Rounding up the best clothing stores for tweens might seem like an odd choice for a blog that mostly focuses on helping grown men look and live their best.
But as our readers have grown up over the years, many of them have become fathers, and transitioned from charming Irreverent Gents to caring Dads of Distinction.
And as parents, they’re now concerned not just with dressing themselves, but with dressing their kids—which is particularly annoying challenging when your kid reaches the pre-adolescent tweenage years.
Kids in that age group are old enough to be aware of what other people are wearing, and often want clothes in the latest styles and fashion.
But what they’re not aware of is the household budget. And since they’re still growing like weeds at that age, their wardrobes need to be replaced pretty frequently.
So while kids might care about the latest trends and fads, parents are more concerned with reasonable prices.
Fortunately, you don’t have to look too far to find stores that combine enviable styles with affordable prices.
In this post we’ve rounded up dozens of the best tween clothing stores where you can find styles they like at prices you can afford.
The Top Five ↓
You can read more about each company below, but here’s a quick summary of our top picks for tween and teen clothing stores:
The Best Clothing Stores for Tweens
Rounding Up the Best Places to Shop for Tweens & Adolescents
Old Navy
Old Navy is kind of like the younger sibling of the Gap, and has been a favorite among teenage girls and boys for years.
Tweens and young adults love the cute clothes and modern styles, while parents love the low prices, wide selection of categories, and the fact that there’s some decent stuff for mom and dad there too.
Gap & Gap Kids
Tweens are at the age where they might fall somewhere in between the smaller end of the Gap’s main adult sizing and the larger end of their kids clothing.
So depending on their body types and how quickly they’re growing, you may want to look at both stores.
And it’s worth taking the time to poke around both sections, because Gap is well known for making the sort of dependable, on trend clothing that’s perfect for everyday wear.
Plus, their website offers free standard shipping on orders of more than $50, and they tend to run sales almost every weekend, so it’s a good place to shop online.
H&M Kids
H&M is a great option for tween and teen clothing for a number of reasons:
For starters, they carry a huge selection of styles across a number of categories, including casual basics, outerwear, swimwear, sleepwear, and even shoes, so you can often find everything in one place.
Secondly, their kids department covers ages 2-14, meaning you know there’s always going to be something age appropriate (and if you have more than one kid, you don’t have to go to a bunch of different stores).
Lastly, H&M is notorious for it’s reasonable prices and frequent sales, making outfitting your kids in all their clothing needs much more affordable than some other stores.
Amazon
Amazon is the 800-pound gorilla in the world of retail nowadays:
It’s a one-stop shop that carries a huge variety of clothes for kids of all ages, and at a budget-friendly price.
In addition to a wide range of products, another big perk with Amazon is that Prime members get free shipping and free returns, making it one of the best places to shop for tween clothes online.
Ordering clothes for tweens online is always a bit risky, since they won’t have a chance to try them on in person.
But knowing that you can return them easily without paying for shipping either way is a huge win.
Plus, if you’re looking to give a gift card rather than pick out the items yourself, Amazon is a great choice since the card can be used not just on clothes, but on anything.
Abercrombie Kids
Abercrombie & Fitch is a pretty popular brand for teens and young 20-somethings.
So it probably shouldn’t come as a shock that it’s also one of the more sought-after brands for tweens.
Fortunately, Abercrombie has a pretty extensive kids department where you can find both sizes and styles that will work well for younger adolescents.
Pacsun Kids
Pacsun offers cool clothes and trendy accessories that are aimed at a young teen demographic.
Pacsun has a cooler and slightly trendier vibe than a lot of the other stores on this list, making it a great alternative to hip retailers that target teenagers, like Urban Outfitters and Hollister.
Because Pacsun’s core demo is so young, you can trust that the vast majority of what they sell will still be appropriate clothing for tweens.
(This is a particular concern for parents of tween girls and young women, for obvious reasons, but still comforting for parents of boys to know as well.)
J.Crew Factory
The styles at the flagship J.Crew store tend to be a little too grown up and mature for tweens.
But their J.Crew Factory outlets are both more casual and more affordable.
So if you like the quality and aesthetic of the main J.Crew brand but want the sort of casual staple pieces and simple styles that are more appropriate for preteen clothing, then the Factory stores are the right places to shop.
Plus the Factory stores provide great value since the prices are quite a bit lower than the flagship brand, but the quality tends to be almost as high.
Justice
Owned by the Ascena Retail Group (the parent company that owns women’s clothing brands like Anne Taylor and Lane Bryant), Justice is a girls clothing store with a wide variety of stylish and age-appropriate clothes for tweens.
One nice thing about Justice is that they offer an Extended Sizes section, which is great if you’re shopping for a child who needs specialty sizing, like shirts with long lengths or pants with extra long inseams.
Mango Kids
Mango is another great place to turn for tweens who want to stay ahead of the fashion curve.
Unlike a Justice, Mango makes clothes for both girls and boys, so it’s a good option if you’re looking for a single store that can cater to both genders.
Another thing that’s great about Mango is that they have both a dedicated teen section and a separate kids section.
Some tweens aren’t quite old/big enough to fit into teen clothes, while others who are the same age may have already outgrown the kids section, so having the ability to shop in both sections comes in handy.
Sugar & Jade
This is another girls clothing store that caters specifically to tweens and teen girls.
Owned by The Children’s Place Inc., (a name most parents are undoubtedly familiar with by now), Sugar & Jade offers a wide selection of jeans, fashion tops, outerwear, pajamas, swimwear, and accessories, in on-trend and age-appropriate styles.
Plus, they offer extended sizing, with sizes ranging from 8-22.
Bloomingdale’s
Whether you covet designer labels, are looking for an fashionable outfit for a special occasion, or just want the best-dressed kid on the playground, Bloomie’s is your answer.
Their selection of styles and brands is huge, and you can get everything from your kid’s socks and underwear to formal attire under one roof.
Of course, their tween clothing is more expensive than at Old Navy or Gap Kids, they frequently run decent sales where you can save a few bucks.
Nordstrom
As one of the biggest retailers in the country, Nordstrom carries plenty of clothes for tweens.
Their website is well stocked with everything from expensive designer brands to more affordable in-house alternatives, so you should be able to find something for just about every budget.
And as a more upscale department store, their brick and mortar locations provide a pretty fun shopping experience.
Macy’s
Another major retailer, Macy’s is a close competitor of stores like Nordstrom (and Nordstrom Rack).
As such, it’s another great place to turn for a wide variety of brands and styles, from casual wear to formal attire.
And while Macy’s certainly isn’t down market, it’s not quite as upscale as Nordstrom, which makes it a little more accessible for most people.
Kohl’s
As a major department store, Kohl’s stocks a huge selection of clothes and accessories for people of all ages.
They separate sections for kids and what they call Juniors, which are basically teens, and both sections are worth checking out to find tween fashion from popular brands like Nike, Calvin Klein, LC Lauren Conrad and a lot more.
Target
And speaking of major department stores, Target has carved out a niche for itself among its competitors by focusing on stylish clothes that look great, but very much fit within their affordable price structure.
Like Kohl’s, they have both a kids section and a separate “Young Adult” department, both of which are great places to find tween clothing that’s well made and well priced.
Tiny Whales
Tiny Whales is a small kids clothing retailer that offers unique designs in warm, natural colors.
Their sizing ranges all the way from toddler clothes up to 12 to 14 years, so
while they’re primarily a kids’ brand, they do have a pretty decent selction of stuff for tweens.
Tilly’s
Tilly’s is another store aimed directly at young people, which carries a wide selection of affordable styles like cute tops and cool dresses for girls, and graphic tees, sneakers and more for guys.
In addition to some low base prices on a pretty huge selection of clothes and accessories, they also offer a student discount that can allow you to save even more when shopping for tweens or other kids.
Athleta Girl
Athleta is a female-focused athleisure brand, and they have a line called Athleta Girl that’s aimed at tween girls.
Unfortunately it doesn’t carry tween boys’ clothes, so young men are out of luck, but sister brand The Gap, which is owned by the same parent company, has plenty of activewear for the entire family.
If you have a daughter who’s in need of activewear, Athleta Girl is a great place to pick up everything from sports bras and leggings to sweatshirts and jackets.
Forever 21
You can tell by the name that Forever 21 targets a slightly older demographic than tweens, and their clothes are definitely more grown up than what you’d find at Gap Kids.
But with that said, they do have some select styles that are appropriate for tweens and younger teens, in addition to pretty reasonable prices, so they’re worth keeping in mind.
More Resources ↓
More Great Places to Find Stylish & Affordable Clothes:
- The 19 Best Stores Like Hot Topic for Alternative Fashion
- 21 Stores Like Zumiez for Cool Clothes & Gear
- 31 Affordable Stores Like Urban Outfitters
- 16 Stores Like Madewell for Stylish & Affordable Staples
- 12 Stores Like H&M for Stylish & Affordable Fashion
- The Best Stores Like TJ Maxx Online
- 21 Stylish Shops Like American Eagle
- The Best Athleisure Brands for Men
- The World’s Most High Quality Clothing Brands
- The Best Merino Wool Clothing Brands for Warm, Stylish Clothes
- The 23 Most Stylish & Affordable Brands Like Uniqlo
- The 18 Best Sites and Stores like Fashion Nova
- 28 Stylish & Affordable Stores Like PacSun
- The 29 Best Warby Parker Alternatives
- The Best Affordable Sunglasses Brands
More Advice on How to Look Sharp & Stand Out:
- The Most Stylish Men’s Casual Boots to Wear with Jeans
- How to Dress Better for Guys
- Thursday Boots Review
- The Best Gifts That Start with R
- Who is the Most Handsome Man in the World?
Banner image via Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock
Maria Vasquez
Maria Vasquez is a Toronto-based writer and journalist. When not hacking away at her computer she enjoys walking her dog, spinning (like on Peloton, not in circles like a small child*) and ordering too much takeout.
*Well, sometimes in circles like a small child.