What's "hot" at your kids' schools?

[paintnolish]

My dd in 3rd grade asked for a Northface fleece. Are you kidding?!? I told her maybe when she stops growing- like in HS! She also wants Uggs. I don't mind investing in a good product and actually have both Uggs and a North Face, but I can't buy them for a kid who outgrows them yearly!
Nintendo DSIs were cool this year, but I refused. They have fairly new DSs!

 

[mjkacmom]

Well, dd8 and dd6 are VERY into Justice clothes, but will accept knock-off Uggs (as will dd13 now). Dd8 (almost 9) does have a cellphone, but she dances at two studios about 6 - 8 hours a week, and only takes it then. For one studio, parking is an issue (kind of a city-like area), and you can't park illegally and leave your car because of police presence, and the studio is on the second floor. I call her when I pull up, and she comes down.

 

[damren]

Duct tape.

The girls in my DD14's grade have been making "things" out of duct tape. She has a couple of belts, a wallet, some flowers with pencils for stems, neckties, hairbands... it's amazing to see all the colors duct tape comes in!

Yes! must be a Maine thing...a boy made my DD a purse

I will bookmark this thread just so I can be kept up on all the trends to come!

 

[Darsa]

It is quite amazing going to the mall around here and seeing all the young girls with all the stuff the OP mentioned...Ugg boots, North Face jackets, Vera, Coach. Dude, I am 24 and I don't even own Uggs or a Coach purse! Some kids are in such a hurry to grow up. Sorry, I don't get it.

What's worse is that some parents just let their kids get whatever they want! There's a VB store around here and I've seen some mothers literally ask their daughters, "honey, what else do you want? Do you want the lunch box to go with your backpack? How about the pencils too?" It is insane.

I'm with you there, girl. Luckily my DD14 doesn't care what the name says, "as long as it looks cute and I like it". I love that girl

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Thank goodness for parochial school and uniforms!

However dd (4th grade) and dd (6th grade) both asked for an got Uggs for Christmas. DD (4th grade) actually asked for and got a pair for Christmas when she was in 3rd grade. I thought it was ridiculous but she really wanted them and we get a discount because one of DH's clients (DH is a CPA) owns a shoe store!

Also big - anything from Justice (even lunch boxes and journals!), LL Beans backpacks, Itouch, and Dsi's. My girls have these but I refuse to get them the really "hot" commodity - a cell phone. They have absolutely no need for one and only want it because "everyone else has one".

 

[kimmar067]

....I teach at our middle school, and skinnies WERE the 'big thang' until we introduced the school uniform to our public school kids..... ....lots of girls wear Uggs though....

 

[rszdtrvl]

My son is in junior high.

Aeropostale is hot. So is the Nintendo DSi. And any kind of "fancy" cell phone.

My son has a cheap 'ol Virgin Mobile cell phone that matches mine - the TNT!

I told him that as soon as DH's contract runs out on his phone (in a little over a year) we will get a family plan, and perhaps he can get a better phone. But for now, the TNT! is just fine for me so it is just fine for him.

He only has a cell phone because he plays basketball and goes to school supervised travel events and dances. I like him to be able to contact me when they arrive at the events and when they leave. Because I am a neurotic overly protective mother.

I also believe American Eagle is popular. And I have seen some North Face jackets, but not many.

That being said, my son is a guy, and does not keep up on the trends too much. In fact, him asking for Aeropostale shirts is the first time in eons that he actually requested a certain type of clothing. I was shocked. And a bit giddy too!

 

[paintnolish]

Yeah, my son id pretty much oblivious to trends wright now- he likes what he likes! He won't wear anything with characters, though- even cool, retro stuff.
DD does have a cell but like a PP's dd, she dances twice a week and has piano once. I found out she had brought the phone to school once, so it now sits on top of the refridgerator!

 

[MoniqueU]

I always find these threads funny because of the regional differences. We are in CA and have 2 girls 12 and 13 and a boy in private school with uniforms.

Not one of them would be caught dead in a flannel shirt, Northface jacket and my girls would scream in horror at Vera Bradley. The only thing most people listed that my kids like are the uggs, but that goes back 20 some years for me to when I was a teen, they have never gone out of style here.

Shoes are big here for my son. He wants some ossiris ones which I guess is a new cool brand.

My oldest DD is real into fashion and says the clothes this year suck, she is into urban outfitters, VS, ed hardy and mostly into makeup such as mac and urban decay. She likes jeans alot and wants some true religion ones bur I told her she would have to buy them herself.

My youngest DD is into A and F and hollister and just recently asked and got uggs.

Both girls wear vans, uggs or slouchy boots.

Surf brands are also real big here for both boys and girls.

All my kids have cells and have for a long time now, it is for my convience not theirs. I don't get the hubbub over kids and cells, if something is cheap and convienent for adults it is also that way for kids. I pay 14 bucks a line a month extra per kid with unlimited text, photos, cell to any cell nationwide etc. I have been known to text my kids durning school to to notify them of a change in pickup plans, beats calling the office and having them track down a jr high or high schooler. JMHO but I see no reason for them not to have one.

 

[Crystal0608]

DS is in 2nd and most of the boys spike or mohawk there hair with a ton of gel/hairspray (think Jersey Shore, lol). My son is always fixing his hair. The rock/skull shirts are pretty popular with his group. DD is in 4th and most of her group wear their hair long and straight. It's been about 6 months since she has let me have her hair cut and she flat irons it. Sparkly or babydoll style shirts and bootcut jeans is what her and a lot of her friends wear as well as Witches of Waverly Place backpacks and lunchboxes. Oh, and most kids wear hoodies instead of jackets.

I guess I'm lucky since Target/JC Penney style clothes are considered "in" at our elementary schools as I haven't noticed any specific brand and in 6th-12th they have to wear uniforms. Edited to add, I'm in NC.

 

[iwrbnd]

Here in the midwest we are all pretty laid back. I know Uggs are in but most get them from our local Walmart. My boys just want jeans and t-shirts and my daughter doesn't care yet.

What gets expensive for us is the latest technological stuff! XBox, Dsi, PS2, etc...!

 

[dakcp2001]

I do not have children, but me & my friend were behind a school bus last week, and we were laughing at how all the little girls looked exactly the same. They all had on Uggs, Pink fleece jackets, and the same jeans. They even had the same hair style & pink cell phones!!!!!! It was dreadful! We clapped when we saw one little girl wearing a purple fleece, at least there is on person who can SORT OF think on their own.

Doesnt anyone want to be themsleves? What fun is the carbon copy/stepford wife thing? Someone needs to teach these girls what is really important, and some individuality.

I must mention we were in a nearby city that is pretty affluent. That stuff would never fly in my city, people cannot afford it.

 

[Frye7127]

DS9 wears uniforms to school, but Under Armour for his age is huge. North Face jackets and Uggs. Vera Bradley.

Can't wait to see what is big in Kansas as we are moving there in the summer. We were there in November and I noticed nothing fad-like in the kids we saw. Didn't see one North Face. Here, it is like very other kid has one.

 

[5lilfish]

None of my kids (older 3 are in 7th, 6th and 4th grade) are into fashion and they do not seem to care what is popular. They are actually so out of touch with it that I find myself trying to keep a little in touch with it. I like that they don't care but I also do not want then to completely stick out.

My 6th grader asked me about Uggs for Christmas. I asked her if she really wanted boots to be her big pressent. It took her about 2 seconds to say, No. So we bought her a pair of Bear Paws (I think that is what they are called)....about $40. She is very happy with them.

From what I can tell.... elementary kids are very into Justice. My 4th grader has a lot of t-shirts and tunics from there. It's not that she cares where they are from. She is very into pandas and Justice sells a lot of clothes with pandas on them.

We did just get all 3 kids cell phones. The ONLY reason we did it is because we are constantly dropping kids off at sports/activities and they are getting old enough to ride bikes through the neighborhood. We like to be able to stay connected. The final straw came when we dropped our 9 yr old off at her soccer practice (same day/time/location as always). My 12 yr old son walked her in and said the coach wasn't there but a few team mates were. so we left. Well the coach (not thinking...she is young w/o any kids) canceled practice by e-mail 1 hr before drop off. We stranded my DD. Thankfully she knew someone and was able to borrow a phone to call us.

Middle school....Uggs, Aero, Ambercrombie, Hollister, American Eagle. I buy Aero because the price is right so why not. I buy American Eagle on sale. Ambercrombie is ridiculously expensive. I will not buy a solid color t-shirt that has a store name on it for $34 (on sale). My 2 middle schoolers have iTouches (just the ipod, no phone to it. They have seperate phones). My family is BIG into music. They use their ipods allt he time.

Like I said, my kids aren't into the what's popular thing (they aren't against it either...more apathetic). There are problem other very popluar things and I just don't know about them.

Jess

edit to add...I know North Face is big too. I may buy the kids a North Face jacket if the price is ok.

 

[asta]

Let me be the first to mention here the latest must have fad - the Patagonia Re-tool Snap-t Pullover. My college age daughter mentioned this first. It looks a lot like the Northface to me, only it is a pullover and is more fitted. It seems like everyone she knows at her university is wearing these. Back before Christmas these were extremely hard to find. I don't know if it has gotten any easier. My high schooler took one look and had to have one also. The first day back at school after the Christmas break, every one of her friends who had a college age sibling was wearing this pullover.

The other fad that comes to mind for older girls is Nike tempo track shorts. They are almost like a uniform on college campuses. Everywhere you look someone is wearing these.

 

[The Princess]

Uggs
Vera Bradley

 

[koolaidmoms]

Thankfully we have not had the fashion or cell phone issue yet with DD (9). Her brother could care less. I am lucky if I can get him to go to school with all his clothes facing the correct direction.

I think as PPs have said that school has made a huge difference. They do not have uniforms but can not wear jeans (pants, skirts or dresses), any clothing with logos or words showing, no pictures on shirts other than small butterflies or flowers and no character shirts.

I don't think my daughter would know what Uggs, Juicy or Vera Bradley are. I took her shopping this year for back to school and gave her a set amount for school. We went to the outlets and bought 12 pair of pants and shirts for about $150. I told her we could go to the mall but it would not go as far. She was more than happy to go to the outlets to see how much she could get for her money.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

DS15 wanted a NorthFace jacket, but I refused to pay that amount of money. He does hiking and camping for Boy Scouts, but I refused to pay that much. He looked online and found a nice one on E-bay and paid about $70 for a really nice jacket.

DD10 is the consumate tomboy and couldn't care less about trendy items. In fact, the jacket she wanted is the "anti-NorthFace". A teenager in St. Louis has created a new brand - The South Butt. It is too hysterical, so for her B-day, she got a SB jacket. Luckily none of the administration at school has banned it (yet).

DD, however, does want a cell phone. Her brother didn't get one until he was a freshman in HS, so that's when she'll get hers, unless she starts playing a traveling soccer team, or some other reason that I want her to have one. Until then, it's a no.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I have a boy, so I'm spared some of it, but I did notice right after Christmas that almost all the girls at the bus stop had traded in their backpacks for Aeropostale book bags.

The big thing in DS's class right now is actually something small - would you believe "gimp" - that plastic lace stuff we used to make things out of in Girl Scouts? They've had a lot in indoor recess lately, and both the boys and girls have been playing with it, mostly just braiding really long strings as far as I can tell. But hey, ya gotta love an easy trend.

 

[rszdtrvl]

I asked my son about the Silly Bandz, and apparently they have not hit our area yet. We are in Washington state, in a small coastal city. So who knows if the fad will hit or not.

He had no idea what I was talking about. And seemed very un-interested.

Oh and I just remembered.

Last year, in 6th grade, the fad was pencil sharpeners. You bought them at the Dollar Tree in multi-packs and drew faces and named them. Some kids had tons of them, all with different names and faces.

I thought it was a goofy fad, but it was inexpensive and the kids enjoyed them! (Pencil sharpeners in the birthday goodie bag were a huge hit!)