Tween Angels

Happy days are here again for denim jeans and plain white tees.

The hairspray was in full force for our February tween issue. Little rockabilly greasers with hair out to there did their best James Dean impressions and rocked an afternoon at the studio. Channeling the ’50s, with ducktail hairstyles, leather jackets, plain white tees, lollipops and soda pops, photographer Amanda Pratt captured the eternal cool of classic American denim in “Rebel Social Club.”

Speaking of jeans, the once tried, true and blue staple has broadened its definition to include an array of colors, fabrications and prints, as seen in In Focus: Denim. We feature other fashionable faves in On Trend this month, namely hoodies for boys, jewelry for girls and fun, fresh bath goods for everyone. We also spoke with designer Sally Miller, a favorite brand in many tween girls’ closets, in Spotlight Apparel, and Mark Kohlenberg of Umi Children’s Shoes, a European-inspired brand adored by moms from every walk of life, in Spotlight Shoes. And technology gets top billing in Nine Things, where we survey some of the newest accessories for tech-savvy tweens.

In our feature, “Social Skills,” we examine how social media has changed the retail scene and the numerous opportunities to connect with the pre-teen customer online. We also sat down with Ilene Oren in “The Dean of Tween,” where she schools us all on the finer points of this fashion-forward generation. Interestingly, Oren reveals that the lions’ share of her collections hail from the West Coast. In fact, manufacturing in California seems to be a growing trend for many children’s brands, and in our feature, “Made in LA,” we talk to a host of companies who have chosen the closer west over the Far East.

And for those looking to head west for the Las Vegas KIDShow this month, don’t miss our tips on the best places to go and things to do after hours in Sin City—activities, thankfully, that don’t have to stay in Vegas.