What you actually need for back-to-school varies from school to school, for private schools as well as within the MNPS system. Check with your individual school for dress codes, which may be something termed standard school attire. You’ll likely need solid-color clothes, collared shirts, and no leggings as pants (they’re fine under dresses and skirts). Here are some suggestions on where to buy clothes, school supplies, and a few treats that are wants, not needs.
Local Nashvillian Jennifer Caywood opened growUP in L&L Market because she wanted to offer kids (and their parents) some options for child development and creativity that didn’t involve screens and batteries. The store has fun back-to-school options including a dry-erase cursive tracing board and placemats that look like looseleaf paper with No. 2 pencil napkins.
A collective of kid-centric, woman-owned businesses, East Nashville’s The Getalong stocks clothes, toys, instruments, and books (including some of my guidebooks; thanks, Jennifer Kite). They also have a robust schedule of activities, such as after-school art classes — one for kids ages two to second grade and another for third to sixth grade. The next session starts Aug. 24.
Shop online or in the store on Powell Street and find uniforms for many local private, religious, and charter schools, from branded polos to khakis, skirts, and even scrunchies. You can save your sizes and current inventory in their database so you don’t buy what you don’t need (unless last year’s polo shirt got left in a gym bag somewhere). Owner Geoff Dennie offers a tool to help you figure out the dress code for your kids’ school by grade and gender.
Started in Belle Meade, this boutique now has a location in Mt. Juliet, too. Both are stocked with racks of clothes that can only be described as cute. Yes, there are plenty of basic solids that work as uniform staples, but they also carry Tennessee orange Game Day gear, dresses and shirts with apples for the first day of school, and hair accessories.
