Autumn / Winter Trends for Kids

 

Fashion and kids seem to be 2 words that (when said together) add a lot of stress to the family budget. As a Mom of a pre-teen, I will admit the ever-changing likes and dislikes of my daughter could easily break the bank. On the other hand, I want her to embrace her own sense of style.  We all know when we wear something that we know looks great on us, we feel better on the inside.  That is the feeling I desperately want my daughter to have every day...to feel confident and not be concerned about her clothing.

Being trendy is very important to our kids.  Even if they don't know the word "trendy" they do know there are certain things they will wear, and things they won't wear. Kids get much of their sense of style (and dare I say taste) from us... what they see us wear and the clothing expectations within our families.  As our kiddos grow up (sniff sniff), their sense of style comes from peers. I can't tell you how many times my daughter has told me "but all the girls are wearing that to school".  Can you relate?

Knowing the trends, you will be one step ahead of the wardrobe struggle in your home.   Here are some of this season's top trends for kids:

 

The hot colors for boys clothing this season are similar to the hot color trends in all fashion.  You are going to be seeing a lot of Royal Blue and  Orange.  The color trends are big and bold for boys with daring color combinations, and seemingly mismatched hues.

TIP: Not sure what colors work together?  Look at a color wheel.  Colors that are next to each other, or across from each other work together. Colors that are across from one another complement each other. Colors that are next to each other match.  More details about how to match colors can be found HERE.

SHOPPING TIP:  When I shop at Goodwill for the latest trends, I quickly glance down the racks for the hot colors.  Once I find a piece that is in the color I am searching for, I look for another piece (jacket, sweater for example) that will work with it.  Again, start with a color search.

The pieces boys are going to be hunting for this season are:

• Jeans
• Plaid
• graphic t-shirts

Lumberjack plaid is a hot trend across the board. This pattern has an innate boyish feel.

The graphic t-shirts this season fall into 2 categories.  They either have a vintage feel (like the one on left) or they have a whimsical kitschy feel (like the ones on the right). 

In girls fashion, the color trends are a bit softer than with the boys. A hot color combination is harvest gold and royal blue.  Other trendy colors are pastels. Notice that the trendy colors are anything but 'fall-ish'!

SHOPPING TIP: Some of the girls trends this season have a boy-ish feel.  Don't discount looking in the boys section.

Girls clothing this season has a distinct dressed-up casual feel.  Hot pieces for girls this season are:

• Skater skirts (circle skirts)
• Lumberjack Plaid
• 50's inspired (or Western) floral 

DIY TIP: If you are crafty, try this DIY circle skirt.  Find a great plaid skirt at Goodwill and make your daughter an adorable skirt!  

Hopefully these tips and tricks will help you be the coolest Mom on the block. I would love to hear how you are letting your kids show their style personalities this season, and what you have found at your local Goodwill store. Post comments and pics here, or use hash-tag #GoodwillMichianaFallFashion on Pinterest and Instagram!

the thing about kids...and fashion trends

I have an 11 year old daughter who has strong opinions about her wardrobe (don't all 11 year old girls?).  Her opinion and mine are vastly different when it comes to school clothes. This back-to-school season I decided I was done arguing about her clothes every morning.  She and I went to Starbucks and had a "fashion meeting".

Truth is I want her to show her individuality in her wardrobe. I'm glad she isn't uber obsessed with fashion (I couldn't afford it!). At our "fashion meeting" I explained to her that I am concerned about things fitting properly, being age appropriate and not unisex (I insist she wear 'girls' clothing, not sports wear that are for gals and guys...at least to school). She agreed and we developed our school-clothes rules.


They are:

• Things must fit (not too small and not too big)
• Be cool, trendy (whatever that definition is in her 11 year old world)
• Not look like she is wearing her old-mom's clothes.  Her clothing must be age appropriate.
•  Must not be uni-sex.  Must be clothing for girls.

Based on our new agreement (or fashion rules), I then decided that we should choose a style for her. She got to tell me what her personality was through her clothes. She showed me things online she liked, and we went to the mall and she pointed out things in stores she thought was cool.

Some of today's trends in kids clothes make me take pause when I consider what our kids clothes are saying about their personality.  But, we as responsible parents, need to know what is fashionable (or what "all the kids are wearing") so when we have these conversations with our teens and pre-teens about wardrobe choices, we are doing so from an educated viewpoint.And of course, to show our kids that we are still cool (*wink*).

Here are 2 big trends in kids clothing this fall.  Or in other words - the stuff your kids are going to be begging for...if they haven't already!

FUR
This can be a tricky one because pieces that kids like are EXPENSIVE!  Try this: get a great hoodie, denim jacket, or puffy vest from your local Goodwill store.  Then put on your "crafty" hat and DIY!  This tutorial shows you how to get in on this trend in just 5 easy steps.

MOTIFS
Camo and skulls are still big in kids fashion.  Camo has been around a while, look for it this season in bright trendy colors.  For some of us, the camo thing can be a little much for little ones.  Consider a DIY Camo sweatshirt! 






I would love to hear how you've calmed the 'school clothes' battle in your home! Any suggestions for the rest of us?

IMAGES:
http://cdn2-b.examiner.com
www.aliexpress.com
http://pinterest.com/pin/126874914474934321/
http://pinterest.com/pin/483925922430206827/
 

FALL FASHION MUST HAVE's

I am dying for all the new trends this season. So much so that I have become a bit overwhelmed! Honestly, I found that my shopping list was longer than my budget. Something had to be done.

I needed to consult with some colleagues.

I spent some time talking-shop with a Hollywood stylist in LA a few weeks ago. Our girl’s lunch consisted of a lot of hummus and fashion magazines! Here is the list of this season’s top MUST have’s (and note - most of the  pictures are from the runway at the Goodwill Little Black Dress Luncheon in Valparaiso last week)!

STATEMENT JACKET  

A great outdoor coat will go over last season’s jeans, your simple spring/summer sheath dresses and the leggings and turtleneck you’ve been wearing for years.

Get creative with your choice this year.  Consider a vintage find from your local Goodwill store, like this saddle toned beauty.  Belting it with a wide leather belt will give it a new vibe.


 

SOMETHING LEATHER 

For me, I will be going for a leather skirt, leather tank-style top and leather trimmed leggings. Oh wait – I said one thing leather didn’t I?

Look at your lifestyle and see what fits in best and will be the most wearable for you. A transitional leather jacket is a great start, like the ones pictured from Michiana Goodwill Stores.  Be sure to look for details like interesting colors, texture and hardware.

CUTE SASSY SWEATSHIRT   

Who doesn't love a cute sweatshirt?  For those of us who get the kids off to school, run off to the gym and then work from home, the sweatshirt is a staple in our work-wardrobe. And let's be honest, generally the sweatshirts we are wearing every day aren't ones we SHOULD be wearing.

Let's up the style and sass factor this season!  This trend is something you can DIY very easily.  The style is a sweatshirt with a lace insert on the back, sheer sleeves or interesting detail on the seams. I like to call it a "dressed up sweatshirt". You can wear this wardrobe staple with jeans or pull on with a simple knit skirt.

Find a great sweatshirt at Goodwill and check out these ideas how to DIY from Pinterest.

THE SHOE-BOOTIE 

The shoe boot is back with a vengeance this season!

Feel free to wear that shoe-boot (or sha-bootie) with EVERYTHING!  Skirts, pants, jeans, leggings - and dare I say shorts?

The key trend is an open toe boot.  And yes, it is on-trend to wear the open toed version with tights!



IMAGES:
http://pinterest.com/pin/46584177367764676/ 
all others from the Goodwill Little Black Dress Fashion Show in Valparaiso, Sept 2013

Take Your Wardrobe Into Fall...with your summer clothes

Over the past few months, I’ve offered several tips on adding in some current trend into your wardrobe.  You might remember the tips on shorts, bathing suits, and even dresses posted on this blog.

As summer winds down and the kids head back to school I thought it would be a good idea to look at our closet to decide what we can wear as we transition into fall.

WHAT TO DO AND DON’T DO:

• Summer fabrics: things like gauze and linen are distinctive summer fabrics and won’t work in the fall.  Move these things to your “out of season” wardrobe, or donate at your local Goodwill store. 
• Shorts: although short suits were a huge trend in early Spring, going into fall keep wearing walking shorts, but pair them with an ankle boot.  As the weather gets cooler, try a colored or textured tight with the shorts! 
• Summer Dresses:  add tights to your summer dresses, or try boots. The best summer dresses to keep around are those without a distinct summer pattern (i.e. bold floral).  
• Bare Some Skin: it’s OK to start wearing those fall dresses and skirts now, just keep a bare leg.  This will keep you cool in the warmer fall days, but is a great way to transition to tights and boots. 
• Sandals:  keep your toes exposed well into autumn.  My general rule is it’s OK to wear toe-bearing shoes until the first frost. The sock/sandal trend we seen in fashion magazines and on the runways is a trend that is very hard to pull off.  To avoid a fopah - skip it. 
• Colors: start wearing the trendy colors of fall (don’t know what those colors are?  Sign up for my newsletter HERE and get the Fall-Winter 2013 Trend Report for FREE!) 
• Add a scarf: one way to keep warm in the cooler fall evenings is to simply add a scarf to your ensemble.

Want to be in the know on the latest trends?  Sign up for my newsletter HERE and get my Fall-Winter 2013 Trend report for Free!

School - Fall Fashion Trends NEON

Neon

Remember the neon of the 80’s?  It came back this summer, and is following us into fall.  

LOVE IT: neon denim, shoes and sweaters.

CAN’T DECIDE: Try neon in small doses.  Maybe in a Chuck Talylor type tennis shoe or a handbag.

Photocredit: http://www.smudgetikka.com