Back to school with style
By KATIE MORGAN | The Voorhees Sun
With the first day of school right around the corner, stores are setting out their fall fashions, and items are flying off the shelves. Everyone agrees: Plaid is in, purple is hot, and the Ugg boot is not going anywhere.
The Web site of the Moorestown Mall features a back-to-school style link, which provides shoppers with examples of 22 new looks, including “The Country Clubber,” wearing a polo shirt and chino pants, “The Rock Star,” wearing a flannel shirt and skinny jeans, and “The Glee Girl,” in a blazer and pleated skirt.
“We’re giving kids and parents an idea for what’s going to be fashionable this season,” said Lisa Wolstromer, senior marketing director at the Moorestown Mall. “This is what they’ll be finding in the stores.”
Many stores are currently stocking transitional clothing said Valerie Denunzio, manager of P.S. from Aeropostale, located in Marlton’s Promenade at Sagemore.
“The fall selection is about the transition from summer into fall,” she said. “There’s a lot of fleece coming out now.”
Wolstromer and Denunzio agree that thin is in. The biggest bottom trends include leggings, skinny jeans, and a new hybrid called “jeggings,” super stretchy, skin-tight denim leggings.
“We’re coming out with leggings that are a little thicker,” Denunzio said. “They can be worn with a tunic or a long T-shirt, and they look good on almost anyone.”
According to Denunzio, the skinny jean trend is not just for girls. The look is increasingly popular with boys as well.
“The popularity of the boy’s bootcut and wide leg jeans is going away,” she said. “The skater look with skinny jeans is very popular, it’s a little bit of an older look for the boys.”
While creating their back-to-school look, the Moorestown Mall’s marketing department referenced the dress codes of area schools.
“We went onto a lot of different Web sites and looked at what you cannot wear,” Wolstromer said. “We wanted to focus on what you could wear.”
This includes dress code appropriate attire like longer skirts and shirts without slogans printed on them. Both Denunzio and Wolstromer believe that fashions for younger shoppers are beginning to reflect the trends of older teens and college students.
“I think when you’re looking at fashion magazines, they’re more geared toward the older group,” said Wolstromer. “Of course in middle school you want to mimic those trends.”
To provide pre-teens and young teens with those popular trends, many retailers are creating new clothing lines geared specifically toward the age range between 10 and 14. P.S. from Aeropostale is one such store.
“When you’re 10, the kids who look the coolest are the high schoolers,” said Denunzio. “We make it so they can dress like that, but still be age appropriate. We’re making sure that kids are still kids.”
P.S. from Aeropostale markets skirts and shorts with longer inseams, higher cut shirts, and tops with a boxier fit, as opposed to the curvaceous styles designed for teens. In addition, the store’s jeans all feature elastic waistbands, which can be loosened or tightened.
“We want the clothes to fit them longer,” said Denunzio. “So they won’t have to come out and spend the money again in a few months.”
So what’s hot? According to Wolstromer and Denunzio, parents will be springing for purple, popular with boys and girls this season. The preppy look is coming back, and fitted button down shirts are trendy. Girls will see more feminine touches like ruffles, crystals, and rhinestones. Bomber jackets are flying off the shelves, and jackets with zip-out hoods and liners are big among boys.
There are a few trends that will never fade. Denim and plaid are staples that should be found in all closets, said Wolstromer. And as for back to school accessories, Denunzio says the classic backpack is still the way to go.
“Kids have too much stuff and messenger bags aren’t big enough,” she said. “Their books are heavy. The backpack still rules.”
Wolstromer encourages kids and teens to continue to embrace their individuality.
“I think most young people, male or female, have their own unique style,” she said. “It’s all about how something looks, how it feels and how you feel in it.”
