In all honesty, you probably don’t need to buy that much for back to school. You probably have a lot of clothes from Fall that still fit and Summer clothes don’t just instantly stop being worn. But if you are in the need for some new clothes for your soon to be back to schooler or maybe your soon to be new schooler (or day care goer), this is how I shop for back to school. These are the essentials and then we layer in all that fun, crazy stylish stuff afterwards.

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COMFORTABLE TEES: Kids need to be ready for any activity that happens as school, so staying comfortable is a must. Try and avoid those really light, easy to stain colors when possible; art projects are awesome but messy and at lunch time they always get more food on the shirt than in the mouth. I like to go for versatile styles that are still full of style, but can easily be paired so getting dressed is a no brainier for everyone. no.1 polka dot peplum tee – no.2 sporty tee.


LIGHT LAYER: The perfect little jacket for transitional summer to fall days and a great everyday layer for fall and winter days. A color that will go with everything in their little closet and a style that can work everyday too. no.3 moto fleece jacket – no.4 zip up hoodie.


DRESSES AND TUNICS: Comfort is key, so they need something they can sit comfortably in or run around and play without restriction. Dresses that are easy to layer, over tights, under sweaters will make getting dressed really easy (especially in unpredictable weather). Also go for styles that can grow with them like a dress that can be worn as a tunic or a top as it becomes too small should jump into your shopping cart. no.3 comfy tunic layer – no.4 jumper dress – no.5 empire waist dress.


PANTS: No matter if your little one is just starting school or they are returning, pants that can easily be pulled up and down without the worry of snaps and buttons are amazing. It cuts back on the bit of mom worry and makes it easy for them to get back to playing after a quick potty break. Jeans or pants that have an elastic waist, tights that go under dresses or with a basic tee, sweat pants that are too cool to even be called sweat pants, and jeans with stretch and an elastic pull on waist are great options. no.8 pull on cargo pants – no.9 leggings – no.10 stretch jeans with a pull on elastic waist – no.11 pull on skinny jeans – no.12 trouser sweat pants – no.13 patterned sweat pants – no.14 pull on jeans.

SHOES, BACKPACKS AND LUNCHBOXES: Versatility and quality are the name of the game. Shoes that are easy to slip on and off, yet something that works great for park play, gym time or just dancing around. A backpack that isn’t huge, but also isn’t so teeny tiny that you can’t fit much of anything in it and one that lasts for a few school years. When it comes to lunch boxes, I learned my lesson — go for quality. So far, this pricey lunch box from Pottery Barn is the best (and comes in really great prints the kids love) – it’s super sturdy and if you buy the bento insert it’s really easy to pack. We are on year 3 with ours and expect to get many more years of use. no.15 slip on inside shoes – no.16 backpack that fits everything – no.17 durable lunch box. *lunch box and backpack have other color and pattern options.

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Basically versatility, durability, comfort and style are the name of the game. It can be hard to fit all categories in a single item, but it’s definitely durable. Do you have a little one attending school or even daycare this year? *this a great essentials list for daycare too!