It used to be you'd go to the department store right before the school year and get all your school clothes. Because I was in Catholic school we had to buy jackets and ties from the school, but all the rest came from the department store. Also there used to be a rule that when you came home from school you would change from your "school clothes" to your "play clothes," and God help you if you went off and played a game or whatever in your "good" shoes!