Michelle's Kids' Fashion Blog

Fashion is in the bag when your kid sports an awesome back pack. But, buying the perfect Back to School backpack for your kid isn't just about finding a bag in his favorite color or featuring TV's most popular cartoon character; his bag has to function well and serve his needs. Every kid has different wants and needs when it comes to finding his perfect school bag.

When choosing a bag for school, look for:

• An appropriately sized bag in relation to the size of the child
• Sufficient room in the main compartment for your child's supplies
• Organizational features that appeal to your kid
• Extra features like MP3 player holder or water bottle compartment
• Comfort features like padded straps and chest clips that keep the bag's weight evenly distributed
• The weight of the bag

Read More: The Best Backpacks and Bags for School 2008

Image courtesy of landend.com

Snap up a deal at Tuttibella.com with their 10, 20, 30 Sale and save big on your Back ot School and Back to Preschool shopping. They've marked down tons fashionable duds for kids that you've got to see. As the name of the sale implies, most sale items are marked down to $10, $20 and $30 dollars. See what deals you can score for your kiddies! The sale ends on July 26th, so shop early and have fun.

So what brands are in this sale?

Just your favorite, gotta-have them brands like:

• Cakewalk
• City Threads
• Charlie Rocket
• Deux Par Deux
• Misha Lulu
• Okkies
• Small Paul by Paul Frank
• Splendid
• Tea Collection
• and more!

Shop the 10, 20, 30 Sale at Tuttibella.com

Image courtesy of Tuttibella.com

Is your Back to School shopping budget a little slim this year? Then learn what you can do to maximize your children's wardrobes to save money while still keeping them in style and giving them tons of fashion options. With a few simple tricks you can take a basic wardrobe and make it extraordinary:

• Layer, layer, layer! For the beginning of the fall season, layer a lightweight cardigan, blazer, zippy or sweater over summer items to extend their usefulness. Another great look this year for girls is to layer a summer dress over a tee.
• Shop the back of the store to the front. Stores place their most expensive items in the front of the store and their clearance items in the back.
• Use inexpensive accessories to make a basic outfit more fun and personalized.
• Buy basics such as tees, socks, underwear, chinos and jeans in multiples when they are on sale. Buying out of season saves you the most money, but make sure to calculate the proper size for the proper season when buying ahead for fast growing kids.
• Have your children pick out 2 or 3 of their favorite colors. Purchase clothes only in those chosen colors in addition to neutrals, so that they have a true mix-and-match wardrobe. This will not only making getting ready in the morning faster and easier, but it maximizes their wardrobes by giving them more possible outfits.
• Neutral bottoms such as khakis, jeans and black or grey slacks or skirts can be paired with an infinite number of tops. I usually suggest buying twice as many tops as bottoms.
• For younger kids, buy pants with adjustable waistbands. Buy them long and cuff them; as your child grows, let out the waistband bit by bit.
• Purchase clothes made from durable materials that are easy to wash and dry. That way you can buy less and wash the items often.

How can you help your kids look cool, find a fun summer activity, and support a great cause all with one fashionable purchase? Head on over to ralphlauren.com and pick your kids up a bucket of fashion fun, the new Paint Your Polo Kit. This do-it-yourself Ralph Lauren Polo is not only fabulously fashionable, it's a creative way to spend a summer's day. Banish the summer-vacation blues and get your kids' creative juices flowing; they'll have a blast designing and showing off their very own Polo. And, to sweeten the deal, 100% of the net proceeds from Paint Your Polo Kits will be donated to the Pink Pony Fund of the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation benefiting Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Pediatric Art Program. Fun, fashionable and charitable, you've got to love it.

Buy Direct: Paint Your Polo available at ralphlauren.com

Image courtesy of ralphlauren.com

Before you hit the mall during the big Back To School rush, have a plan and be prepared. With a little preparation you'll save money, buy only what you need, and have a better shopping experience with your kids.

• Take Inventory
  Go through last years' fall, winter and spring items. First, weed out items with holes, stains and other imperfections. Second have your kids try on the remaining items. Too-small items can be stored in an airtight container for a younger child, or donated to those in need.
• Write It Down
  Once you've gone through all of their past season clothes, take stock of what you have. Write it down.
• Make a Checklist
  Make a checklist of what your kids will need for the coming season. Your list will depend on many factors: the climate in your area, how far in advance you decided to purchase clothing for upcoming seasons; the school's dress code policy; what activities your children are involved in that require certain types of clothing.
• Check Schools' Dress Code Policies
  Most schools have a dress code policy. Be sure you know exactly what your kids' school approve of before you hit the mall.
• Shop the Summer Sales
  Before you shop the Back to School section see what you can get in the summer sales. Many summer items, that are currently deeply discounted can be used for fall:
  • Short sleeved tees are ideal layering pieces under sweaters, sweatshirts, cardigans and blazers.
  • Summer basics such as underwear, socks, tees, jeans and more are year round items.
  • Accessories that were meant to accompany a store's summer lines can be worn with fall items as well.
  • Lightweight summer sweaters are perfect for the beginning of fall.
  • For girls, skirts and dresses make excellent transitional pieces.
• Shop the Front Racks
  Once you've exhausted the sale racks, move forward to the front of the stores and shop the full-price racks. If you are on a budget, try to buy only what your child needs to get through the first week or two of school. Why? Because once the big Back to School rush is over, all those full-priced items go on sale.

Well, there's cute and there's oh-my-goodness-look-at-her kind of cute. How adorable is little Miss Violet Affleck in her Tocca Bambini Stella Dress? Violet and her mom, Jennifer Garner, hit the streets of LA looking fabulous as usual. They are big fans of Tocca Bambini, and so am I; their girls' dresses are stylish, well-made, and look great on little style mavens. Tocca Bambini's fashions are made of high-quality materials and feature clean lines, understated embellishments and a fresh, feminine feel, making them a favorite with celebrity kids and stylish little fashionistas everywhere.

Buy Direct:

• Tocca Bambini Stella Dress as seen on Violet Affleck at milkshop.com
• More Tocca Bambini fashions at milkshop.com

Image courtesy of PacificCoastNewsOnline.com

Tea Collection is one of my absolute favorite kids' fashion lines. Whenever I dress my girls in their stylish, soft and beautiful clothes, I step back and take it all in. So of course, when I found out that they'll be running a summer sale with 100 items marked 40-75% off, I was one happy cyber-shopping-loving mom.

Tea Collection Summer Sale Picks for Girls

• Ghana Batik Dress: was $69.00 on sale for $34.50
• Mopti Print Dress: was $69.00 on sale for $29.50
• Sikasso Sweater Hoodie: was $69.00 on sale for $39.50

Tea Collection Summer Sale Picks for Boys

• Kente Sweater Hoodie: was $69.00 on sale for $39.50
• Timbuktu Pants: was $45.00 on sale for $29.50
• Daily Tea Stripe 3/4 Length Tees: was $22.00 on sale for $7.50

Shop the Sale: teacollection.com

Image courtesy of teacollection.com

Gap is one of my favorite stores for stocking up on basics and casual wear, especially when they run a sale. Shop now at Gap.com for huge savings on your favorite summer items for men, women, kids and babies. The most popular items and sizes sell out quickly, so get going.

Make the most out of summer sales and think ahead; shop for items that will be useful for Back to School. I know it sounds silly, but you can grab a lot of deeply discounted tanks and tees for layering, jeans, underwear and more now that will save you money, time and stress when the big Back to School rush hits.

Buy Direct: Gap's Summer Sale

My Gap Summer Sale Top Picks for Girls

• Shirred Eyelet Button Cami--Layer this lacy cami under a cropped cardigan for a beautiful Fall 2008 look.
• Cropped V-Neck Knit Cardigan--Exactly what we are looking for to top off the cami above.
• Long and Lean Dark-Rinsed Jeans--Always try to buy kids' jeans on sale. Pack these away for Back to School.

My Gap Summer Sale Top Picks for Boys

• Triple Striped Shirt--Wear pressed and tucked in with trousers or layer over a graphic tee, untucked and unbuttoned with a pair of jeans for a more casual Back to School look.
• Rugby Striped Pique Polo--Get twice the fun out of this funky striped polo; wear it as is for the rest of summer and for Back to School, layer it over a long-sleeved white tee or thermal for a casual, cool look.
• Dinosaur Briefs (3-pack)--Whenever you see underwear, socks, tees and other year-round basics on sale, grab them. Why pay full price when you can get them on sale?

Image courtesy of Gap.com: Rugby Striped Pique Polo

It's hard not to be fashionable when you are the offspring of a showstopping Swedish model and one of the greatest (and best looking) golfers in history. Yes, we all knew that little Sam Alexis Woods would be one stylish little tot, and she hasn't let us down.

The world got a good look at this little cutie just after Woods won the 2008 US Open; Woods' wife Elin quickly lifted little Sam into her Dad's arms to help him celebrate his big win. Sam was wearing an adorable red and white summer outfit and a fantastic pair of Preschoolian's "I'm Walking Barefoot Old School Freestyle Red Stars".

Preschoolian shoes are not only uber-fashionable, they are kind to new walkers' feet; Preschoolian toddler shoes are "the most flexible shoes in the world." And best of all, their see-through bottoms let you know exactly how well each pair fits your toddler's feet. So genius!

• Buy Direct: Shop Preschoolians large selection of toddler shoes and get 15% off your purchase.

Images courtesy of Preschoolians.com

Mid-summer sales are great, but only if you shop wisely. I've seen too many moms rush to the back rack of their favorite kids' fashion store and snatch up anything in their kids' sizes. Sure 6 pairs of $4 shorts really does seem like a bargain, but only if your kid is going to wear them. Most often, we tend to focus too much on the deeply discounted prices and not enough on what's practical, leading to overspending on items that will get minimal use. The smart shopper uses sales to maximize savings and diversify her kids' wardrobes. You must go into each and every sale with a plan of attack and only then will you truly save money.

My Plan of Attack for Mid-Summer Sales

• Before you hit the shops take a quick inventory check. See what your kids have and what they don't. Can they make it through the rest of the summer with their current wardrobes? If they've already covered their shorts and tees in grass stains that just won't budge, go ahead and pick up a few summer items, but try to find the best deals.
• Hopefully, your kids are already set this summer. If so, shop the sales but think ahead. based on your child's current size and typical growth rate, try to calculate sizes for next summer. Summer clothes are the most forgiving when it comes to buying ahead; a size up or down for shorts just varies the length, especially now that so many kids' bottoms have adjustable waists. Summer dresses can also be easily wearable for a couple of seasons.
• Grab year-round staples if you can find them. Socks, underwear, tees, pajamas and accessories often go on sale with mid-summer items; always try to buy these on sale and in bulk.
• Think about fall. I know it sounds crazy, but you can find tons of layering pieces in mid-summer sales. The same tank that is sold now as a summer top will be sold in the stores as a laying piece in fall. Tanks, tees and even summer dresses look great for back-to-school when paired with long sleeved tees, cardigans, hoodies and more.
• Last but never least, have fun. If you see something that maybe isn't the most practical item, but is on sale and at a great price, go ahead and treat yourself.