School clothes - tips on getting through the shopping experience

School clothes... I still have memories of that shopping ordeal. The bad memories come from my own childhood, not from buying for my daughter -- surprisingly. I was fortunate in that my Aunt took my daughter school-clothes shopping for many years.

BUT, I was reading about fall shopping last night (in one of my many magazines) and it got me thinking about the impending change of season and how we all could shop better with a little extra thought. Today -- clothes for back to school. Next week - ideas for grown-ups.

First and foremost -- know what they need. If you haven't done it already -- do a fashion show with the clothes they already have. See what fits. See what needs to be fixed. AND get rid of the stuff that is either too far gone or is too small and needs to find a new home either with a younger sibling or at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army. This includes everything; socks, underwear, shirts, pants, shoes, sneaks.... You get the idea.

Next, look at the school dress code. Make sure nothing has changed from the year before. Are there rules against text on T-shirts? Do skirts or shorts need to be a certain length? Are jeans OK?

Make a list and stick to it. I say this all the time, but it's so easy to get off track if you don't know what you need. For older kids with eyes on high-end labels, discuss in advance what you are willing to pay for and what they will need to pay for.

Shop summer sales now. A lot of stuff from summer can be used as a layering piece in the fall. Look for sales on tees, jeans, underwear and socks -- again, those will take you into fall and maybe even winter. Lightweight summer sweaters can be a great way to start the fall.

Once you have gotten what you can from sale racks -- check out full price. BUT only buy what they need for the first few weeks of school. There will be more sales as the weeks go by.

Happy shopping!

-reenie