$2,000 Bags and $5 T-shirts: Inside the World of Back-to-School Haul Videos
If you’re like anybody else going back to school, you’re looking forward to one thing: shopping. The beginning of a new school year is a parental-approved excuse to revive your wardrobe, making the dreaded countdown to the first day that much better. And if you’re not sure how to restock your closet for the fast-approaching back-to-school season, we have some inspiration for you, straight from the weird world of YouTube haul videos — a popular subgenre wherein young women lovingly show off the contents of their overstuffed shopping bags from Urban Outfitters, Target, and, for some lucky bloggers, Acne and Chloé.
From the basic tee-and-jeans look to more sophisticated and standout threads, these YouTube haulers have got you covered with any outfit you need for a head-turning start to your year — especially if you can afford to carry a $2,000 designer bag to school. Our six favorite style hauls, straight ahead.
Unlike some of the more designer-focused bloggers, Kathryn Emily sticks to affordable basics from teen-friendly retailers like Pac Sun, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Forever 21. We dig how she levels up her basics by searching for tees with interesting necklines — and the fact that she clearly loves a sale.
The fashion-forward Vagabond Youth’s haul includes more directional pieces from super-trendy online retailers like Style Nanda, luxury label Acne, and — the pièce de résistance, the $2,000 Chloé Faye bag that’s on every street-style star’s arm. So it was just us that got $100 to spend on back to school?
Toronto native Tara Michelle rocks a baseball cap and bomber jacket while displaying her sporty garments from on-trend stores Topshop, Brandy Melville, Urban Outfitters, and Zara. She also shows off her newest beauty and skin care products, giving Kylie Lip Kits and Clean and Clear face wash such rhapsodic reviews, we were looking for the #spon tag. And while not all of her clothing is school-appropriate (ahem, lace-up bodysuit), her idea of a jewelry “splurge” at Free People is definitely up our alley.
From laid-back sweatpants to girly skirts and dresses, Aspyn Ovard hit the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for the pieces you can now buy at full price. As for that off-the-shoulder top, she suggests you wear it with high-waisted pants and a sweater over top to not get dress-coded. In other words, it’s probably not for school.
The charismatic Kalista Elaine revealed her interesting criteria for back-to-school clothing, which helps her navigate her way through stores like Forever 21. “Anything that looks like something Taylor Swift would wear, I probably want it.” So, if you’re into that kind of fangirl look, she’s got it.
While most colleges are more about fun fashion than strict dress codes, Michelle Reed goes to school in the financial district of Manhattan, where she is encouraged to blend in with the businesspeople. If you think of business casual as stuffy or unflattering, you need to watch this girl accomplish the impossible: finding appropriate clothing at American Apparel.
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