“Readin', 'Ritin' and Retailin'”

Posted: 11 Aug 2010 08:23 PM PDT

Summer vacations are ending, beach trips are becoming less frequent and soon children will be running out the door to catch the bus. But before August concludes, one thing is inevitable for young people everywhere: back-to-school shopping.

"It's a brand new year with brand new clothes," said Peg Altschuler, a Wallingford resident, as she shopped at Old Navy in Meriden with her 10-year-old daughter Sarah, who will be entering the fifth grade at Wallingford's Rock Hill School. "She's a big fifth-grader, a trendsetter for the school."

Mary Ruth Shields, chairwoman of the fashion merchandising and marketing department at Lincoln Technical Institute in Southington, said trendy styles for girls this year include bright colors, loud prints, lace and a "soft" military look.

"It's Napoleon with ruffles," said Shields, adding that cropped military jackets with two rows of buttons will be a hot item this fall.

She also said "jeggings" will be a popular item - leggings that look like jeans and can be worn with long tanks layered with hoodies and blazers.

Such fashion statements are actually one to two seasons old, she said.

"They're trends that have been around in higher-end department stores that get translated to the mass market," Shields said. "Major retailers look at what sold last year, they filter and modify and think about what customers will buy this year."

Sarah Altschuler said she likes to wear short-sleeve T-shirts, even in the winter months, and bright colored apparel.

"It shows my personality," she said.

Fashions for boys include button-down shirts, hoodies and T-shirts in neutral colors and jeans that lack "extreme bagginess," according to Shields.

Kyle Foley, who is entering his sophomore year at Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford, said he likes wearing "the classics." T-shirts with a couple of prints and jeans prevent Foley from "looking the same as last year."

Shields also said that, with the poor economy and shoppers not being as bold as they once were, retailers try not to take many risks when it comes to fashion. They want to stick to merchandise they know will sell.

"They don't want to do anything off the deep end," she said.

With tough times, and many parents out of work, affording a chic new wardrobe for young people going back to school can be difficult.

"Go to coupon services online, in the newspaper and in the mail," said Shields. "Retailers are interested in getting people to the store."

Ashley Greene, who will be entering Lyman Hall High School as a freshman, took advantage of a sale at the retail store Deb, at Westfield Meriden, where she bought one shirt and got the other for half off.

Kyle Foley's mother, Nancy, suggested buying clothes that can be worn more than one season.

"Thinner jeans can be worn in the fall and winter," she said.

For young adults interested in sporting brand names like Hollister and American Eagle across their chests, but who may not have the money to afford such pricey items, the New to U Consignments shop, 1165 N Colony Rd. in Wallingford, offers the same clothing for less.

"Kids always want brand names," said Jean Cappola co-owner of New to U Consignments. The store sells and accepts only clothes that have been around in the past two years. "Parents can outfit their kids in clothes that are up to date for a quarter of what they spend at the mall. You can get four Hollister shirts for the price of one."

The consignment shop also sells designer purses, which are in high demand by young girls, according to co-owner Dorene Pelletier. Coach, Louis Vuitton, Dooney & Bourke and Vera Bradley brand named bags line the racks at the shop, where many people stop first before going into the mall to make expensive buys.

Andrea Marotti and Gabriella Sanpaio, both entering their junior year at Maloney High School in Meriden, said they will purchase much of their clothing at the apparel stores Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe.

"Forever 21 is good if you're trendy and don't mind throwing things away," said Shields. "It's cheap quality."

"It does bother me that it rips and stuff," Sanpaio said. But Sanpaio's friend, Jacqueline Rios, a sophomore at Maloney, had a quick reply:

"You get what you pay for."

kprimicerio@record-journal.com

(203) 317-2279

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