Gen Alpha’s retro back-to-school shopping lists shock Millennials with new ‘status symbols’

Back to school — and back to the future.

Millennials are getting déjà vu looking at the retro school items that Gen Alpha is adding to shopping lists as they return to the classroom.

This year, young students are bringing back classic school supplies that the older generation onced loved, according to Axios.

The iconic Bic 4-Colored Pens that millennials loved to click in class are all the rage after celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2020.

Meanwhile, many Americans aged in their 30s and 40s probably remember their Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers from their school days.

Now, youngsters are using the loose-leaf binder again, opting for designs a little more “retro” than Lisa Frank with ’80s and ’90s vibes.

Other top items on back-to-school lists include composition books, Crayola crayons and colored pencils.

Also hot: the classic TI-84 calculator, which debuted back in 2004.

Axios reported that water bottles are still a status symbol in schools — but the brand that marks a student’s status has changed.

Last year, the viral Stanley tumbler was a symbol of popularity in middle schools, with those who didn’t have one subject to bullying, The Cut previously reported.

The New York Times reported that Stanley’s reign as the superior symbol seems to have come to an end, and brands such as Owala, Hydro Flash and Lululemon are vying for their time in the spotlight.

The Owala FreeSip seems to be one of the more popular options, especially if you can get your hands on the highly coveted Owala blue bow special edition, which is sold out at Urban Outfitters.

Meanwhike, the Lululemon 18-ounce Back to Life Sport Bottle is popular as well — but only in the color “pink glow.”

And of course, there’s the Hydro Flask tumbler, which was a favorite among millennials nearly a decade ago, and arguably set off the trend of water bottles as a status symbol.

Back-to-school clothes are a little different this year, too, according to TikTokker Casey Lewis, who say says leggings are out and denim is in.

“This year, it seems to be all about denim — jean shorts, jean skirts, denim jackets are making a comeback,” Lewis said.