Top 10 back to school wardrobe essentials

From feminine ruffles to preppy plaid, today's kids have many options for looking stylish for school.

Skinny jeans: 

The hottest look for denim is the tapered leg or skinny jean. Whether you pefer dark wash tint, colorful denim (like pink or turquoise) or white, you will have a modern, fresh look. Pair them with ballet flats or boots for girls, and slip-on Vans for boys. Girls will love the Old Navy Belted Super Skinny Jeans or this look, right, from Wet Seal, while boys will look cool in the Volcom Skinny Jeans ($50) from Nordstrom.

Plaid

This classic look never goes out of style. Boys can wear a buttoned up plaid shirt, such as the Khaki plaid shirt ($26.50) from Gap, layered under a hoodie for a casual, yet cool look. A hot trend for girls is a plaid ruffle skirt, like the Tiered ruffle plaid skirt ($29.50).

Layers

"This school year is about layers," say the fashion experts at teentrendsandtips.com. "Teens can dress in layers during school and as the day warms they can start peeling the layers off and still look put together. Also, you can easily incorporate summer trends by mixing them with fall ones. Such as taking short skirts from the summer and layering them with black tight for a seamless fashionable look." Boys can wear this trend by wearing the Ralph Lauren graphic hoodie with a plaid buttoned-up shirt layered underneath.

Graphic tees

From girly graphic tees with screen-print faux necklace graphics, such as the Girly Graphic T from Gap, to your favorite sports teams or rock star logos for boys, it is hard to beat the classic look of t-shirt. Pair them with everything from jeans to a jean skirt for a look that is perfect for back to school. Pictured is the Gap graphic hoodie.

Ruffles:

This back to school essential is reserved just for the girls who love the feminine flair of ruffles. This year, ruffles are seen on everything from cardigans to tops and even skirts. One stylish pick is the Ivy & Moon Ruffled Fleece Bolero ($32) from Nordstrom or the a ruffled skirt and cropped jacket from Wet Seal.

Up next: 5 More back to school wardrobe essentials >>