Better Back to School Shopping

If you’re like most moms of girls, your thrill at her going back to school is tempered by the ordeal of clothes shopping. You’ll be dragging her from store to store, trying to find just the right things to suit her personality, fit your budget, and—horrors—that aren’t going to be seen all over town. Apparently lots of moms shopped at the same local chain store that was having the big sale that we did…as evidenced by not one but two girls in my daughter's class showing up in “her” outfit on the first day of school last year. It was a long night.

That’s why I was excited to find FashionPlaytes.com, a new website that lets girls play fashion designer, picking out a style, then a color, then choosing from an extensive menu of options like appliqués, sequins, gems, rosettes, personalized tags…to create something unique. My 8-year-old daughter had a blast the other night….bonus: it kept her busy for a full hour, experimenting with each and every possible combination and exploring the site. They offer bottoms, tops, dresses, skirts, loungewear, and accessories, all of which my girl approved as “awesome.” And although I thought it would be really pricey…I was pleasantly surprised. My total bill was $55.50, for a dress and a pair of shorts, both with three add-ons, including tax and shipping. I didn’t think that was bad at all for the fun she had and the one-of-a-kind items she’s going to be showing off.

Where do you normally do your back-to-school shopping?