Do you remember the scene in You've Got Mail (in my opinion, one of the best New York movies set in the fall) when Tom Hanks's character muses about how fall in New York makes him want to buy school supplies, joking that he'd send "a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils" if he knew her address? Très romantique!! I always think of that line around this time of year. While I'm loving summer and savoring its last moments, I'm excited for fall, and even more so, for back to school shopping…..
They’ll never lose their items again with these name labels with endless design possibilities. They’re running a 20% off sale right now. I literally stick these labels on everything the kids have.
Backpacks: STATE bags are everywhere and with good reason (so many fun options!), but I still love the MINNOW one I got for my daughter last year. The prints are excellent and it has a spill-proof coating on the outside so it doesn’t really get dirty. For my 2nd grade son, I’m going with this one, and my preschooler will get the smaller size in this wonderful shade of green. Monogramming is a must here!
L.L. Bean’s small open-top bags are my go-to for afterschool activities. For easy organization, personalize each one with the kid’s initials or their activity.
I find kids’ shoes to be the hardest purchase, and somehow I’m either confused by the sizing or getting the fit wrong. I stick with these sneakers for my kids and they’re great. (and for toddlers now—cute!!)
Rothy’s is absolutely crushing it with kids’ shoes, too. I love these velcro sneakers, laced ones, and since I cannot rave enough about these women’s clogs (seriously the best, they’re so comfortable), I’m tempted to get my daughter a pair too.
I’m thrilled that crisp, fall weather is on our radar, and I absolutely love Patagonia’s vests for the kids: the fleece or quilted are both excellent options in fun colors.
Boys clothing:
How perfect is this J.Crew collab with the American Museum of Natural History, purchasing immediately. J.Crew makes it pretty easy to dress a put-together boy: belt, a good quarter-zip, excellent suede boots, more rollneck-sweaters, great transition-to-fall shorts, long-sleeved polos, and a baseball cap. There’s a BTS 30% sale going on right now.
For suiting and dress clothes: If you have a son like mine who can’t take care of nice clothes, I found this to be a great jacket at a decent price. Vineyard Vines also makes a great performance jacket. Vineyard Vines is also our go-to for the best performance non-wrinkle shirts. I've learned performance fabric is always the way to go with boys :)
Johnny-O also has great options for boys: excellent uniform clothes, polos, this quarter-zip sweater, and joggers
Cadets makes the best shorts for boys, and excellent pants. BIG sale going on there, too.
For some fresh PJs, LAKE is always my favorite and think these are great or the shorts set
Girls clothing:
Zara is my go-to: how cute is this rain jacket, quilted heart jacket, denim dress and headband?
For occasion dressing, I’m loyal to LA COQUETA. They have a sale going on right now: coat, floral top, and some adorable pinafore skirts. While not on sale, but worth it is the best pair of jeans my daughter owns and this perfect coat.
I love Mary Janes from Marjen (previously Children’s Chic), but these are great for the price, and you can never go wrong with these Venetian slippers.
Amazon has a decent floral top, which my daughter gets complimented on often (looks like Bonpoint). A cute short-sleeved one here.
For PJs, my daughter loves a nightgown, and we’re very loyal to this one.
Etsy crushes it with cute back to school items. Here’s what I’m eyeing:
I love these personalized notepads, which likely will encourage handwriting practice. Pair them with some cute personalized pencils, and sweet pencil cases
Cute name labels or these are great too. And how perfect are these for water bottles?!
An excellent personalized sweater (love a little side collar placement)
And in the spirit of keeping everything organized this year, I love these vinyl pouches for everything (snacks, sunscreen, electronics, art supplies!)
I always live for a Liberty moment, and love these headbands, plus very sweet iron-on letters for backpacks.
From Amazon, you better believe there’s a big supplies order coming my way: the best water bottles, an electric pencil sharpener for all the new pencils, and how cute are these erasers!? My all-time favorite ballpoint pens, highlighters in pretty colors, and I love a post-it note in a 4x6 size, a perfect notepad in my opinion. Also, I got this for the kids as a stocking stuffer one year and they were obsessed.
Going back to that You’ve Got Mail moment once more, I loved Rita Koning on Create Academy and her large jar of sharpened pencils that sat on her desk (image here, a very cool designer thing). I want to recreate it for myself: Going for a pastel bulk pencil purchase, and thinking about this marbled holder or this splattered vase.
I bought these Bally loafers a couple of years ago, and they're hands-down my all-time BEST footwear purchase to date. I live in them in the autumn and spring. It's the most complimented item in my wardrobe, usually by sweet elderly UES women, and honestly, there's no better source of praise. Highly, highly, highly recommend.
Is there anything better than cracking open a new planner? Smythson makes the best ones, no question. There's something so chic about the ultra-thin, crispy pages in pale blue. (Flag for a great gift, the monogramming is excellent).
I just purchased these corduroy barrel pants and they’re super comfortable, I think I’ll be living in them all fall.
Here are a couple of other things also on my list for the fall that I’m eyeing:
A perfect evening bag (I have it in cream satin and love it), or anything from Attersee - annual summer sale here
As you can likely tell, I’m rollneck-sweater obsessed, this is a perfect upgrade in a thin, silky cashmere.
I’ll be upgrading my favorite pants in even more colors (I love them in satin). They pair perfectly with this thin perfect-fitting sweater, cardigan or an incredible sweater polo (size down in this one).
I’ve been thinking about this jacket for a longtime now, and may just have to get it this year…
Alex Mill cardigans are one of my favorites and now thinking about more colors (the navy!)
Phew, that was long, thanks for sticking with me. Here is all the back to school items mentioned in the newsletter in one organized location.
I haven’t forgot the best part: books! Here are some of my kids’ favorite books over the years with a school-focused theme: The Kissing Hand (so sweet, it helps discuss separation), Wemberly Worried (for the worriers), Maisy Goes to Preschool, The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!, Richard Scarry’s Great Big Schoolhouse (ultimate fav, we love Richard Scarry) and Biscuit Goes to School.
A reminder if it’s your thing: now’s the time to start thinking about holiday cards. If you’re on the hunt for a great photographer, look no further than Ana Gambuto. She also has a Substack: Six Pics I Clicked. (She’s based in the Hamptons, but travels to NYC often).
Get the Rohe white jacket. So you
What a fantastic “back to school” combination of the practical and whimsical. And how did I not know about the 4x6 lined post-its (and how can they be so cheap?) just placed my order!