Special thanks to Kohl’s for sponsoring today’s post.
One of the biggest challenges of raising teenagers is finding clothes for them to wear that we both agree on. My kids want to be stylish and fit in with their peers and I’d like them to be dressed somewhat modestly and presentable, which isn’t always reflected in current trends.
Oh yeah, and I don’t want to spend a gazillion dollars on their clothes since college is looming just ahead. These are the main reasons I love shopping at Kohl’s.
Boys Want Comfortable Clothes
My son, who is a young teen (recently turned 14), isn’t concerned yet with name brands. His main concern is comfort.
He would wear the same shorts and t-shirt every day if I’d let him. And because he’s a boy (i.e. doesn’t carry a purse), he likes his shorts and pants to have as many pockets as possible.
Cargo shorts let him store all of his “essentials” like his cell phone, pocket change, gum, the occasional rock, and for unknown reasons, many small pieces of paper (which I find in the laundry).
My son is completely unyielding when it comes to trading in his cargo shorts for anything else so I have indulged him on this. Since he gets his cargo shorts, he’ll wear almost any shirt I give him. So, I hooked him up with some collared sports shirts (he loves the lightweight, cool material of these).
Shopping For Teen Girls
My 16-year old daughter is the bigger challenge since many clothes aimed at her age group contain midriff-baring, low-cut, skin-tight tops and super short and/or tattered bottoms. We both love the teen selection at Kohl’s because they allow her to retain her modesty, without sacrificing style.
We started with a couple of casual outfits for when she’s hanging out at home or with friends. She loved this Minnie Mouse t-shirt and paired with white shorts, the color contrast really pops.
Patterned Clothes For Teen Girls
My daughter also loves interesting patterns like the one in this elephant t-shirt. She paired it with a neutral pair of shorts that are short enough that she doesn’t look like she’s wearing “mom shorts” and still long enough that she’s not showing body parts that I’d rather stay covered.
Tank Tops For Teen Girls
My daughter’s high school dress code doesn’t allow shirts that reveal shoulders, but during the heat of summer I don’t mind her wearing them as long as they aren’t low-cut in front or too short on bottom. We both loved this pretty patterned tank top, which went great with the same white shorts she paired with her Mickey Mouse t-shirt.
Her affinity for pretty patterns drew her to this tank top (which also happened to be her favorite colors). With the pattern doing all of the work, she decided to wear them with the neutral shorts that she paired with the elephant t-shirt.
Dresses For Teen Girls
Unlike my son, my daughter doesn’t have to be threatened to dress up. She likes wearing something less casual when she goes out. We both loved this floral summer dress that isn’t too revealing but allows her to keep cool in the summer.
And this semi-sheer red Grecian-style dress is trendy and manages to show off her fit physique without clinging to every inch of her. I love that she looks so confident and happy in it.
Here’s the best part about this summer shopping spree I went on for my teens – I spent under $200 on ALL of these outfits. That’s a total of eight outfits for less than $25 each. In most stores, you can’t get a pair of shorts or a cute top for $25.
Happy shopping!
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Thanks for mentioning that your son is mostly concerned with comfort and that you guys were able to compromise on attire. My son is also more concerned with comfort than style and only wants to wear t-shirts all the time. Hopefully we can find some common ground and find some great shirts that he can wear when school starts up in the fall.