Teen stars corner the back-to-school market

My mother used to sashay about in a most dreadful pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. Guess, however, was the brand of choice for my older sister.

It was the late 1980s, early 90s. (I leave myself out of the anecdote because I was still romping around in the OshKosh B'Gosh children's line at the time, so my fashion sense of the day doesn't really count).

No one could have predicted two decades later that every celebrity (and literally some celeb's dogs) would have managed to get their own fashion line, pushing aside powerhouses like Guess, Donna Karen and Ralph Lauren.In even less time, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein have been shoved out of the runway's spotlight by Sean P. Diddy Combs (Sean John), rapper JayZ (RocaWear), Jennifer Lopez (J-Lo, Sweetface) and Beyonce (House of Dereon).

But like every fashion darling before them, these celeb's days are numbered.There are new kids on the fashion block. Literally.

Your kids are already going back to school with Hannah Montana lunch boxes and backpacks. Now, your tween can score shiny, wet-looking leggings made by the Miley Cyrus franchise at Wal-Mart. Others looking to corner the tween fashion market are ``Gossip Girl'' creators and, of course, Disney.

A ``JONAS'' line, inspired by the Disney television show featuring the Jonas Brothers, mixes prep school styles with a rocker twist, according to the Associated Press.Disney also hopes to cast a magical cash cow spell on fans of the show ``Wizards of Waverly Place.'' The ``Wizards'' line is described as a bohemian chic collection including tunic-length tops with print scarves and miniskirts. Designers said they drew inspiration from the show's Alex Russo character, who is played by Selena Gomez, the newly named Teen Choice red-carpet fashion icon, the AP reported.

Disney's new threads are shockingly more affordable and accessible then one would expect from the House of Mouse. Both ``JONAS'' and ``Wizards of Waverly Place'' lines are selling at J.C. Penney, Kmart, Sears, Wal-Mart and Target.

For teenagers going back to class, Beyonce is hoping to dial back the sex appeal some with her Sasha Fierce line, coming out this fall at Macy's.Sasha Fierce skinny jeans, houndstooth-print jackets and lightweight leather jackets designed for teens and 20-somethings will sell for $25 to $125, according to the Associated Press.

Not to be out done, Nickelodeon fans can look for ``Mad Style for True Jackson,'' at Wal-Mart. The clothing line is drawn from Nickelodeon's popular tween show, ``True Jackson, VP,'' which stars young actress Keke Palmer, whose character lands a dream job as a vice president at a fashion company, the AP reports.

No matter who your kids are wearing back to school, we've come a long way since the days of Gloria Vanderbilt's jeans and Guess T-shirts .Children are perhaps more astute to brand names now than ever before. The only difference, it's now apparently hip to shop at Wal-Mart and Target.