What teens are buying for back-to-school | Canada Voices

Shortly after 1 p.m. on a bright Saturday in August, the lineup outside Brandy Melville in Toronto was in full swing.

Teen girls in denim miniskirts and low-profile Adidas and Onitsuka Tiger sneakers, some swilling sweating iced coffees, waited patiently to enter the California-styled fast-fashion retailer known for its controversial “one size fits all” ethos. Every so often, a security guard emerged to redirect the snaking queue on Queen Street West.

It was prime time for back-to-school shopping – and for learning what Canadian teens are coveting for the new term.

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Elle Parkin, 15, was down from Thunder Bay with her mother. She was hoping to find sweatpants and cute tops to wear to class. At her school, the unofficial girls’ uniform consists of Aritzia sweatpants and a hoodie.

“I was actually here yesterday,” Parkin said, adding that she also checked out Aritzia and Lululemon. “I found a bunch of stuff, but I’m back.”

According to the teen (and many of her peers), everyone is trying to get their hands on a pair of Brandy Melville’s Priscilla pants, a flared athleisure style with a folded waistband. Girls seem to want “one in every colour,” she said.

One hue, however, is more popular than any other: teal.

Nearly every teen girl I spoke to remarked upon the significance of the blue-green shade this season. It’s showing up on halter tops and capri pants, and is a trending colour on TikTok and Pinterest, where many teens learn about new trends. Polka dots and stripes are not far behind.

“Is this teal?” I asked one girl who was waiting in line, referring to her tank top.

“No,” she said, somewhat apologetically. “That’s blue.”

Shirley Pan, 19, was squeezing in a shopping outing with friends before university restarts and more important matters take over. She was looking to stock up on going-out tops and a peacoat. “They don’t know what [a peacoat] is,” said Pan, nodding to her friends.

Besides Brandy Melville, her favourite stores include Aritzia and Garage.

“[Brandy Melville’s] business model is really unique,” she said. “I don’t understand how they got so popular. … They don’t do much advertising, but everyone is still so drawn to the store.”

Her friend Samantha Lu, 18, thinks the brand’s appeal comes down to the comfortable material of its clothes and its relative affordability.

Parkin, from Thunder Bay, agreed. “Everything in here is like $20, $30 for a shirt, which is actually pretty good compared to somewhere like Aritzia, where if I wanted a cute sweater it’s like $120,” she said.

Price point is important to many of the teens I spoke to, especially the ones spending their own money on clothes.

“I never really thought about price before, especially when I was buying things with my parents,” Lu said. “Now that I’m actually the one buying it, it’s … pretty hard.”

In another, longer line several blocks away, clusters of teen and twentysomething guys waited their turn to enter an archive sale at Stüssy, a cool-kid California streetwear brand. They studied white flyers listing sale items as if they were considering a restaurant menu. Headwear, $35. T-shirts, $42. Hoodies, $110. Collabs and specials, as marked.

“I’m gonna get a couple of shirts,” said Alani Gross, 18, who was waiting with two friends. “Got to have some nice shirts if I want to go out.”

Exactly, echoed his pals. “Nothing too crazy. Just maybe a little thing here,” said Gross, indicating a logo on the chest. “Something you don’t see in a normal store.”

In addition to Stüssy, the young men are fans of lifestyle brand Kith and preppy purveyor Vineyard Vines, which they refer to as just “Vineyard.” They primarily find out about new styles and labels on Instagram. “You’ll see the brand post it, you’ll see an athlete wearing it,” Gross said.

Not everyone was focused on trends. A pair of 16-year-old cousins were hitting Stüssy for loungewear but planned to visit Black Market on Queen Street and the thrift shops in Kensington Market afterward. One shared that his whole outfit was thrifted or second-hand, down to his bejewelled belt and black glasses.

Perhaps surprisingly, many of the teens expressed a preference for brick-and-mortar stores over online shopping, especially for certain items such as jeans.

The seasonal tradition of back-to-school shopping, carrying with it all of the hopes, dreams and anxieties for the year ahead, endures. As do the realities of being a teenager caught between the promise of possibility and responsibility.

“I bought a couple going-out tops and I was like, ‘That’s it for me,’” said 19-year-old Danica Coote, after purchasing a brown high-neck top and a blue-grey off-the-shoulder shirt. “I just bought a car, so I need to not spend any more money.”