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The Tween Years: What's Cool For School

Tribune photo by VICTOR JUNCO

On Maddie Strasen, 10: Haven Girl top, $30; skirt with attached leggings, Haven Girl, $60; bag, Roxy, $28; Wee Ones headband, $10; flats, Ragg, $24; interchangeable bottle cap necklace $13; “Hannah Montana” and “High School Musical” bracelets, $6 each. All from Smarty Pants. On Sam Shedden, 12: From Macy’s, Toxic Hazard graphic T-shirt, $28, and Levi’s blue jeans, $38. K-Swiss sneakers, $69.95, from Poco Pattino. Clothes and shoes courtesy of Smarty Pants, Macy’s and Poco Pattino.

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By CLOE CABRERA | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 17, 2008

Ahhh, the tween years.

For parents, they can provide some needed respite between toddler tantrums and full-on teen turmoil.
Until it comes to fashion, that is. Then these 8- to 12-year-olds are no different than their teenage counterparts.

"This is the age when fashion starts to matter," says Christina Carathanassis, owner of ChristabellesCloset.com, an online resale boutique that offers designer labels for all ages. "This season, we're seeing a more independent tween, one who is looking to create an individual style."

That budding sense of style means big money for retailers. Packaged Facts, a publication of MarketResearch.com, estimates the combined buying power of tweens and young teens (13- and 14-year-olds) was $39 billion in 2004 and is projected to grow to $43 billion in 2009.

But when you're a tween, an age-appropriate style isn't always easy to define. Tweens often are caught between youthful experimentation and looks their parents may find too sexy.

"I want to find things that are fashionable and reflect her age," South Tampa resident Heidi Kemp says of her 11-year-old daughter, Serrelle Baker. "The little girl department is too young; the junior department is not good for her right now. The shorts and skirts are short, too short for school. What's fashionable and what's required doesn't always come together."

And if the clothes don't pass muster with Mom, chances are that transaction won't be completed.

Retailers are hoping Mom and Dad can breathe a sigh of relief this year. Back-to-school trends for tweens are fun and appropriate, they say, and include cute, feminine looks for girls and sporty styles for boys.

At Smarty Pants, a children's boutique in South Tampa, the back-to-school buying is in full swing. Tweens and their parents will find baby-doll tops, dresses and lots of leggings for girls, and cool T-shirts, lots of plaid and cargo shorts for boys. Kitty-cat decorations are hot on accessories, along with skulls, pirates and, of course, Miley Cyrus.

"There's a demand to bring adult fashions to kids' fashions, but we [parents] want them to still look like kids," says Annette Alexander, who co-owns the boutique with her mother, Ann McGill. "The fashions that do well tend to look like they came from the juniors department, but they're still age appropriate, so it's going to make moms happy and the girls happy, too."

This year, thanks to bold color palettes, prints, patterns and stripes, as well as the layering trend, kids who don't want to follow the crowd can strike out on their own.

Alexander says tweens are mixing patterns that don't normally belong together: plaids with florals, checkers and stripes. And they're emulating their favorite television and stars — Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana), the cast from "High School Musical" and "Camp Rock" stars the Jonas Brothers — in everything from jewelry to messenger bags to shoes.

Dresses, which have been sizzling hot for women, are big for tweens, too, this back-to-school season, says Joanne Stoner, CEO of edressme.com. Cute, colorful-print dresses are in big demand, she says.

"When women and teenagers wear dresses, the trend trickles down to preteens," Stoner says. "There are lightweight, fun, flirty-cute dresses that are more comfortable in the heat of the summer than a pair of jeans. And when it cools down, they can layer the dresses with a cami underneath, leggings or a cardigan."

At off-price retailer T.J. Maxx, some of the hottest back-to-school looks for tweens include '80s-inspired vests and dresses for girls and graphic screened T-shirts and plaid for boys, says Sonya Cosentini, T.J. Maxx style expert.

"Back-to-school seems to be very '80s influenced for all ages," Cosentini says. "And that's a look that adapts well to the younger set."

Preteen girls are mixing '80s-inspired cardigans and jackets with jeans or a jean skirt for a casual age-appropriate look.

"Denim is always a big back-to-school trend," Cosentini says. "But instead of a baggier, looser fit for tweens; it's a slimmer silouette, but definitely not skinny [jeans]."

Layering continues to be a strong design style element for all ages. Short-sleeve tees layered over long-sleeve tees, a particularly hip look for boys and girls, is easier thanks to tops that create the look without the extra fabric. Reversible graphic T-shirts offer tweens two looks for one.

Cosentini says they should go through their children's closets and see what they still like, what doesn't fit anymore and what's worn out, and get a feel for the kinds of things their children are looking for.

"As a parent on a budget, you don't want to spend a lot of money on fashion trends that they will quickly grow out of," she says. "I think for parents, as well as children, they will both be on the same page this back-to-school season."

SHOPPING WITH YOUR TWEEN AND TEEN

Back-to-school shopping with your tween or teen doesn't have to be a test — if you have a plan.

A. Make a list: It will help you shop more efficiently, and you'll be less likely to overspend and buy items you don't need.

B. Establish a budget: This will give your child a clear understanding of what you can buy (and perhaps forestall any pleading and/or whining). Plus, you'll be able to teach smart shopping and money-management skills. If there is are expensive items your children "have to have," arrange for them to pay the extra from their allowance or with their own earnings.

C. Check sales and promotions.

D. Find out about your school's dress code: Most schools have dress codes to discourage clothes that are too skimpy or sexual or that suggest gang membership.

E. You don't have to get your entire wardrobe before school starts: Spreading your shopping out over the first few weeks of the school year gives kids time to check out what their peers are wearing and to make any necessary adjustments during later shopping trips.

F. Be aware of marketing strategies aimed at kids: Teens and tweens represent a lucrative market for retailers and advertisers. They're barraged with messages telling them what looks are cool. Talk to your child about how the media influences what they want and think they need.

Source: www.greatschools.net

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