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These days, nothing is cheap, so the task of buying back-to-school clothes for one or more children can seem a daunting and expensive task.

But there are ways to buy clothes for your kids that are stylish, durable and most importantly, affordable, and that will appease both parents and children, said Robin Keeler, fashion director for Yorkdale Mall in North York.

It just takes some planning and being armed with the right tools to accomplish the task.

Before you head out to do your back-to-school shopping, Keeler suggested parents be aware of their children's school dress codes and any clothing restrictions.

"Some children's clothes are getting a little racy like the tweens and teens clothes, with the midriff-baring tops, so know what's allowed and what is not," she said.

Then get into each child's closet and take inventory - see what still fits, what doesn't and what's good enough to keep. Once you toss, keep and give away, whatever clothing is left can be the foundation for their wardrobe.

"You want to have some basic pieces to build on and not everything is going to work (together) but there will be things in there that are useful for fall, going into winter," Keeler said.

Once that's done, work with each child to create a complete list. In one column, what they already have, in another, the needs, including accessories such as backpacks and shoes, and finally, the wish list.

"If you have more than one child, do a master list for school supplies like notebooks, folders, markers, pens, things like that, but do individual lists for the kids clothes to keep it straight," she said.

Keeler said parents need to make sure they set a budget and stick to it. This will help parents to prioritize - what's needed most - and then the trendy pieces can come afterward. Items that are needed most includes things like jeans, shoes, coats and backpacks.

"The smart thing to do is a cost-per-wear formula, which means you're going to take a garment, look at the price of it and do a quick calculation of how many times that item would be worn, meaning, spend more money on what they wear the most," she said.

When you finally get to shopping day, Keeler said take each child separately, and make sure your child is wearing clothes and shoes that easily slip on and off.

A great time to shop is during sales season that normally occurs from July through September depending where you shop. But Keeler said parents should definitely comparison shop.

"You've got to be organized when you go to the mall," Keeler said. "Don't just go and randomly buy things, it's a waste of money and you're going to spend money that you don't have to waste."

A great tip, Keeler said, is to buy basics like T-shirts, socks, underwear and jeans at end-of-season sale time and buy multiples of those items.

When buying the other items like shirts, pants and skirts, choose a few colours and add some neutrals like denim, khaki, black and grey so clothing more easily mixes and matches.

"This will maximize their (kids) wardrobe by giving them more outfits that work together," she said.

Layer cardigans, hoodies and blazers over summer pieces at the beginning of the fall to get more wear out of them and make them more transitional. Layering is trendy and makes wardrobes more interchangeable.