08-13-2023 Back to School - Flipbook - Page 10
10 A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Sunday, August 13, 2023
Neon and High-Tech Accessories
Make a Colorful Splash This Fall
3
2
2
1
2
2
3
1
3
1
1
1
2
1
1
By Lisa Baldino, Contributing Writer
S
hocking pink. Lime green. Vibrant
orange. These aren’t fall foliage colors; they are trendy colors for backto-school accessories. Local experts
predict these already-popular hues will continue
to lead the way in everything from crew socks to
hair scrunchies, as parents prepare for their children to head back to the books this fall.
Boutique 44 owner Amanda Goddard confirms trends are bright colors, pops of neon and
flower power. “We’re seeing a lot of daisy and butterfly hair clips, large floral prints and smiley faces – it’s a nod to ‘90s nostalgia,” she says. Also on
the must-have list are small handbags and glittery
key chains, along with beaded, stacked bracelets.
But two styles stand out to Goddard, who
has been in business in Bel Air for five years after owning a boutique in Roland Park. One is the
Bum Bag, and the other Crew Socks. “The Bum
Bag is a mix between a fanny pack and a crossbody bag. It’s made from washable nylon and
available in a variety of colors and it holds all the
essentials.”
1
2
The second style – Crew Socks worn with
tennis shoes, slide sandals or clogs – is fresh off
the runway, Goddard says. “Vibrant colors and
prints will be the trendy sock for high schoolers
and middle schoolers. Moms may stick with a
classic white Crew, worn scrunched with leather
sneakers or they might pair a colorful sock and a
platform heel.”
Goddard’s boutique caters to moms for backto-school, because this time is a big deal for parents, too. “This year’s trend is ‘Quiet Luxury’ –
looking polished but comfortable.” She describes
a clean look, with a white button-up shirt French
tucked into jeans or a high-grade, organic cotton tee with Sanctuary Clothing cargo pants,
pulled together with accessories like a long, bold
pendant necklace, and gold and silver chain link
jewelry. “Busy moms can use this look to their advantage. Throw on an embroidered baseball cap
or secure a loose bun with a claw clip to achieve
Chic Mom status in the school drop-off line.”
Other finds at Boutique 44 for students are
clear make-up bags, NCLA Beauty lip care kits
featuring natural and vegan lip balm and scrub
and Mixologie roll-on fragrances layered in dif-
ferent scents. “These are great for on-the-go teens
to keep a cosmetic bag with beauty essentials in
their school lockers,” Goddard adds.
Indeed, school lockers have their work cut
out for them – literally – this year. Locker door
decorations and storage solutions will help make
the students’ lockers feel like their homes. “Kids
look to dress up and decorate their lockers,” explains Lindsay Sisson, director of enrollment
management and school store manager at Roland
Park Country School. “Monogrammed storage
bins, monogrammed clothing and water bottles
are all big sellers at the school store. We even have
a Stanley Tumbler with monogram.”
These and other accessories like hair
scrunchies and clips and cell phone pop-its have
been touched by the trend of Barbie pink and
pastel colors, as well, Sisson notes. Also popular
are items in school colors – red and white for
Roland Park. “School colors are considered in,”
Sisson says.
“And even though we have cell phone restrictions, phone accessories remain in demand.”
National retailer Five Below acknowledges
the variety of accessories kids want and what
These items can be found at 1: Boutique 44 in Bel Air. 2: Five Below stores in the area. 3: Skylight Creative in Bel Air.
they need, noting that its stores have hundreds of
choices for students and parents. Five Below Vice
President of Brand Marketing John Caruso says,
“While the millennial mom is our most popular
parent demographic shopping at Five Below, our
focus is kids, tweens and teenagers.” He continues, “Now more than ever, people are looking to
stretch their dollar wherever (and however) they
can. Back-to-school shopping is expensive, and
parents know how important it is for their kids to
have the products they need to succeed academically, feel confident and have fun, but it doesn’t
have to be at a steep price.”
Caruso notes several technology items among
the coolest accessories found at Five Below, including a color-changing LED bulb that will
bring those pops of color right into your home.
“It’s perfect for any bedroom – be it at home or in
the college dorm room,” he says.
A Bluetooth speaker that doubles as a side table lends a contemporary look to any room while
providing high-quality sound. Foldable Bluetooth headphones with touch controls and builtin microphone are also available in a variety of
colors. Funky-shaped phone cases in shapes of a