Things to Know About Back-to-School 2025
August 19, 2025
BACK-TO-SCHOOL (BTS)
PARENTS
COTTON INCORPORATED’S THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT...
Where do parents plan to shop for new
clothing?
37% Shopping
second-hand clothing
Clothing purchase drivers:
What parents look for:
comfort quality durability
What their students want to wear
Sweatshirts
or hoodies
Preferred tops:
Preferred bottoms:
T-Shirts
Denim jeans
Leggings, sweatpants,
or joggers
46%
17%
33%
33%
Physical
Store
96%
Mass
merchants
Off-price
stores
80% 61%
Online
73%
Amazon
Online platforms
of brick & mortar stores
80% 71%
years old
years old
years old
How much influence do students have on
BTS shopping?
years old
3-5
6-9
10-14 15+
23%
46%
32%
54%
Allow a lot
of influence
on where to
shop, by age
of children
What do
parents want
clothing to be
made from?
Prefer cotton because
it is comfortable
T-Shirts
76%
Sweatshirts
or hoodies
73%
Prefer cotton in
BACK-TO-SCHOOL (BTS)
STUDENTS
COTTON INCORPORATED’S THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT...
Where do students 13+ plan to shop for
new clothing?
44% Shopping
second-hand clothing
What Students 13+ want to wear
Preferred tops:
Sweatshirts or hoodies
T-Shirts
35% 34%
Preferred bottoms:
Denim jeans
Leggings, sweatpants,
or joggers
37% 32%
For More Information Contact: Corporate Strategy & Insights at [email protected]
Source: Cotton Incorporated’s 2025 Back-to-School Supplemental Survey, a survey of n=498 parents and n=513 students who are planning to shop for back-to-school clothes.
AMERICA’S COTTON PRODUCERS AND IMPORTERS. Service Marks/Trademarks of Cotton Incorporated. ©2025 Cotton Incorporated.
Clothing purchase drivers:
DurabilityComfort Trendy StylesQuality
Prefer cotton because it is comfortable
82%
What do students want clothing to be
made from?
T-Shirts Sweatshirts or hoodies
66% 64%
Prefer cotton in
Physical
Store
90%
Off-price
stores
Mass
merchants
59%64%
Online
72%
Amazon
Online platforms
of brick & mortar stores
75% 61%