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Jacob, 6, and Jaylen, 6, model their fall back-to-school clothes. Jacob is wearing plaid cargo shorts from the Children's Place and a Quiksilver graphic tee. Jaylen is wearing a denim mini skirt with leggings, a beige graphic baby tee and a black vest.Reznet Photo by Christina Good Voice

Fall Trends in Children's Fashions

By Christina Good Voice

As the temperatures cool, kids' styles will reflect the temps as well as the fashion sense of their parents.

For the boys, make sure you stock up on vintage tees, boot-cut jeans, 2-in-1 shirts and cargo pants.

The little guys will be a miniature version of dad when he's dressed to impress in his fall duds. This season for both boys and girls, it's all about layering. The layered look not only looks cool, but will keep you warm on cool days.

Vintage tees can be found anywhere from the Gap to Wal-Mart and many times feature characters, TV shows and music bands the kids have never heard of, yet it doesn't mean they can't look good while sporting the vintage look.

Vintage tees boast a look that's so popular right now and are made in a variety of colors and can be long-sleeved or short-sleeved. The design on the front of the shirt is faded as if it's been a longtime favorite that's been washed and dried hundreds of times.
Some current designs include Speed Racer, Superman, Iron Man and The Beatles.

The 2-in-1 shirts are made to create the illusion of layered shirts but are actually one shirt sewn to look like two. These shirts can be a long-sleeved t-shirt under a button-up shirt for a casual look, or a long-sleeved t-shirt sewn underneath a short-sleeved t-shirt.
Jeans are a staple in anyone's wardrobe, whether it's the littlest member of the family or the oldest.

This season, classic blue jeans are just as popular as the boot-cut, loose and carpenter jeans.

Cargo pants are a good addition to a boy's closet as they are versatile, yet sturdy even for the roughest of little boys. They come in khaki but also come in dark gray and dark brown. Cargo pants are great with the 2-in-1 shirts or a vintage tee.

As far as shoes go, the popular shoe is the Converse Chuck Taylor shoe, or "Chucks." Don't fret if the Chucks don't fit into your budget. Target now sells the popular shoe at a great price, and stores like Old Navy and Wal-Mart sell their own versions of the shoe at a low price.

For the Girls

When dressing your mini-me, make sure she has these essential fall items so she'll have an A+ look while at school.

Like the boys, girls' vintage tees are a must, as are vests, layered tops, cardigans, skinny jeans, flared jeans and denim mini skirts.

Girls' vintage t-shirts are playful yet feminine for our little ladies and feature characters like the Smurfs, Wonder Woman and Hello Kitty.

Vests were hot over the spring and summer and appear to be sticking around for another season. Small black vests paired over a plain white or other plain t-shirt creates a casual and laid-back look, and paired with a denim mini are a great back-to-school look.

Layered tops create a put-together, mature look for the girls, so whether they're dressing for pre-k or the sixth grade, the look is a winning one.

Layering long or 3/4-sleeved, striped shirts over a solid polo is a good fall style for the kids. The outfit would make a good replacement for a jacket and, if she gets too warm, she can take off the top layer.

Cardigan sweaters are miniature versions of the mom's sweaters and generate a mature yet fun style for the girls.

Cable-knit cardigan sweaters come in many colors, but the best colors for fall are deep, solid colors like vibrant pinks or greens. Other types of cardigans are striped or cropped, which is a cute look for the little ones. The zippered or button-up sweaters are a must for fall.

The pants of the season are skinny jeans or flared jeans. Skinny jeans are popular from the littlest fashionista to her momma, and look great with flip-flops and a long shirt. Flared jeans are here for another season and complete an outfit that's topped with a vest of cardigan.

Lastly, mini skirts are cute, short skirts that are still long enough to make mom and dad feel comfortable letting their little girl wear it to school. But if need be, a pair of leggings with a denim mini can go a long way.

As with the boys, Converse All-Stars or Chucks are the way to go for casual footwear. They even come in pink and glittery styles for the little ladies.

Ballet flats or canvas slip-ons are more shoe styles that are hot this season.

That's it for the kids' edition of the fall fashion round-up. Next up are women's and men's fall fashions.

Christina Good Voice, Muscogee (Creek), Choctaw and Rosebud Lakota, is a reporter at the Cherokee Phoenix tribal newspaper in Tahlequah, Okla. She is a member of the board of directors of the Native American Journalists Association. A 2001 graduate of the American Indian Journalism Institute, Good Voice had reporting internships at The Associated Press bureaus in Columbia, S.C., and Oklahoma City. Good Voice has writen for reznet since 2002. She writes about fashion, daily life, kids, family and the economy.

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