Getting back-to-school clothes for tweens can be a chore, especially for tween boys once they start actually caring about what they wear. Gone are the days I could do all of Thomas’s shopping solo—now he has opinions, requests, and very specific thoughts on what has “the drip.”
From everyday outfit staples and cool school shoes to must-have backpacks, lunchboxes, and accessories, I’m sharing everything your tween will think is fire.
- Hair Styling Texturizing Powder: Gives instant volume and hold without making hair crunchy or stiff. Another boy mom recommended this to me and we’ve been using it ever since!
- Twill Shorts: For the first day of school outfit, we’ve been buying these pull-on shorts for years. They are the perfect length and available in several colors.
- Striped Polo Shirt: To go with those twill shorts for the first day of school! These are our favorite polos for Thomas — again, been buying these for years. Available in several colors.
- Nike Crew Socks: Great price on these! And several colorways — the multi-color pack is so fun.
- Nike Backpack: This backpack checks all the boxes—cool design, super roomy, and comfortable to carry. It fits everything they need without looking bulky.
- LaMelo Ball Shoes: These vibrant basketball shoes come in tons of cool colorways and hold up really well. Both my tweens wear them for school and sports, and people are constantly stopping me to ask about them when we’re out.
- Jordan T-Shirt: Such a fun and colorful shirt. Available in two colors.
- Cross Necklace: Thomas wears this every day. Available in several chain lengths, and also gold.
- Custom Morse Code Bracelet: Matt gifted Thomas matching bracelets for his first day of school last year and it was a big hig! Their bracelets contain a secret message written in morse code!
- Messi Jersey T-Shirt: I love that Old Navy carries lots of Messi apparel! Such good prices and selection.
- Athletic Shorts: We have a few faves that we keep stocked in Thomas’s drawer for the school year…
- Most Affordable Shorts: These are our go-to inexpensive athletic shorts. They fit well (not super long) and look nicer than most of his other activewear. We pull these off as regular “shorts” most of the time. They are often on sale, priced affordably, and available in 5 colors.
- Most Fun & Trendy Splurge Shorts: The trendiest item on the list. All the boys are obsessed with these right now and they definitely have the drip. They are a splurge for us, but I’ve found some pretty cool similar ones for a fraction of the price!
- The Super Short: A Charlotte, mom-owned brand, these incredibly durable shorts are made to move and look so polished. They are my personal favorite shorts Thomas owns. The fit is amazing and they can handle any stain or activity from the playground to the golf course!
- Owala FreeSip Stainless Steel Water Bottle: This stainless steel water bottle has a well designed spout for sipping upright through the built-in straw or tilting back to drink from the spout opening. It’s triple layer insulated and the lid is leak-proof. Available in rainbow of colors and has glowing reviews.
- Nike Lunch Box: Includes an inner mesh pocket.
- The Walmart Bento Box: THE HOLY GRAIL OF ALL BENTO BOXES. I have shared this lunchbox more times than I can count but I can promise you this is the ONLY lunchbox you need. It’s so much better than any others we’ve used. It comes with multiple removable and stackable compartments, locks into place, and is dishwasher-safe! We throw one of these slim ice packs in his lunch bag.
