Teens Guide to Back to School Shopping

With a just a few weeks left in summer it's time to start thinking about Back to School shopping. If like many teens, you've been hard at work this summer, it may be time to spend some of your hard-earned cash on clothes for fall.

If you're lucky your parents are going to kick in some financial support to further enhance your wardrobe. Either way, you're going to want to make smart purchases. This guide should make Back to School shopping relatively painless and maybe even a little fun.

Getting Started

1. Set a budget. Remember you don't want to buy a year's worth of clothes all at once. The weather (and styles) is bound to change. Sit down with the folks and come up with a number that's reasonable for the year, then divide by three. The first portion of the clothing budget will be what you use for BTS shopping.

2. Contact your school to see if any rules have changed when it comes to your dress code. Things may have changed over the summer and it's best to be prepared before you head out to the mall or get online.

3. Read up on the styles in your favorite magazines. Websites like Seventeen.com, Cosmogirl.com or TeenVogue.com can help you spot trends.

4. Make a list of all the items you will need in the upcoming year. Include clothes for gym classes and any other special activities you may be participating in (soccer, cheerleading, band, etc.).

5. Before you whip out the credit card, give last years clothes a review. See the list below for ideas on cleaning and organizing your closet.

6. Once you are sure you have the list prepared, tear out pictures from magazines or print images from the Internet to show your parents. There's no need buying items they are just going to make you return. Save everyone some aggravation and agree to approved styles before you plunk down your cash.
7. Save your receipts until you've tried everything on and made sure the clothes fit properly.

Getting Organized