Just Dropped for Winter

Now Trending in Kids Denim

This season, it’s all about flares, wide-legs, hidden (fun!) details, and comfort. “We’re definitely seeing wide-leg styles as our biggest back-to-school trend,” said Rebecca Baumbach, Vice President of Design at Carter’s. “Customers are loving the flare fit, so we kept those feeling fresh and new with fun design details.”

Active, Balletcore & More

Whether your child is headed to school, tryouts or a weekend playdate, odds are, they want to dress in some sort of active look. And can you blame them? With lightweight, moisture-wicking fabrics, and easy pull-on and-off ‘fits, it’s no wonder they’re reaching for their activewear every day.

But this year, it’s not your same old activewear. Enter: Balletcore. For little girls, this means sweet, twirly skirts with hints of shimmer and glitter in spandex material, paired back to wrap style tops. For big kid, it’s parachute pants paired with tank tops layered with a crew cropped sweatshirt. Designed in both active drop-needle rib and French terry fabrics, it’s the perfect get-up-and-go school style.

For the boys, look to woven trek joggers as one of this season’s ‘will sell out’ items. This active pant, complete with functional pockets and drawstring, is guaranteed to become a go-to style on school mornings. Pair with an active mesh tee or poplin stretch hoodie and you’ve got a sporty, school-ready outfit in a flash.

2024 Back-to-School Uniform Shop

Uniforms and comfort are not mutually exclusive… until now, that is. When shopping back to school this year, parents can expect the typical polos and khaki styles, but in reimagined ways that put comfort — and your child — first. “The Uniform Shop will translate more into activewear,” said Baumbach. That means softer and Be Cool™ moisture-wicking fabrications, more stretch, easy pull-on styles and new silhouettes. “It’s the ‘comfort’ uniform,” added Baumbach. These styles might look like your typical polos and khaki uniform, but they’re anything but.

Cargo & Utility

From denim to active, there’s plenty of cargo to go around this season. Also, on trend are utility styles, especially utility jackets. “For boys, I think any and all utility styling will be the boys’ top trend for fall,” Baumbach said. “They’re ‘must-have’ items.” Psst… pants and jackets will sell out before you realize. When back-to-school shopping, over 70% of parents plan to purchase a mixture of both warm-weather and cold-weather clothing†. Don’t wait!

Skirts & Skorts

There’ll be a lot of skirts and skorts in the halls this fall. “We’re seeing skirts continue to grow right now,” shared Baumbach. “Lots of skorts, too, because they make for easy dressing,” she added. These easy match-back skirt and top sets are perfect to throw on for school for an easy, instant outfit that’ll make a splash — especially on their big first day.

Colors & Textures

Olives and sage; berries and plums; blues; warm neutrals like cream, oat and terracotta — you’re going to see it all this season. And add to it lots of textures — think ribbed cotton, waffle-knits and more. “We’re leaning into fashion solids, which is also where the texture comes in. It comes together to feel very new and modern,” shared Baumbach.