School Fashion is a Snap!

Are you a trend follower, a junior fashionista, a sneakerhead, or do you just like to wear whatever is handy? Find out what styles kids may be sporting in school halls and breezeways this fall. 

Kids—just like the adults they admire or seek to EMULATE—show the world something about themselves based on what they choose to wear. Even if you don’t give a lot of thought to the shirt on your back, your wardrobe often reflects your tastes and interests, and it can paint a picture that mirrors your personality, too.

Kids Choose Cool, Casual Comfort

Your athletic jersey can show that you’re an aspiring sports star, or a proud fan celebrating your favorite team. Your big hoodie and weekend shorts might reflect your laid back, casual-comfort attitude, or you might be active and trendy! 

Athleisure, a PORTMANTEAU of the words athletic and leisure, is the fashion movement where style and comfort collide. This activewear trend started years ago, surged during the pandemic, and is still popular today. Big logos, sporty stripes, and matching sweats are popular styles in 2026.

Maybe your favorite kicks make you feel fast, fleet of foot and fabulous! Or perhaps you chill in cozy, colorful Crocs or flaunt some fashionable Converse high tops. For some kids, snazzy footwear can be the finishing touch for a fashion-forward fit.

Your favorite shirt may tell everyone about your musical tastes, your favorite animal, or its bright color may just make you feel happy. A retro T-shirt can really make you stand out in a crowd. Whether you find it in a thrift store, in an older family member’s closet or in a box of forgotten treasures, the vibe of an older item of clothing can reflect your individuality and make your style unique. 

People OPT to shop in thrift stores for a variety of reasons, including creating a hip, retro look. Thrift shopping gives you the chance to find vintage pieces that not everyone will be wearing. It can make you feel good to recycle clothing and give it new life (and keep clothes out of the landfill). Thrifting also can be an affordable way to add to your closet!

What Are Kids Wearing Now?

Boomer asked some Bear Essential readers and Young Reporters about their style choices for school. Some of their favorite clothes included soft hoodies, special shoes, dresses (especially sparkly ones), cat socks, T-shirts, jeans and jean shorts, and even a tie.

Although the majority of kids picked their clothes, that doesn’t necessarily mean that students have a choice about what they wear at school! Around 21% reported that they have a school uniform. For those who don’t have a school uniform, most kids preferred comfort over style when they picked their school clothes—30% say they wear what is comfortable. Just over 17% say they try to be fashionable, and 25% reported that they either don’t think about clothes or they wear what their parent picks for them.

In a small survey, 70% of kids who responded say they pick out or help shop for their own clothing. Others help shop for clothes or choose their own debonair duds at least sometimes, while 10% of elementary and middle school students surveyed say they do not choose their clothes.

 When it comes to back-to-school shopping, kids overwhelmingly think that their parents look for comfortable, affordable clothes for them. Comfort was reported as the most important factor for school clothes (one-third cited comfort), and affordability ranked second most important at just over 28%.

Finding your personal fashion style can take some effort and support from your family and friends!

Delivering Dreams of Arizona Can Help 

Delivering Dreams of Arizona is a nonprofit agency that provides basic needs for students who are experiencing clothing insecurity around the Valley. The Delivering Dreams buses visit partner schools where eligible students can pick out school clothing. The buses are 40-foot mobile dressing centers allowing students to try on the clothing to check for fit and comfort and there is staff to assist students with sizes.

All the clothing is brand new and each student receives two bottoms (pants, shorts or skorts), three shirts, a sweatshirt, seven pairs of socks and underwear, a pair of shoes and a health kit filled with hygiene items. The value of the clothing is around $300, but the agency buys in bulk so it costs the organization about $90 per child.

Delivering Dreams partners with 17 school districts and provides 1,700 students with clothing throughout the school year. Aimee Runyon, CEO of Delivering Dreams of Arizona, says the schools selected are Title 1 schools where at least 70% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. One hundred students are selected from each school. 

Runyon notes that there are three Delivering Dreams buses–two that serve schools that have uniform requirements and one that serves schools without a uniform requirement. “The students have a lot of brand name choices for clothing and shoes they get to choose from, which can help boost their self-esteem and self-confidence,” says Runyon. 

Runyon says the agency receives monetary donations from companies and the general public, as well as donations from scout troops, church groups and others in the community that do clothing drives and drop off new clothing, shoes and personal hygiene items. Runyon says volunteers and groups are always needed at the warehouse to help sort clothing, assemble hygiene kits and other tasks. “Everyone has something to give, whether it’s their time, organization and packing skills or their desire to help others,” says Runyon.

Some of the school districts Delivering Dreams of Arizona serves are Avondale, Alhambra, Osborn, Paradise Valley, Roosevelt, Scottsdale, Tolleson, Isaac, Washington, Phoenix Elementary and Cartwright. Parents can check with their child’s school counselor or front office to find out if the Delivering Dreams bus visits their school and if their child can be put on the list. Delivering Dreams of Arizona also provides emergency clothing for students who just moved to a new district, or are in foster care or homeless.

Other Clothing Resources for You

NourishPHX, formerly ICM Food & Clothing Bank, opens its clothing closet Monday through Friday from 9 to 11 a.m. There is a $5 flat fee per family per visit to access the clothing closet, and you must bring an ID or a piece of mail with a current address. NourishPHX is located at 501 S. 9th Avenue. For more information, visit www.nourishphx.org.

In Gilbert, One Small Step Clothes Cabin provides clothing and other items to those in need. It is located at 710 N. Cooper Rd., Gilbert. Service hours are Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. More information is available at onesmallstepaz.org. 

In the Deer Valley Unified School District, Ann E’s Closet at Barry Goldwater High School provides clothes, shoes and hygiene products for families and students. Learn more at bghs.dvusd.org/resources/annes-closet.

In the Kyrene School District, check out the Kyrene Family Resource Center. Visit kyrene.org/family-student-resources/family-resource-center.