Every year, I had a handful of students who refused to bring their backpack to class. Somehow, it magically disappeared, and it was only through the threatening of reprimands that the bags were found. For a lot of these students, they were embarrassed by their backpack and didn't want to be seen with it. Letting your child pick out new school supplies, besides being necessary to be productive in the classroom, helps encourage the all-important "buy in."
