This is what I have dressed like almost every day of my life for the past seven years. Trousers, skirts, or dresses. Conservative tops. Lots of cardigans to help with chilly classrooms. A little bling to add sparkle to very Gap, Inc. outfits.
This, my friends, is how you dress like a teacher. You want to look authoritative but stylish. Conservative but fun. Hip, but refined. Basically, you find that beautiful place where you avoid looking frumpy without wearing things that will allow adolescent boys to oogle your you-know-whats…
Sweater:: Banana // Tank:: Banana
Top:: Banana Outlet // Cardigan:: Banana Outlet // Slacks:: Banana // Shoes:: Jessica Simpson {Nordstrom} // Watch: DKNY {Nordstrom}
Cute flats are essential. In my early 20s I worked at Nordstrom and I could wear heels for a NINE hour shift, no problem. I can't last four hours in heels while teaching. I've tried. It's just not worth falling in front of teenagers in slippery hallways.
Cute long necklaces are a must {paired with your badge lanyard of course}. This was a $6 score from the Banana Outlet - a GREAT place for teacher clothes if you haven't noticed...
Top:: F21 // Cardigan:: Banana Outlet // Pants:: Banana // Scarf:: Gift from Ethiopia //
Watch:: Skagen {Nordstrom}
Here is the best compliment I’ve ever received about my style. It came from a parent of one of my freshman female students and it went something like this...
“I love that you show our female students that you can be stylish and still be modest. So many teachers wear frumpy outfits, but you show our students that attractive doesn’t have to be revealing.”
And that, ladies, is why I think fashion is important. We need to raise up a young generation of women who know how to look professional, dress appropriately {and well} for various occasions and atmospheres, and know how to look beautiful for their husbands some day without looking trashy and drawing attention from the eyes of other men. This is what I try to model for my students each and every day.
xoxo,
Jen
Linking to The Pleated Poppy, Captivated by Grace, TheLetter 4, and Five Days, Five Ways.
26 comments:
Wait...do you like Banana?! :) He he he! They should pay you money for all the advertising you do! :) You are the cutest teacher ever! I love you!
oh ive got stacks of cardi's from when i was doing my practicum for teaching!! love your style.
Your outfits are so cute!! I love what you are teaching your students! You get the best teacher ever award! :)
Love the layers! I'm all about cardigans + scarves too! and I hear you on the flats. I need more ballet style flats for sure :) I realized this week I don't own a pair of black ones (just 4 pairs of various shades of brown), oye!
I love this post! This is the first year that I've had to dress as a teacher, but I've always been pretty modest anyway. I need some help on the fashion side of things though :) Maybe How to Dress Like a Teacher could be a regular or semi-regular feature?
I LOVE this. It is so true that we need to show these girls how to dress appropriately. So many girls (especially middle schoolers) are dressing in skimpy outfits.
I agree-you should do a weekly or monthly post on this:)
aspiretoinspire
I love your shoes! And its so funny I never even thought of the fact that teachers had to dress in a way so that they wouldnt gawk at their teachers! lol
-barbie
I love those shoes! I need some more simple flats, I should look into jessica simpson!
So cute, looks like you have it pegged! How are the arctic classroom temps compared to the HOT AZ temps??
xx - britt
Visiting from next door on WIWW to totally agree with your musings on teaching girls to dress appropriately. In some cases, they spend more time looking at their teachers' outfits than anyone else's - they take major cues from that.
I have an eleven-year-old stepdaughter who is starting to form her own fashion opinions, and she's making pretty good decisions so far. Crossing my fingers that this continues!
I love this post. I'm late to the scarf party, but they are my new favorites to change up an outfit.
But flats are so difficult! I love them, but I wear them so often they fall apart so quickly. Either the soles start coming off or the inside gets all gross or the support starts wearing out. I have 3 pairs of flats, 3 pairs of heels I can wear, and 1 pair of boots that I rotate throughout the year. My heels and boots are fine, but my flats wear out quickly. I'm sure buying a higher quality would help, but I don't trust them to hold up. So then I've bought an expensive pair of shoes that wear out just as fast as the cheap ones. What brands have you found that hold up? How long do they last?
Oh, and I would love to see more posts like these.
Amen! Beyond what your parent said, I always find it very sad that many teachers don't put any effort into how they look. I know that we are all incredibly busy, but shouldn't you look like a professional every day? Don't you, your students, and your coworkers deserve to think that you're proud to come to school and do VERY important work every day?
I love MODESTY! And you are the perfect example of it! Thanks for sharing! I don't think this is spoken about ENOUGH! :)
Yes yes yes! :) So many young girls are jumping on the trashy train! Way to set a good example!
This is so fantastic. It always makes me so sad when I see teachers rocking the frumpy look. I love that you proved teachers can look classy and conservative, yet extremely stylish.
-Alyssa
www.pinchoflyss.blogspot.com
Yes! Such a perfect post. Working in schools, we too often feel the need to choose between comfort/practicality AND style. As you clearly demonstrated here - you CAN and SHOULD do both.
I wish you were at my school :-)
XO - Marion
Love the shoes!
What a fantastic compliment!! That must have made you beam.
the outfits are great..i love cardis and i am not even a teacher!
Your look is fantastic, and I so love the example you're setting for your students. I cringe sometimes when I see how some young girls represent themselves!
Love this post. Couldn't have said it better! I LIVE in cardis, flats (or flat boots), and ALWAYS my teacher lanyard! Holla!
girl you are so adorable! love your style. that scarf is way too cute! :)
beautiful!!! i love those flats!
I love this idea, and modest too, I like how you said that at the end about showing girls how they can dress professional etc.. modesty is so important and I appreciate that you are!
You look like the perfectly dressed teacher! xo
I love this post! Such perfect teacher outfits - combining practicality and style! Thanks for sharing!
heronscrafts.blogspot.com
jen, you are the most fashionable teacher i know!
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