Boston's Best Places For Back To School Shopping

Back to school shopping means more than just buying a few notebooks and pencils. Students need new clothes, footwear and accessories in addition to those aforementioned notebooks and pencils. Today's students have longer wish lists than ever before when it comes to back to school outfits. These local Boston shops have everything for students from preschoolers to college students, but you won't find these clothes at huge department stores or the malls.

Lester Harry's
115 Newbury St.
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 927-5400
www.lesterharrys.com

Lester Harry's has the cute and comfortable clothes that you need to send your preschool or elementary school children back to class in style. The shop sells extraordinary clothing for little boys and girls up to size 6x. Lester Harry's also carries clothes for young boys and girls in sizes from 7-14. This boutique sells only luxury brands and items, so the prices tend to be on the steep side, but the quality and style of the young girls' dresses and young boys' long-sleeved tees are beyond compare.

Prikidz
1378 Beacon St.
Ste B
Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 682-0998
www.prikidz.com

Prikidz is a boutique especially for girls. The store carries girl-centered brands like Mele & Co., Purple Pixies, Me Too and Crooked Monkey. The clothes at this boutique are focused on girls from sizes six to 16. That makes them accessible for girls who need larger sizes, but still want fun, fresh girls' clothing rather than adult size fashions. The boutique also tries to make its prices accessible. Prikidz is good for pre-teen through high school students.

Pink Dolly
8 Medford St.
Arlington, MA 02474
(781) 646-7811
www.pinkdollyshop.com

Pink Dolly is an upscale resale boutique specializing in gently used designer children's clothing in sizes from 0-14. The boutique also carries women's and maternity clothing, plus shoes, bags, jewelry and accessories. Pink Dolly is ideal for back to school clothes shopping for elementary school children of either gender, plus teen girls who are looking for secondhand bargains on high quality, in-style clothing.

Related: Boston's Best Baby Clothing Stores

Johnny Cupcakes
279 Newbury St.
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 375-0100
www.johnnycupcakes.com

Johnny Cupcakes offers clothing for teens and young adults, a perfect place for back to school shopping for high school or college students. Johnny Cupcakes has an edgy design. The interior of the store is set up like an upscale bakery, but they don't sell baked goods. Instead, they offer graphic tees, tops and sweatshirts. They also sell hats, totes, ties and other accessories emblazoned with the Johnny Cupcakes logo. Johnny's also has a limited collection of t-shirts for elementary school age children.

Motley
623 Tremont St.
Ste A
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 247-6969
www.shopmotley.com

Motley has long and short-sleeved tees and hoodies that appeal to the younger crowd. This store is ideal for high school or college students who want to add a few unusual shirts to their collections before school starts in the fall. The store also carries bottoms and accessories. Motley nearly went out of business back in 2009, but is still open under different management. Prices vary, but you can find good bargains and affordable pieces in their eclectic collection.

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Tracey Parece is a bibliophile, audiophile, writer and photographer from Boston, Massachusetts. She loves slow-moving turtles, real sugar and the works of William Shakespeare. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.