Show Off Your Back-to-School Style in The Gardens Mall’s New Instagram Challenge

Students heading back to school this fall can turn their first-day outfits into a chance to win a shopping spree through a new social media contest at The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens.

According to a press release from The Gardens Mall, the shopping center’s inaugural “First Day ‘Fits” Instagram Challenge runs from Aug. 1 through Aug. 30 and is open to elementary, middle school, high school and college students. Three winners — one from each age category — will each receive a $500 Gardens Mall gift card.

What’s Happening

To participate, students must create a complete first-day-of-school outfit using merchandise purchased from participating specialty retailers at The Gardens Mall. Department stores, including Macy’s, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue, are excluded from the promotion, the mall said.

Participants should:

Create a first-day outfit using eligible Gardens Mall retailers.
Post a photo or video on Instagram by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Aug. 30.
List the stores featured in the outfit.
Identify the appropriate category: Kids, Teens or College Students.
Tag @thegardensmall and use #FirstDayFits and #TheGardensMall.

“The ‘First Day ‘Fits’ competition gives students the opportunity to express their personal style, discover the latest fashion trends from our retailers, and celebrate the excitement of a new school year with the community,” Whitney Pettis-Jester, director of marketing and merchant relations, said in a statement.

Why It Matters for Local Families

For families already planning annual back-to-school shopping trips, the contest offers an extra incentive to involve kids and teens in preparing for the new school year while highlighting local retailers.

The challenge also encourages students of different ages — from elementary school through college — to showcase their personal style while participating in a community-wide event.

Winners will be selected at random within each category and announced in early September on The Gardens Mall’s Instagram page, according to the mall.

*Image provided by The Gardens Mall and Tom Hurst.

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