Slim jeans top back-to-class shopping lists

Recession or no, kids keep growing.

Families broke open their piggy banks this weekend to buy school clothes. The top seller was something practical: jeans.

"Skinny jeans, for sure," was the hot ticket at Gap for Kids, manager Shannon Sakellariou said, adding the rush started just last week.

"It seems like everyone kind of took their summer and then suddenly realized, hey, school starts next Monday," Sakellariou said Sunday at her store in a packed Vintage Faire Mall in Modesto.

Miguel Martinez of Merced said he expected to spend $500 on back-to-school clothes for 3-year-old Miguel Jr., heading to preschool, and 4-year-old kindergartner Alesa and second-grader Ashley, 7, both starting school Aug. 9. That's less than last year, Martinez said, "It's really been bad."

The Fox family came from Tracy to shop. "So many stores have closed (in Tracy)," Christina Fox said. She was buying clothes for Evan, 4, and Emily, 2, with her husband, Steven Fox.

Spratling Middle School student Tony Fee of Keyes hit the sales, hauling bags of shirts, jeans, shorts, a backpack and shoes as his family cruised the mall.

Next up was shopping for sisters Ashley Fee, a sophomore at Pitman High School in Turlock, and recent college grad Kandace Morris. Possibly work clothes for her. "Hopefully, she'll be needing them," said mother Kathy Fee.