Welp! School is officially back in full swing for us next week. This means back-to-school shopping and preparation for 2 kids heading back to middle school and the first year of college. This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing to click, but it does help financially support this blog.

Editor’s Note:  Originally published: 2021 | Updated: August 2026

∗2026 Update

Every school year brings new trends, different stores, and a few lessons learned. Since originally publishing this guide, my daughter has gone from elementary school to preteen life, and the way we shop has changed quite a bit.

This year, we found some incredible deals at Old Navy and Burlington, discovered a few new wardrobe favorites, and learned which pieces were actually worth buying.

I’ve updated this guide to reflect where I’m shopping today, what I would skip, and the stores I still recommend for affordable back-to-school fashion.

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Four Places You Need To Check Out

I’m so glad that my daughter’s school decided to do away with Standard School Attire (or SSA) in her dress code this year.  This means she can basically wear whatever she wants as long as it doesn’t bare any skin or show offensive messages on the clothing.

I actually find it easier to shop for regular clothing than I do for uniforms anyway.  So that was a plus.

My Back-to-School Shopping Strategy

• I like to do my research
• I never buy everything at one store.
• I comparison shop.
• I read reviews and then Google the best prices
• I buy basics first and then shop trends.
• I wait on jackets.
• I buy shoes separately.
• I always shop the clearance racks whether I’m shopping in-store or online.
• I let my daughter choose a few trendy pieces while I choose wardrobe staples.

Since I’m shopping for both my middle school-bound preteen and my now 18-year-old son, I have to stay mindful of style trends all while paying close attention to our budget.

So, after research, I narrowed my shopping trips down to these 4 retailers for the best back-to-school clothes and accessory deals.

• • Old Navy
  • Burlington
  • Amazon
  • The Children’s Place

We’re a big Adidas family, so I tend to shop for sneakers either directly from Adidas or sometimes I comparison shop at places like Finish Line. But Amazon beat them all this time around, plus they have free Prime shipping.

Best Back To School Clothes Deals

Old Navy

It’s been almost a year since I’ve shopped at Old Navy, but whenever I do shop here, I always seem to land on a great deal.

My focus this year was on finding good sweatshirts, sweaters, and wide-leg jeans.  I spent a total of $100.89 and managed to find 6 tops (including sweatshirts, tees, and sweaters) and 3 pairs of cute denim jeans, all with adjustable waists and wide legs.

 

I found some trendy tees on clearance for $4.99 each, 2 pairs of heavy denim jeans for $19.99 each, and I paid $14.99 for some snazzy Olive pull-on baggy wide-leg jeans.  She really loves those!

Every item I bought was on sale, and I saved even more by shopping during the Tennessee tax-free weekend. My total savings were about $40-$50 by sticking to sale items and shopping tax-free. Shopping Old Navy this year was totally worth it.

Burlington

Burlington doesn’t offer online shopping. This is one of the places where you’ll have to go in to find what you’re looking for.  They carry a lot of designer and name-brand merchandise that has been liquidated from other retailers, so you likely won’t find the same merchandise between stores.

Here’s what I found for my preteen daughter and my 18-year-old son.

 

 

Burlington sneaker options for teen girls | prices vary under $35 for most styles | Naturally Stellar

 

 

 

 

 

Children’s Place

For both kids, ages 6 and 13 (at the time), I was able to find good wardrobe basics here at low-budget-friendly prices.

I found a lot of cute graphic tees in short and long sleeves, for my daughter. As of August 2026, they are currently ranging in prices from $10 to $19.

Children’s Place tees are kind of on the thinner side, so they’re good for layering and for the still HOT summer temps. These will keep your kiddo cool.

For bottoms, I was glad to find many bootcut jean styles for my daughter. Especially, since I’m growing tired of the whole skinny jeans trend.  Some are so tight and hard for her to put on and take off. So we’re skipping them this year.

Then I grabbed some denim shorts, a denim skirtall (so cute!), and some bike shorts that she can wear under her skirts and dresses.

I also found accessories and extras on sale like socks, shoes, and a watch for my son.

I was surprised to see that they still carried a lot of items in my teenager’s size.

He started transitioning into men’s sizes this year, so it was good to see that Children’s Place carried some items all the way up to size 18 for boys.

Amazon

Amazon is a great place to pick up things like backpacks, water bottles, lunch boxes, and basics like socks and underwear.  This year I shopped for my daughter’s locker decorations and accessories. I also like to use Amazon to buy her hair products, hair accessories, and winter items as needed throughout the school year.

Complete The Look

I’ll Continue Updating This Guide

Back-to-school shopping changes every year, so I’ll continue updating this article with our newest finds, favorite stores, and money-saving tips as my daughter grows.

If you have a favorite place to shop for affordable back-to-school clothes, let me know in the comments—I love discovering new stores!