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Mom and
Dad may be footing the bill for back-to-school clothes,
but that's probably where their influence ends. This
year the most coveted clothes are the ones that appeal
because of who wore them first.
So, who
are these very powerful influencers? Take a breath: The
Obama girls, school belles from "Gossip Girl"
and "
New York Prep
," "It Girls" like
Miley Cyrus
,
Selena Gomez
("Wizards of
Waverly Place
") and
Miranda Cosgrove
("iCarly.") For the fellas, heartthrobs like
the Jonas Brothers and daredevils like snowboarder
Shaun White
are downright cool.
"There
is not a question that entertainment and entertaining
personalities have a huge influence on the youth of
America," says
Marshal Cohen
, the chief industry analyst at NPD, a trend-tracking
company in
Port Washington, N.Y.
Says
Alanna Stang
, executive editor of
Cookie magazine
, "We're seeing trends trickling down from teen
culture, essentially." But Stang says kids aren't
necessarily going for one look. "Kids aren't trying
to copy one teen idol, but different stars... . It's a
bit all over the place."
Gregg Andrews
,
Nordstrom's
fashion director, agrees. "More than ever, kids are
concerned about how they look. There's a desire to look
more grown up, but they want separate items. They're
looking to create their own personal image."
SCHOOL
BELLES
Private
school fashion has been in vogue since "Gossip
Girl" hit the small screen and is now further
heightened with Bravo's reality series "
New York Prep
." Says
Carol Winters
, a buyer at Lester's, "We couldn't understand why
we were running out of knee socks. Then we took a look
at 'Gossip Girl,' and bingo!"
GET THE
LOOK
Twisted
preppy, very feminine, high-waisted looks and updated
plaids in new color combos such as navy and shocking
pink and other feminine details, such as puffing at the
sleeve.
———
IT GIRLS
Miley Cyrus
,
Selena Gomez
and
Taylor Swift
appeal with their rocker chic looks, and then there's
that posse of girls from "The Hills." Winters,
of Lester's, says one dressy top named the Audrina after
Hills star
Audrina Partridge
is selling out in kids' and teens' sizes.
GET THE
LOOK
A bit of
the rocker attitude, destroyed denim ripped at the
knees, skinny meets oversized, like skinny jeans under
oversized dressier tops and tunics. Masculine meets
feminine, '80s elements like concert tees, vests,
studding or nail heads, motorcycle jacket.
———
THE FIRST
KIDS
The
clothes worn by the Obama girls, Sasha, 8, and Malia,
11, are as hotly observed as those of their mom.
"People are looking for iconic figures to
understand the new economy," says Cohen.
Cookie's
Stang says the girls "definitely play an
influential role. They look like kids, and it's a nice
contrast to the way in which young kids are dressing
older and older. They look appropriate, comfortable,
fresh, hip and able to have fun."
Brands
worn by the girls have certainly felt their power. When
Sasha donned
Mary Janes
by
Geox
during her trip to
Europe
this summer, "it definitely had an impact on
sales," says
Sara Gobbo
, a
Geox
spokeswoman. Natch, a version is in its back-to-school
collection.
And then,
of course, there's J.Crew, where the children's
collection, crewcuts — remember those inaugural
outfits — is booming. While company spokespeople will
not utter the Obama name, crewcuts recently has been
vastly expanded. There's a new flagship store on
Madison Avenue
along with a lush, 40-page catalog.
GET THE
LOOK
Vivid
colors, feminine details such as pin-tucking and pleats;
sweet and sassy combos, and one or two pieces, such as a
cool coat, that are a bit sophisticated.
———
ROCKERS
AND DAREDEVILS
Yeah,
yeah. Boys will be boys, but this season, "overall,
they are looking more pulled together," says
Nordstrom's
Andrews. "It's not so much like you just pulled
something off your bedroom floor, it's looking like you
deliberately put an outfit together." Andrews says
that while the Jonas Brothers are heartthrobs for girls
(there's even a
Disney
line of apparel for girls), "they're style icons
for boys. Part of their appeal is that they're not
grungy, even when you see them wearing sneakers and a
vest. They're trendy, updated and dressed up in neck
ties and layers."
Also
making waves are the extreme sports athletes, most
notably
Shaun White
, aka "The Flying Tomato," whose eclectic
wardrobe is inspired by snowboarding, travel and music,
and who has an expanded line for boys and young men at
Target
this season. Says
Target's
Troy Michels
, "Shaun has such a broad fan base and is so
inspiring, and, while the guys are psyched, he's
parent-approved," with the collection priced from
$7.99 to $34.99
.
GET THE
LOOK
Hipster
yet still preppy, layers, flannel, screened tees, skinny
jeans, or baggier for more urban looks, soft vintage
washes, funky mixes and retro graphics.
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