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Tween Fashion Trends for Girls 2020

Do you have tweens and teens that are wondering what to wear in 2020? Teen fashion trends are fickle, and many tweens are just getting interested in style and want to follow the trends, but need some help.

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In 2020, Brandy Melville continues to be a popular brand for tweens, setting many tween fashion trends. Brandy Melville is a California-based brand that has a relaxed, beachy vibe. The clothes there aren’t fancy – they are mostly pretty laid-back and simple. Many tween girls are dying to make a pilgrimage to Brandy Melville and get themselves a new stylish outfit.

Unfortunately, Brandy Melville has one VERY BIG flaw. They only have one size.

Yes – that’s right – one size. I was a bit shocked when my daughter first explained this to me. Each item is only available in one size. The sizes of different items vary a bit, so one shirt might fit one person better and another shirt might fit another person.

But I bet you have an idea which size is the most common. TINY. Most of the clothes in the shop are appropriate for an XS or size 0-2.

So imagine being a typical middle-school girl walking into this store. Your body is growing and changing, you just recently started wearing a bra, your thighs are a little bigger than they were last year…and the hippest store in the world has racks of clothes that only come in sizes that are too small.

Brandy Melville does feature some oversize sweatshirts and tops, but not a lot. And all of their bottoms such as pants and skirts are small.

To be honest – this makes me pretty angry. Our girls are under enough stress as tweens. They don’t need to be made to feel “not good enough” when they are trying to develop their sense of style.

So. Rant over. Here’s my solution!

Brandy Melville Look-Alikes

I’ve been on the look-out for clothes that are similar to the style of Brandy Melville but are available in a range of sizes. And not only that, but I want to find ones that are low-priced, too, because heaven knows your daughter could get tired of this look ANY SECOND.

Most of the clothes I am linking to are marked with women’s sizes. I chose to do that rather than girl’s sizes because many tweens are growing and are starting to look like little women. If your tween is smaller, no problem – all of these items include a tiny sizes such as XS.

So read on to find out the best choice for tween clothing in 2020 – written by a thoughtful mom, approved by my picky, and very fashion-conscious tween.

Where to buy clothes for stylish tweens

One good source for some Brandy Melville-similar styles is Shein. Their clothes are very low-priced and they have tons of choices. They have a lot of the tween style trends found at Brandy Melville such as lettuce-edged tops, striped tops, checkered skirts, and button-front sweaters.

You do need to be choosy with Shein – not everything they have is appropriate for tweens. Some of it is way too sexy for middle schoolers! But you can definitely find some cute current tween trends mixed in with the older stuff for REALLY good prices.

Keep in mind that Shein’s sizes run small. Luckily, they are pretty open about their sizing and have lots of easy-to-access sizing guides. They also have a “curve + plus” section so that more girls can be included.

I also recommend Hurley. They have all the relaxed-vibe clothes your tween or teen needs. And bonus…they have clothes for boys, too! It’s also great that Hurley carries both adult and kid sizes.

Popular tween trends on Amazon

Not surprisingly, Amazon has tons of choices when it comes to the top tween fashion trends. My daughter and I have spent quite a while trying to find the best choices for you!

When buying clothes on Amazon, please take a minute to read the size charts. Also, it’s smart to read the product details to get information such as fabric type.

Stylish Tops and Tees for Tweens:

Boxy tees, either cropped or oversized, are a common choice for tweens right now.

We bought one of these for my daughter on Amazon, and it was a different fabric than we had expected. It’s not cotton but is polyester. So it is a softer, clingier fabric. But it’s a very cute shirt. Be aware of the difference, and order up a size:

These shirts are very low-priced so you can try several! The same brand also comes in other styles such as these:

It’s really popular to wear shirts that have the names of fun destinations on them, whether or not you’ve actually been there. Brandy Melville carries lots of stuff like that. Here’s an Amazon version:

For this one, you’ll notice that you can choose the men’s style or the women’s style. Get the men-styled one – that is what is trendy for tweens -boxy. Cute beach styles like this are perfect:

Lettuce-trimmed tops

Tops with lettuce-trim edges are popular this year. Here are a few choices:

Striped shirts

Striped tops are also really trendy right now for tweens:

Sweaters and Sweatshirts

Chunky-knit cropped sweaters are a current tween trend:

Pants and shorts

Lululemon

Lululemon still reigns supreme among teen girls. The Lululemon Align Pant (as in, leggings) is the most popular for tweens. They are really expensive, but they also are great quality and last a long time. My daughter has had her pair for a year and a half and they still fit and look great after being worn many, many times. Since they are stretchy, girls won’t grow out of them as fast as they do other clothes. Pro tip: hang them to dry even though they say they’re dryer-safe. They’ll last longer.

Lululemon shorts are also still a top tween trend. There are two main styles that the tweens are into. The first is called the “Speed-up short.” They come in two lengths, 2 1/2″ and 4″. Pictured here is the 2 1/2 inch length, which you can see is really short. My daughter has the 4″ length. Both are popular.

The other Lululemon short that you see a lot is the “Hotty hot.” Yeah, I know. No one wants to buy their tween daughter something called hotty hot. I’m just reporting the facts, you do as you want with them. You can get them at the Lululemon store, of course. There aren’t currently many of them available on Amazon, but here is how they look:

As you can see, the waist is a bit lower than on the speed-ups and the waist looks more elasticized. They also have a small sheer panel on the side at the top of the thigh. This pair isn’t the only available color. They come in lots of other colors, too.

If Lululemon seems too expensive for you, try buying it used. My daughter and I sell her old clothes on Mercari and then use the money we earn to buy new things! You can also do the same thing on Facebook Marketplace.

Jeans and Denim

Distressed denim is a super popular trend for tweens. Most girls want them to be high-waisted, too. Acid-washed jeans are also back.

This pair is the same idea but comes in girls sizes:

Tween Style Photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash
Tween Style Photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash

Skirts

Checkered skirts are really popular this year. Brandy Melville carries them, but it only one size (?!?). Here are a couple of good choices that come in more sizes.

Iconic Brands

I have to admit, I am really enjoying the resurgence of some of the most popular brands from the 80s and 90s! The whole skater/surfer culture that was big when I was a kid in California is big again. Both tween girls and tween boys are into this look.

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is an iconic beach style brand and fits in perfectly to surfer or skater style.

Vans

Both classic Vans and newer options are popular for tweens:

Adidas

Roxy

I remember Roxy being a super-cool brand when I was a teen, and it still is. Roxy is sold on Amazon and they have lots of cute styles. Their clothes definitely have that beachy, relaxed vibe that is such a trend in tween clothing right now.

*Disclaimer: My daughter read over my article for me to make sure I had my facts right…and she didn’t like the Roxy stuff. So I may be wrong – but I’m leaving it in because I think it’s cute. Otherwise, I’m good to go and my Tween Expert status remains…for what it’s worth as a mom.

Nike Air Force 1 Photo by Tom Radetzki on Unsplash

Tween shoes

The Nike Air Force 1s are the shoe of the moment if you’re looking for current tween fashion trends. I’m not gonna lie…they are TOO EXPENSIVE! I haven’t caved on these yet. But if you win the lottery or it’s her birthday or whatever…this is probably what your tween wants:

And now that spring and summer are on the horizon, Birkenstocks are trendy! I am telling the truth again, here…I hate Birkenstocks. They were for old hippies when I was a kid. I think it’s nuts that the kids like them. But I’m not here to tell you what actually looks good, I’m here to tell you what the tween fashion trends are. So…

Real Birkenstocks are very expensive. You might be able to get away with cheaper ones, but definitely get permission from your picky tween, first. These awful things will only set you back about $25:

And while you’re shopping for ugly sandals…don’t forget Crocs! Your tween will be thrilled to get these:

Trendy Tween Accessories

Brandy Melville is also known for their accessories. Here is the type of thing that they have:

Dainty Necklaces and Chokers

We got our daughter one exactly like this at Brandy Melville for Christmas:

Here’s are some other similar necklaces:

Puka Shell Necklaces

Puka shell chokers are still popular with tweens. This cute set comes with a matching bracelet and is adjustable:

Dainty Earrings

Chunky Belts

Scrunchies

Now scrunchies are something you might actually want to buy at Brandy Melville because the one-size issue doesn’t matter for scrunchies and they are pretty cheap. But if you’d rather just order them off Amazon with everything else, what you see at Brandy Melville are styles that are plaid, floral, and striped like these:

I hope you found something you like in this list of tween girl clothing trends! Did I miss anything? If so, comment below!

Please pin and share!

Looking for more? Check out my article all about VSCO Girl fashion and my updated 2021 Style for Tweens

Need ideas for gifts? Click on these:

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37 Comments

  1. Such a helpful article especially with Christmas right around the corner thanks so much for sharing!! My daughter is 11 and I’m having such a hard time figuring out what clothes to buy for her.

    1. You can try Amazon or Shein like I wrote about in the article, and we have also had lots of luck finding cute tween fashion at Target.

  2. omg this is so right thank you. as a teen this is totally accurate. except maybe crocs and roxy and stuff. don’t forget the roots sweatpants and fjallraven kanken backpacks! also tna is a super popular brand right now, might want to add that in 🙂

  3. I am a teenager living in a world of trends. You have accurately described each one. I even can confirm the Roxy thing. Since its a brand sold in many popular stores and worn by many of my friends. Thanks so much for the article!

  4. I have to say being a teen this is accurte except Roxy but i do like this article. Maaybe Roxy swimsuits but it is accurate. I love shein.

  5. Personally I don´t think airforce 1 are too expensive because I feel like $100 dollars are just right for shoes.

  6. Thanks! Very good. I asked my niece though, and she wasn’t to psyched about the Roxy thing, but said everything else was good. She also said Nike is in style too. Thanks, very helpful. My daughter will be happy when I get her some of these for her bday 😁. Thanks!

  7. Finally, Brandy Melville explained. I asked my daughter why she was dying over the store and all I got was “it’s trendy.” Now I know that she’d never fit in The Size anyhow. I really appreciate this article! I lucked out up until 5th grade with her in private school. Now, new public school AND in need of an actual wardrobe. Ouch, my wallet! Thanks for all your insight!!!!

    1. Shopping for girls can get so expensive! Some of the Brandy Melville items are marketed as “oversize.” Those might work for your daughter.

  8. It is crazy to ascertain things from my teenage years becoming popular again! Can’t wait to share this with my nieces and see what they think!

  9. As a teen I have to say everything in this article was accurate. I don’t know about the Roxy thing but pretty much everything else was accurate. Vans are a cheaper in style shoe if Air Forces are too expensive. Nice job!

    1. Thanks for doing these. Very helpful. My teen daughter looked over this and said that the only thing she wasn’t crazy about was the Roxy thing, but that she liked everything else. Please continue to do these, because I find them very informative. So crazy how what was in style when we were young is back in! Lol

    2. Yes! I love this article! Also, oversized is a trend right now and doc martens are in too. Please keep writing these, super helpful! Roxy I’ve never heard of but everything else is accurate. Also for some reason funky pants are in too and people like shopping for pants at walmart. Thanks so much!

  10. I’d like to confirm as a teen myself that everything in this list is accurate. Except for the roxy thing. Didn’t think that was cute either, but other than that it was VERY accurate and if you want to buy your daughters anything on this list it will be satisfactory.

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