Подростки ищут новые бренды и аксессуары для формирования своего стиля в новом учебном году

We asked 15 teens for their back-to-school shopping lists. They wanted AirPods, cute notebooks and a whole new personality. Perhaps you remember back-to-school as a time when you rummaged through a clearance rack for the perfect first-day-of-school top or scoured a supply store for a flashy folder for each class. Today's high schoolers, forging their identities in the age of TikTok, have something different in mind: They're searching for the hottest brands and it-products on the internet — and some of them may surprise you. Fifteen high school students from around the country sent Yahoo their back-to-school shopping lists, and alongside protractors and calculators were New Balance 530s, CeraVe moisturizer and AirPods. They also shared their hopes about how these shopping hauls will shape how their classmates see them in the upcoming year. More than two-thirds of respondents say what they carry affects how people perceive them, and the same number say they want to fit a particular style or aesthetic. Many teens say they crave a fresh start at the beginning of the school year. It's not just a time when your parents are budgeting to buy you new supplies — students are often shuffled into a new group of peers, meeting new teachers and settling into new classrooms. The way their new clothes, notebooks, shoes and electronics make them appear outweighs how badly they might actually need them. Lynn Zakeri, a therapist and mom of Gen Zers, says that, "'Who am I?' is one of the biggest developmental questions of adolescence. It always has been." But it's not just goths and jocks anymore. The number of identities available to today's teens is infinite, and those archetypes are shaped by everything they consume on the internet. Those identities tend to be "more visible, more permanent and constantly reinforced" on social media, Zakeri says. Teens' personal style isn't everything, of course — but it seems to carry a lot of weight. "What you own can say a lot about you as a person and hint at your interests and hobbies, but also it's not the full story," says Serena, a 16-year-old from Texas. Rifling through their lists, it became clear to me that the brands, clothes and supplies teens are buying these days are supposed to tell a story about who they are, and who they hope to be. They also offer a revealing snapshot of high school in 2026: what's in, what's out and what's just on the verge of being uncool. First things first, figure out your aesthetic Regardless of age or gender identity, most survey respondents knew exactly how they'd describe their sense of style. Gone are the labels of "bad boy" and "nerd," replaced by "athletic," "basic or preppy," "clean girl," "alt" and "whimsical." These aesthetics may determine where you sit at lunch and who you hang out with, but more importantly, they're easy to search on Pinterest, TikTok or thrifting apps to curate what products you buy. Aesthetics are the new cliques. Issy Stephens, a 16-year-old in North Carolina, has changed aesthetics over the years. She used to wear all-black, but now her style is "Stockholm-inspired" with "jeans, flowy tops, lace details, feminine pieces and things that feel effortless but put together." She shared her "haul" of back-to-school items on TikTok, tagging trendy brands like Brandy Melville and Adidas. Naming her aesthetic helps her find other items that fit into it, Issy tells me. As they compile their back-to-school shopping lists, students are constantly calibrating how they want to be seen. Some survey respondents say, "interesting, not too crazy," "sporty/feminine/creative/preppy," "edgy" and "minimal." All but one of the surveyed 13-to-18-year-olds say they preferred blending in versus standing out — doing so felt too risky or only worth it in the safety of their friend groups. "Standing out can sometimes make me feel insecure, which I don't like," says Abilene, a 17-year-old in Ohio. "However, I still love to show personality. I often wear really bright colors that you might not originally think go together or something slightly creative that you might not expect." Load up on the most popular brands Certain brands have always been sought-after by different generations — and some even loop their way back around to coolness. Ones like Apple, Nike and Victoria's Secret made frequent appearances in the back-to-school lists. Other must-have, brand-name items that came up repeatedly among high schoolers were the black Jansport backpack, anything from LoveShackFancy, Lululemon leggings and wristlets, Gymshark workout shorts, Brandy Melville, Aritzia and Skims. Issy thinks it's fun to see a lot of the same brands around — it's Lululemon, Alo, Parke and Edikted at her school — but that doesn't necessarily mean they're good. "I don't think expensive automatically means better," she says. "It's about finding things that fit your personality … You could have a tank top from Target or Gucci — the way you wear it is what makes it special." Carlyn Clark, a mom of two daughters ages 11 and 22 in Florida, posted on TikTok about the brands and trends she's noticing this back-to-school season. She says Alo is overtaking Lululemon, Hollister is still super popular and Coach bags are on the rise. "The majority of kids just want to belong in school and feel they are accepted," Clark tells Yahoo. "Clothes help with that and identifying with a particular group." Zakeri agrees — attachment to certain brands might seem materialistic on the surface, but adhering to those norms can also just be a way to "reduce social risk and conserve emotional energy on a day when just getting through school feels like enough." When it comes to school supplies, analog > digital For those worried about how much teen culture has changed since they were adolescents themselves, there is a bright spot: the analog revolution has not been overstated — physical items have a special place in their hearts. "I prefer analog. I love the smell of new books and the feeling of flipping pages or being able to see how much you've read," says Abilene. Julia says physical books are "a lot less distracting, because when I'm on any type of device, I get bored 20x easier." Just make sure your notebooks and paper products are aesthetically pleasing. A notebook that matches your pencil case, which matches your folders, looks great splayed out on your desk as you work, making something of an unpleasant task look cool. Online, there's a whole ecosystem of content where people post their notes and planners for all to see, romanticizing productivity. Analog school supplies serve as physical proof that this class, this assignment and this moment in time actually happened. Allegra, a 16-year-old in Ohio, says it makes her "feel like Rory Gilmore," the studious teenager from one of Gen Z's go-to comfort shows. Other school supplies that made the lists include mechanical pencils, pastel file folders, a fountain pen, a pencil case that matches their backpack, a double-sided Sharpie, lined paper, invisible sticky notes, white Five Star notebooks and Pilot G2 Premium Gel pens. One person admitted that they successfully located "cute highlighters," but struggled to find a "non-ugly" trapper keeper. Most students can't boycott digital supplies altogether, though: Digital planner subscriptions like Goodnotes or Notion, YouTube Premium, Microsoft programs and "strict app blockers that force me to work … like Cold Turkey" also made appearances on their lists. The biggest trend of all? AirPods. You might have heard that cool kids are reverting to wired headphones for nostalgic effect, and that might be true, but far and away the most common item in our survey was AirPods, across age, state and gender. Teens requested all different kinds — some are good with 2nd or 3rd generation, others specifically wanted pros, and multiple people paired that request with a MacBook. "They are great for noise canceling," 17-year-old Filiz says. "This ain't gonna happen, but AirPods would be fire 🙏🔥… AirPods would be fantasticcccccccc but i dont have $200 for AirPod Pro 3s 😔," Mari, 15, writes. They're not just for watching TikToks after school — you need them in class and when focusing on homework. AirPods are a recognizable status symbol, but also a utility. They're kind of the best of both worlds for a high schooler seeking to signal belonging while also thinking about the most effective supplies possible. Personalizing your backpack with keychains is more popular than decorating a locker Given how many survey respondents wanted to blend, it makes sense that they're drawn to expressing themselves through little keychains on their backpacks. Lots of trendy collectibles come in keychain form, too. Taha, a 16-year-old, says he likes adding "small personal touches" to his backpack and desk, but he keeps it simple. Abilene, on the other hand, has a ton: She's got a Polly Pocket keychain that matches her best friend's, and a whale shark cover for her hand sanitizer that her boyfriend got her. Julia uses keychains and pins to make her black backpack and white and gray school supplies more interesting. She adds charms and stickers to her laptop and notebooks, too. A lot of kids just don't have lockers anymore — gone are the days of carrying around bulky textbooks, in favor of digital ones on laptops and tablets. Blinging out your backpack might be the most socially acceptable way to go a little over-the-top with your personality. That's enough with the status water bottle — and a few other overexposed trends For years, Stanley, Owala, S'well, HydroFlask and so many more have duked it out for water bottle supremacy in the hallways. But the kids have spoken: This year's "it" bottle is whatever you already have. Or the Owala free sip. Lisley, a 17-year-old from New Jersey who posted a TikTok about overrated school supplies, took a stand against buying a new trendy water bottle every year. She gets the appeal, though, telling Yahoo that, "it's easy to be influenced by what everyone else has, even if you didn't want it at first." "Different water bottles are better for different people," she says. "As long as you have a good water bottle that you like and can easily drink from, I think that's all that really matters." That said, a few people admitted they're still hunting for the perfect water bottle — the Stanley is officially cheugy, but the Owala is still cool and user-friendly enough to be their go-to. Just know that if you get the newest trendy water bottle everyone will be able to detect that's what you're doing, according to one respondent. They might also copy you. Other trends that have hit the dustbin of history: 7 Brew Coffee, expensive designer accessories, trendy collectibles and tiny North Face backpacks. Butter-themed school supplies are everywhere right now, but they might be on the verge of becoming uncool. The skin care mania seems to have passed Remember all the hubbub about kids taking over Sephora and teenagers being obsessed with anti-aging? Well, they're still into skin care, but not as intensely. According to the responses to our survey, CeraVe and Summer Fridays were popular brands, but the requested products were hydrating cleanser, moisturizing lotion, sunscreen and lip butter balm. All pretty straightforward supplies for people of any age looking to stay hydrated. Makeup only made a couple of the back-to-school lists, and there weren't many brand-name drops. Some of the items include powder, blush, setting spray, foundation and eyelash clusters. The "clean girl" aesthetic — glowy skin and minimalist makeup trends that were popularized by Hailey Bieber and TikTok influencers in the early 2020s — is here to stay. A few high schoolers say they like expressing themselves through their hair and makeup, but even more say they just want to look "put together," as Mari explains. For Abeline, "How I present myself is also out of convenience and what makes me feel comfortable." 'Tis the season for rebranding Being a teenager has always been about finding yourself, but it's not always easy to make the "you" that you've curated through social media inspiration into a physical reality. For one, it's awkward. How do you go from clean girl to alt without people staring at you? By doing it during back-to-school season, when all your classmates, teachers and aspirations have naturally gotten a new start. Everyone's coming back a little different, and you might as well debut a new wardrobe with your pens. It's not attention seeking — it's the new year rebrand. Kellen Beckett, a 21-year-old who posts advice about rebranding and embracing your aesthetic on TikTok, says each school year is a new beginning. "A lot of the time, we hold onto experiences, embarrassing stories and bad memories from the past … 'rebranding' or making small changes can distance and transform us from a past version of ourselves that we don't carry into the next school year," she tells me. She adds that finding your aesthetic — and your sense of belonging with likeminded peers — should be about the joy of discovery, "a journey that I have found never ends." For teenagers who are finding their identity, the products they own signal who they are on a more personal level — it's less about which brand names they have, and more about how they curate the things around them to reflect how they feel on the inside. Beckett herself went through a rebrand from "the pink girl" to all-black, alt style. "It's basically saying, 'This is me, this is my vibe, all the things in my universe match that vibe and this is how I want to be perceived,'" Beckett says. "Owning certain products that speak to them can strengthen their identity." What else are high schoolers obsessed with as they head back to school? Check out the list below — and find out what preschoolers, elementary schoolers, tweens and college students are after too.