(BPT) - Plus: The when to buy, how to buy, and what to buy.
It’s that time of year again: Time to start back-to-school shopping. (Anyone else feel like summer just started?!) Alas, we’ve reached the final weeks of summer and we’re nearing meet-the-teacher days, school tours, and we’re not far out from the big first day.
This back-to-school season, Carter’s, the leading children’s apparel brand trusted by parents*, is focusing on styles that get your kids from bed to carpool line in record time. The looks they can’t wait to wear and the active styles they need and want (hello, balletcore!). Here, we take you on a field trip filled with style notes and endless inspiration on how to wear our new faves. Plus, we’re packed with layering options for cool classrooms and iconic denim in new comfort fits. The ultimate goal? To get your kids off to class in style, comfort and in looks that will last all year. To sum it up: We understood the assignment.
Now, let’s break down the must-haves to get your kids looking first-day fresh.
You heard it here first: Denim is so back. Back and better than ever, that is. This season, OshKosh denim is all about flares, wide-legs, hidden (fun!) details, and comfort. “We’re definitely seeing wide-leg styles as our biggest back-to-school trend,” said Rebecca Baumbach, Vice President of Design at Carter’s. “Customers are loving the flare fit, so we kept those feeling fresh and new with fun design details.”
In the past few years, activewear has taken over the playground. Whether your child is headed to school, tryouts or a weekend playdate, odds are, they want to dress in some sort of active look. And can you blame them? With lightweight, moisture-wicking fabrics, and easy pull-on-and-off ‘fits, it’s no wonder they’re reaching for their activewear every day.
But this year, it’s not your same old activewear. Enter: Balletcore. For little girls, this means sweet, twirly skirts with hints of shimmer and glitter in spandex material, paired with wrap style tops. For big kids, it’s parachute pants paired with tank tops layered with a crew cropped sweatshirt. Designed in both active drop-needle rib and French terry fabrics, it’s the perfect get-up-and-go school style.
For the boys, Baumbach named the active stretch joggers as one of this season’s “will sell out” items. This pant, complete with functional pockets and drawstring, is guaranteed to become a go-to style on school mornings. Pair with an active tee or stretch quarter-zip pullover and you’ve got a sporty, school-ready outfit in a flash.
Uniforms and comfort are not mutually exclusive… until now, that is. When shopping back to school this year, parents can expect the typical polos and khaki styles, but in reimagined ways that put comfort — and your child — first. “The Uniform Shop will translate more into activewear,” said Baumbach. That means softer and Be Cool™ moisture-wicking fabrics, more stretch, easy pull-on styles and new silhouettes. “It’s the ‘comfort’ uniform,” added Baumbach. These styles might look like your typical polos and khaki uniform, but they’re anything but.
Cargo is here to stay! From denim to active, there’s plenty of cargo to go around this season. Also on trend are utility styles, especially utility jackets for both boys and girls. “For boys, I think any and all utility styling will be the boys’ top trend for fall,” Baumbach said. “They’re ‘must-have’ items.” Psst … pants and jackets will sell out before you realize. When back-to-school shopping, over 70% of parents plan to purchase a mixture of both warm-weather and cold-weather clothing†. Don’t wait!
There’ll be a lot of skirts and skorts in the halls this fall. “We’re seeing skirts continue to grow right now,” shared Baumbach. “Lots of skorts, too, because they make for easy dressing,” she added. These easy match-back skirt and top sets are perfect to throw on for school for an easy, instant outfit that’ll make a splash — especially on their big first day.
Colors, Textures & More to Love
Bring on the color! And the textures! Olives and sage; berries and plums; blues; warm neutrals like cream, oat and terracotta — you’re going to see it all. And add to it lots of textures — think ribbed cotton, waffle-knits and more. “We’re leaning into fashion solids, which is also where the texture comes in. It comes together to feel very new and modern,” shared Baumbach.
“Carter’s and OshKosh have something for everyone. It just depends on what your style is and how you want to show up to the first day,” said Baumbach. Shop back-to-school styles in your local Carter’s store or online today and start the school year off with a fashionable splash. Pro Tip: Don’t wait to shop! Over two-thirds of parents prefer to finish their back-to-school shopping before school starts with half of parents starting as early as July†. Shoes, socks, pants and short-sleeve tops are the most sought-after categories†, so be sure to snag those items!
Carter’s. Best dressed looks like this.
*Based on preferences selected in Carter's Q2'23-Q1'24 survey of 1,582 children's clothing buyers in the U.S.
†Based on preferences selected in a Carter’s Q2’24 (June 10-12, 2024) survey of 200 (sample size) children’s clothing buyers in the U.S.
