buy school clothes:
- Navy or khaki twill pants and jeans can create a variety of looks with different tops. Stock up on these staples.
- Tennis shoes or sneakers will get lots of wear throughout the year, look for quality over price on sneakers that will support your child’s feet during the school day, recess and gym class.
- Shirts are less expensive than pants and provide the opportunity to have some fun with your child’s back-to-school wardrobe. Buy a variety of colorful and plain shirts that are comfortable to wear. Beware the currently popular T-shirts with snarky sayings, such as “Girls Rule, Boys Drool.” They may invite trouble on the playground.
Following are some online and bricks-and-mortar retailers who offer the best value in back-to-school wear.
JCPenney
JCPenney, the solid mall anchor store, is the one-stop shop for parents, kids and college-bound young adults. For students who require school uniforms, JCPenney sells Izod khaki or navy blue pants (such as girls’ pleated pants, on sale at $13.99), skirts and shorts, as well as Izod brand polo shirts and sweaters and Van Heusen button-down oxford shirts for boys. New Balance, Skechers and Keds are some of JCPenney’s shoe brands that offer solid, fashionable support. JCPenney often offers incentives for free shipping with a certain purchase amount. Google “JCPenney” free shipping before you place your order.
Garnet Hill
This mail-order catalog and online retailer will make a larger dent in the family budget for back-to-school clothes, but Garnet Hill does sell well-made, fashionable apparel with classic appeal. Their carpenter cords for boys ($38 for one pair, buy two for $60) come in black, brown, slate, navy and dark khaki and meet the requirements for basic, versatile school pants. The girls’ poet tee is a feminine long-sleeved shirt available in pretty pastels ($24 each, $42 for two). Vans and Timberland are some of the sporty shoe brands Garnet Hill sells.
Target
Target leads the way among bargain retailers for stylish, inexpensive back-to-school clothing. Cherokee brand clothes, such as the girls’ Cherokee Bedford pant ($12.99) is trendy version of a classic pant. Boys’ Cherokee polo short-sleeve shirts are $6.99 each. While buying clothes at Target, back-to-school shoppers can also stock up on pencils, notebooks and other school supplies.
At Target, your back to school purchases can also provide additional funding to your child's school. Target donates 1 percent of purchases through its store credit card to to the school of the chardholder's choice.
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