Back To Cool: Stand Out In Style This Back-to-School Season

SEATTLE, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The 80's were a much simpler time, showing up in the coolest pair of stone washed jeans or rocking a pair of Reebok Classics were all kids needed to fit in. However, times have changed according to zulily's inaugural Kids' Fashion Trend Report. The online retailer obsessed with bringing moms special finds every day, surveyed moms and their kids ages 5-12, to identify what kids and parents want from this year's back–to-school fashion season. Results clearly showed perceptions around back-to-school style have changed, with an overwhelming number of kid respondents (40%) agreeing that their unique style is an expression of their individuality. Standing out is now the new fitting in.

Seeking absolution from their own personal back-to-school faux pas, many moms feel the need to step up their fashion game when it comes to dressing their kids.  When moms look back on their own back-to-school childhood experience, they recall trying to balance between standing out (33%) and fitting in (29%). However, it's clear that moms are stepping up and rooting for their own kids' creativity and individual style, with a little personal touch that says something about mom too.

"It is never a good feeling to buy your child new clothes, only to find their favorite color, pattern or style has changed," said Shawn Redman, Senior Buyer and Kids' Fashion Expert for zulily.com. "This year, our Kids' Fashion Trend Report uncovered that the biggest trend this back-to-school season is all about individuality. Now, more than ever, it's important to involve your kids in the shopping process to lessen a potential power struggle and inspire smiles on their first day back at school. Here at zulily, we love helping kids express their own personality through different brands, colors and styles."

To help keep the peace when it comes to the sometimes challenging differences of opinion between parents and kids as they plan to shop the latest styles this fall, zulily offers help to inspire parents and kids as to what's hot this back-to-school season. zulily has harnessed the creativity of some of the most fashionable kids on Instagram to serve as the brand's Kid Creative Directors. These insta-fashionistas, Stella and Blaise (@StellaandBlaise), Txunamy (@Txunamy) and Gavin Duh (@GavinDuh), range in age from six to nine and will curate their own back-to-school collections that parents and kids can shop, beginning in August. Shoppers can visit zulily's back-to-school section every day to find a fresh assortment of looks that kids and parents will love.

The Kids' Fashion Trend Report also found that kids unilaterally agree on certain colors and styles when it comes to back-to-school fashion. While boy and girls chose the traditional blue and pink as their favorite colors, there were a few surprises when it came to style.

Top Style Favorites: Athletic for Girls and City Chic for Boys

-  Girls go against gender norms, while embracing the combination of comfort and style, with their top styles being athletic (40%), followed by boho (33%)

-  Boys on the other hand are looking to a more adult-influenced approach for fashion inspiration, preferring city chic (48%) and preppy (33%) styles for their back-to-school wardrobe

Blue Ranks #1 Among Kids, Girls Prefer Traditional Favorites

-  The classic, yet cool color of blue is the top color among all kids (26%)

-  However, girls still like the more traditional colors for girls with pink (29%) and purple (25%) reigning supreme as their favorite colors of choice, with blue coming in third (15%)

-  Boys still prefer blue (42%), with red (15%) and black (12%) coming in as second and third choices

Sorry Mom: Girls' Say Mom Isn't Her #1 Style Icon

-  While many moms use their own style as the main source of inspiration when shopping for their kids (38%), girls are in fact, more likely to turn to their friends (41%) first for inspiration, then to their mom (26%) followed closely by television (22%)

-  Boys continue to go with the flow and frequently turn to parents for style inspiration first (38%), followed closely by friends (34%), with television being the smallest source of their style inspiration (14%)

How Moms Beat the Wardrobe Wars

-  Style inspiration isn't the only thing moms and daughters may not see eye to eye on. When it comes to picking out what to wear, girls are more independent, with 36 percent of moms admitting to disagreeing on clothing choices with their daughters

-  To beat the wardrobe wars, a majority of moms (58%) recommend giving their child choices and letting the child ultimately pick their own outfit.

"The best way to unleash your child's style is by giving kids a number of choices," said Redman. "As they get older, give them the chance to express their independence and individuality when picking their outfits, as this will ultimately lead to feelings of self-confidence, gaining self-style and learning how to coordinate different pieces."

While back-to-school shopping can be daunting, Redman recommends planning in advance and getting an early start to avoid any stress.

"Start by cleaning out your kid's closet so you can see what still fits and be able to accurately put together a checklist of what you need for this year," said Redman. "Create a budget and look for the best deals to help stay within that budget."

Uncover more about kids' favorite fashion trends this back-to-school season with the full trend report and then shop the latest back-to-school styles at zulily.com or on the zulily apps.

About zulily, llc
zulily (http://www.zulily.com) is a retailer obsessed with bringing our customers special finds every day—all at incredible prices. We feature an always-fresh curated collection for the whole family, including clothing, home decor, toys, gifts and more. Unique products from up-and-coming brands are featured alongside favorites from top brands, giving customers something new to discover each morning. zulily was launched in 2010 and is headquartered in Seattle with offices in Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania. zulily is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Interactive Corporation (NASDAQ: QVCA, QVCB, LVNTA, LVNTB). zulily became a part of Liberty Interactive Corporation in October 2015. 

Methodology 
zulily conducted n=500 surveys online June 10-13, 2016 with moms of children ages 5-12 who feel it is important for their child(ren) to wear fashionable or stylish clothing.  n=469 out of the 500 respondents were joined by their children for part of the survey (196 boys + 273 girls).  The margin of error is +/- 4.4 percentage points overall, +/- 4.5 percentage points among kids who participated with their parent(s).

PDF - http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/ENR/zulily-Kids-Trend-Report.pdf

SOURCE zulily, llc

Related Links

http://www.zulily.com