What's cool for back to school this year? No one knows better than the experts themselves: the kids who create, instate and perpetuate the trends. To get the scoop we took it to the streets, so to speak. At five local malls in five days, we talked to a few dozen kids from all over the Twin Cities.

The skinny? Trends are getting louder, brighter, more accentuated. They're getting creative. (Kids want to put their stamp on everything, down to their lunch bags). They're shifty. (What was so hot last year is so old news in 2010.) But even with all the new, colorful changes, there are some things -- maybe the things parents and teachers hate the most -- that just won't go away.

GIRLS AND GUYS

Out: Crocs In: Silly Bandz

Crocs, it seems, were quick-in, quick-out. "So ugly. Terrible," said Kaylen Bach, a Wayzata East seventh-grader. The new craze that's the most rampant right now? "Silly Bandz!" exclaimed fourth-grader Emily Albrecht, who has about 20. From elementary to high school, the plastic bracelets adorn nearly every wrist, usually with multiple colors and shapes. Another bracelet option: the "I BOOBIES" bands, which support breast cancer research.

STILL IN STYLE

Girls: Uggs

Guys have been trying to kick this boot trend out the door since the day after they became cool. Now about in their fifth year of massive popularity, the fuzzy-lined booties are holding on. "They're still comfortable," Wayzata East eighth-grader Maddy Johnson said. Next to her, seventh-grader Sully McGeehan just shook his head.

Guys: "sagging"

Probably the longest, strangest, most pervasive trend is the "sag," where boys' jeans fall well below their boxer line. Why do guys do it? None of them seem to want to say for sure, but it seems unlikely that they'll stop anytime soon. On the other side of the gender divide, the attitude toward the sag seems quite clear. "I think it's gross," said Katie Gans, an eighth-grader at Carondelet Catholic School. "I honestly have no clue why they do it."

GIRLS

Out: leggings In: jeggings

A few years ago, leggings caught the fashion world in a fury, and the fitted, colorful throwbacks to the '80s were seen everywhere -- under miniskirts and baggy T-shirts or simply worn as pants. This year, the item more likely to be spotted in the hallways is the cotton version's close cousin, jeggings, or jean-like leggings. "The colored ones, those went," said Jessica Wardlaw, an 11th-grader at Park High School in Cottage Grove. "Now everyone's wearing the jean-colored ones. They're everywhere."

Out: belly shirts In: yoga pants

If teachers and principals have to run around trying to keep students in school-appropriate gear, one racy craze they likely won't have problems with this year is belly shirts. According to high school and middle school-aged girls, torso-flaunting is out and comfort is in. Yoga pants have started popping up in stores such as Victoria's Secret and Hollister as a dress-down option to pair with T-shirts and jackets. "A lot of girls wear those; they're really comfortable," Highland Park 11th-grader Jennifer Thomas said. "They're like sweat pants but a little thinner."

Out: conservative, straight-part haircuts In: headbands with bows over side parts

Gone are the days when girls would try to get their coifs as straight as possible to mimic the conservative-haired cast of "Cruel Intentions." Messy and accessorized is back. While headbands have been hanging around for some time, they've taken a new twist. Bright-colors and flowery bands support fabric bows. "I have about 12 different ones," Thomas admits. For some, the accents complete outfits; for others, with uniforms, they provide sparks of personality. "I try to wear as many brightly colored things as possible," said Gans, who sports a traditional uniform at Carondelet. "I need to make sure I'm not wearing all navy."

Out: solid fabrics In: animal print, polka dots, flowers, burnt-out material

Girls are losing the solids and going all patterns, all the time, with tie-dye and animal print (particularly cheetah) leading the way this fall. "Girls love the tie-dye now," said Bach, who was wearing iridescent Victoria's Secret eyeshadow. ("It's like sparkly and really awesome," she said.)

GUYS:

Out: chunky belts In: colorful shoelaces

It seems like when it comes to fashion, everything is getting smaller, and boys' trends are no exception. Kick out those bulky leather belts and instead grab a handful of shoelaces. The justification for the fad that's sweeping the belt loops of middle and high schools in the area? "Uh, I don't know, it's kind of ghetto," McGeehan said. Apparently that's a good thing. McGeehan had a neon green lace wrapped around his jeans.

Out: spiky, frosted tips In: Justin Bieber haircuts

Boys claim they don't listen to Bieber croon "One Time" and "Baby," but their haircuts say otherwise. It's hard to walk through a mall without spotting a half a dozen school-aged boys sporting the long, sweeping style. "They try," seventh-grader and mega-Bieber fan Charlee Lindaho said smartly.

Out: lunch boxes In: personalized paper bags

With clothes and accessories going back to over-the-top, lunch vessels are taking things back to the basics. The new cool means to tote your lunch? A brown paper bag from your mother's era. "You can write stuff on it, like 'What's up?' and then just throw it away," McGeehan said.

Out: trucker hats In: flat-brimmed hats or slouchy beanies

These days, trucker hats are seen mostly on truckers and a couple new styles have taken their place. Oversized, knitted winter hats are cool year-round, worn drooping off the back of the head, while hipsters opt for Frank Sinatra-esque flat-brimmed toppers. "We're not allowed to wear hats at school, but all the guys bring their flat-brimmed hats, and put them on for recess," Carondelet seventh-grader Marian Shaw said.

Amelia Rayno • 612-673-4115