The back-to-school denim wars are starting earlier and lasting longer

Denim tends to be a popular back-to-school purchase, per Circana, so brands and retailers are banking on the category for sales. But the earlier push toward denim also coincides with a longer back-to-school shopping window. The National Retail Federation found that 32% of back-to-school shoppers had already begun shopping by early June this year, up from 26% in 2025. Nearly two-thirds (62%) said they had started their back-to-school shopping by early July, up from 55% in 2024.

This all comes as the school year creeps up earlier, driving parents and their kids into stores sooner. In Arizona, for instance, students were back at their desks as early as July 15. What’s more, some states, like Florida, are moving up their tax-free days from August to July to try and kickstart back-to-school spending. Retailers are also starting to celebrate Halloween in the summer — a phenomenon that means there’s “less space” for back-to-school merchandise in August, said Brad Jashinsky, director analyst at Gartner.

Right now, cash-strapped consumers are looking to lock in discounts, and back-to-school shopping is no exception. In fact, shoppers took advantage of many June promotions — including Amazon Prime Day, Walmart Deals and Target Circle Days — to “get a head start on their back-to-school [purchases],” Allison Zeller, NRF’s vice president of consumer and industry insights, said on a July 21 media call. “They’ve started [shopping for school] earlier than ever,” Zeller added.

With inflation affecting the back-to-school season, parents can benefit from having more time to budget accordingly, Gartner’s Jashinsky said. “Especially for so many consumers that are [living] paycheck to paycheck, that [longer window] allows them to shop over time, and not have to shop all at once,” he said. Indeed, an NRF survey found that many families are stretching school shopping into August. Forty-six percent said they are “waiting on the best deals,” while 38% said they don’t yet know “what is needed.”

Denim brands, like American Eagle, are taking this extended calendar into consideration. The company kicked off its back-to-school campaign on July 22 this year, versus July 23 last year, and will hold activations for 10 weeks. “We are seeing that our customers are buying a few key pieces early, then are continuing to shop as they discover new trends, see new content or head back to campus,” Craig Brommers, chief marketing officer at American Eagle, told Modern Retail via email.

In previous years, AE “treated back-to-school as one big monocultural moment,” Brommers added. “However, it can no longer be one moment, one launch [or] one product drop,” he said. As a result, the brand is evolving its back-to-school approach to “unfold over time.” While the brand launched its campaign in July, it will continue to introduce new products, creator content and events through September.

“Back-to-school is our Super Bowl, but now, it’s less about winning one weekend and more about staying relevant throughout the entire season,” Brommers said.

Denim, overall, is “poised to remain a leading back-to-school category” this year, per a report from Circana. Wide-leg silhouettes are seeing traction, as are items that pair well with denim, such as graphic tees and knit tops. Longer denim shorts and denim embellishments are also popular, said Jessica Ramírez, co-founder of The Consumer Collective. And certain cuts, like low-rise jeans, are making a comeback with Gen Z students eager to emulate Y2K culture.

Denim brands are thus rolling out various back-to-school silhouettes to appeal to as many shoppers as possible. Pacsun’s back-to-school denim collection, for instance, includes its “widest denim assortment yet” to reflect “the many ways Gen Z and Gen Alpha express their personal style.” Brommers said that American Eagle is focusing on low-rise styles for women and more relaxed fits for men, but also knows that “not every trend can be planned months in advance.”

Some denim brands are hoping to make a splash this season by working with celebrities early in the summer. American Eagle, for example, tapped country artist Ella Langley, footballer and World Cup champion Lamine Yamal, and actress Sydney Sweeney for its back-to-school campaign this year. American Eagle also worked with Sweeney last year, in a campaign that the brand says added more than 300,000 social followers and led to denim sellouts. 

Meanwhile, Gap launched a denim capsule with entrepreneur Hailey Bieber on July 16. The Bieber-specific styles, which include ’90’s Low Rise Loose, have already sold out online. Last year, in August, Gap debuted a back-to-school campaign with girl group Katseye. That campaign generated 20 million views in its first three days.

With so much noise around back-to-school, brands can generate significant buzz by working with big names, said Gabriella Santaniello, founder of the consultancy A-Line Partners. “Brand ambassadors help, especially with social media and cultural relevance,” she said. “You have retailers that are up against pretty good campaigns last year, so there’s always pressure for them to anniversary that.”

In recent earnings calls, denim executives have expressed excitement about the back-to-school season. Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Fran Horowitz-Bonadies shared on May 27 that the company is “well positioned” for growth, as “back-to-school, obviously, [is] usually a big time for denim.” The Abercrombie & Fitch Kids website is currently offering a “back-to-school stock up” sale of 30% off five or more items, or 20% off three or four items.

Overall, apparel brands and industry trackers are optimistic about denim sales as students seek out comfortable, casual clothes. “Denim is still going strong,” The Consumer Collective’s Ramírez told Modern Retail. “I don’t see that waning. I used to hear concerns about the death of denim, maybe four years ago [around Covid], but it’s just gotten stronger.”