TheCleaners.net

Retailers view the buying frenzy attending Back to School time as second in importance only to the Christmas season.  They'll be watching you herding your children into dressing rooms, scooping up armloads of notebooks and paper and pencils and pens, hoping for a better season than they had last year.  Most parents will spend between $200 and $400 per child!

With so much of your budget on the line for this critical time, how do you know what to buy?  How do you balance teen pressure with good sense?  This week we've put together some tips, and can give you a heads-up on what's in and essential to the young person's wardrobe these days.

See you soon!

Jim Nixon

Back-to-College Coupon!

We're having a bedding special in honor of the students heading off to college this fall -- but you don't have to be a student to take advantage of it.  Send your student off to campus with freshly cleaned blankets, quilts and other bedding.  Take 20% off the cost of cleaning for any bedding items.  (Include first page of this newsletter and coupon with your order.  Offer expires August 31, 2004.  Cannot be combined with other offers.)

What's HOT
for looking
COOL
at School?

Back to School is here, and parents are shopping like mad.  The kids have been on the phone to each other, making sure they're getting the hottest stuff for starting school -- but do you know what's in and what's just a whim?

Here's what's HOT this fall:

• Ponchos are back!  They're crocheted, fringed, decorated and colorful -- but they're still ponchos like you wore a few decades ago (we won't say how many, as that would only make your teenagers roll their eyes.)  This is a great piece that will make your teen feel "in" while still being able to wear some of the garments from last year, as well.
• Hats, hats, hats.  The hottest hat is the corduroy newsboy cap -- in fun colors that no newsboy every wore.  Also back in are cloche hats that were popular in the '20s and '30s, but in softer materials and not so snug as to make a girl look silly wearing it.  Boys will also be wearing caps for the first time in longer than you can remember (other than baseball caps!)
• Denim -- if it's denim, it's in.  These days, though, shopping for a simple pair of jeans can be a nightmare.  There are different "washes" that change the colors of the jeans, different shapes (from pencil-thin to wide-legged, from waist-riding to low-riding) and different labels to fit any taste.  Always rugged, denim is a good buy.
• Preppy.  Remember the '80s?  OK, so they probably won't go for big shoulders, but the buttoned-down preppy look of the early '80s is making a come back.  That means layers, more tailored looks, and great pieces that can become the backbone of any wardrobe -- tweed jackets, corduroy, cotton.  The twist is that many layered looks will include a long-sleeved shirt under a short-sleeved one, instead of the other way around.  Quilted vests for boys are also possible fashion choices.
• Pleated skirts -- they may be minis, but the put-together look of pleated skirts is back on the shopping list, particularly in plaids.
• Patterns -- plaid, striped, argyle.  They're all hot this year, from shirts and skirts to jackets and other items.  For boys, a plaid shirt is a must, and striped polos are a favorite.
• "Conversation T-shirts".  As if teenagers ever had trouble starting to talk!  These shirts have an interesting, provocative or funny saying plastered across them, and will be worn layered with other pieces, rather than alone.
• Accessories.  You probably didn't worry about what color your purse was when you went to school, but it MATTERS (said with strong teen accent, of course!) today.  Bubble gum pink bags, fun pins, belts with grommets all the way around, fishnet tights.  Accessories are a good way to update standard wardrobe pieces without the expense of a whole new outfit.  Good news!  FLAT HEELS are back for girls.  (That should cut down on foot doctor visits!)
• Slinky -- unfortunately, this is back, too, and often there will be garments your teen craves that are simply not suitable for school.  Do your best to steer the kids away from the overtly sexy and toward the comfortable, stylish and fun.

How to ace the course
in School Clothes buying!

She will DIE if she doesn't have this.  He won't go to school if he can't wear that.  Back to school time is full of drama, and nowhere as much as in dressing rooms across America.  As a parent, you may be sentimental about your own school days (now that you're far enough from them to forget them) and wanting to make everything perfect for your kids before they head back to the classroom.  So, take a deep breath and remember the class rules:

Back to School Buying Tips

• Check the school dress code before you get in the car and head to the mall.  And don't take your kids' word for what the policy is.  This will save a lot of grief later on.
• Evaluate last year's clothes for garments that still fit and are serviceable.  Make a list, including style and color, to help when you're out shopping.  ("This would go GREAT with your blue short-sleeved cotton top, don't you think?")
• Make a budget.  Many parents try to make up for their own childhoods, or try to repeat them, when it comes to buying school clothes.  But things are expensive these days, and you're liable to find yourself in credit card detention class if you don't keep an eye on the budget.
• Buy trendy things sparingly, and as cheaply as possible.  After all, you know kids -- it could be "out" two months from now and never worn again!
• Base your child's wardrobe on classic pieces (like you do for your own wardrobe) and add trendy accents to make your teen feel good.  A good pair of jeans can be a foundation piece that is accented by a conversation tee and a poncho.  The latest hats will doll up any outfit.  Skirts in the latest hemline and cut can be paired with good, long-wearing sweaters and cotton blouses.
• Make "in" colors bright bits, not full outfits.  If the hot color is bright pink, buy slacks and a shirt in more neutral tones, and accent them with the pink belt, hat and bag.  This way, when pink goes out and yellow comes in, it's easy (and less expensive) to upgrade to the new color instead of tossing the whole pink outfit.
• During growth spurts, stick to less expensive items.  As your child reaches full size, invest in better pieces.

Enjoy the whirl of activity surrounding Back to School.  Take a good sniff of pencils and notebooks and stroll down memory lane.  Remember there were things you HAD to have or you'd rather hide in your room, and be flexible.  Most of all, treasure the days of hands-on parenting, knowing that before you realize it your children will have flown the nest and you'll be longing to do it all again.  Best wishes from all of us for a successful school year for you and your children!

Just as most grocery stores accept and recycle shopping bags, many drycleaners accept hangers from customers. We participate in IFI's "Caring for the Future Now" program which is designed  to help members make a difference in their communities by offering recycling services.  The program offers cleaners the means to accept hangers for reuse. Show you care for your community and your environment by helping us help you.