Somewhere between weekend casual and office professional

I will be a new teacher in Texas next fall, and I am really lost for what to wear! I am only 22 (will be 23 then) and I want to be fashionable, professional (a must) and comfortable. I really like the idea of a "basic" wardrobe" and I've studied all of the lists, but they all seem geared to older more office-y type ladies. My current wardrobe resembles any college senior's: jeans, school skirts, various "I'm going somewhere other than school" items, and tennis shoes. Obviously I am starting from the ground up. Any advice? Maybe a suggested list?

Oh I am ALL about The List. Let's make a shopping list for Meagan, shall we?

Meagan will be teaching elementary school, which means that she will have playground and lunchroom duty. She lives where it is hot most of the year. She is petite, with a large chest; she doesn't really wear heels. She is looking for classic pieces with staying power.

(I know all of that because I asked.)

Meagan finds herself in the same fashion situation as many women these days: she needs to look respectable and professional every day, but she's not going to an office job, and she doesn't have an unlimited budget. She wants to do two simple things as she plans her wardrobe: she wants to stick with classic pieces that will not go out of style in a season or two, and she wants to avoid anything that is too casual.

So where does she start?

The right bra. Now that Meagan is graduating from college and going out into the Adult World, she needs to get herself and Adult Bra. The right bra changes the way your clothes fit, and when you're talking about overhauling your wardrobe, you need to start at the foundations. Meagan needs to have a bra fitting before she buys anything else. Most department stores and small lingerie boutiques offer fitting services for free.

Trench coat. In Texas, Meagan probably will not need a heavy winter coat, but she will need a coat that she can wear both on the playground and out to dinner. She wants to look for a trench in a neutral color (khaki is always good, as is brown or black or even gray) with either a removable lining OR enough room in the shoulders and sleeves to layer. She should look for something machine washable, if it is at all possible.

Banana Republic trench, $228.00

Pants that are NOT jeans. Meagan wants to avoid wearing jeans to work, because it's a very young, very casual look, and she needs to look more professional. She should look for some mid-rise, straight-legged trousers in a neutral color; she can choose machine washable options like cotton chinos or corduroys or dry-clean-only fare like three-season wool (I would go with machine washable, personally). She wants to make sure that they are hemmed to the right length and that they are unwrinkled when she wears them.

Knee-length, A-line skirts in solids or simple, unfussy patterns. Pattern is fine, as long as it's not too bright or girly. Geometric patterns are perfect for a casual professional wardrobe, as are textures, like boucle or tweed. Meagan can look for skirts in a three-season wool; even in a warmer climate, she can wear a lighter weight wool skirt with bare legs. Alternatively, Meagan could opt for simple dresses, again in unfussy patterns or muted colors. A dress is one less step in the morning routine, and is a nice alternative to pants.

Tops that are not tee shirts. Crew neck or V neck sweaters are a terrific professional look; layer over a blouse or under a jacket on cooler days, or wear alone on warmer days. Add a necklace or big earrings or a scarf for more visual interest. Meagan should pay attention to fit; hems should hit at the hip, necklines should lay flat. She should think about investing in a some nicer knit pieces, in light-weight merino wool or silk or a cashmere blend.

Pretty shoes. Meagan doesn't need pumps or dressy shoes for work, but that doesn't mean she can wear her sneakers. She can look for cool skimmers, for a tennis shoe alternative, or driving mocs or ballet flats. With a skirt, she wants a slightly dressier shoe, but still one she can walk comfortably in. Something with a little wedge heel will give her some height without straining her back or tiring her feet too much.

Meagan's strategy should be to build a wardrobe of classic, well-made pieces. She can shop sales this winter for sweaters and pants and skirts; she can keep an eye out for shoes all year round. She wants to keep in mind that casual work wear CAN be professional, but that casual work is not the same as weekend lounge wear. She wants to shop for versatile pieces that are well made and fit properly, and then she wants to take good care of them, so they will last for years to come.

For more inspiration, Meagan can keep her eyes on these girls:

Michelle, at Pretty, Preppy, or Polished is also rethinking her wardrobe in preparation for life after college.

Jen, at The Cottage Nest, polled her readers about places to shop for basics and got a HUGE response. Read the comments for shopping ideas.

And Mandy boils the basics down to, well, the basics, with a handy list of mix-and-match pieces for fall.

Susan Wagner writes about fashion at Friday Style and The Working Closet, and about everything else at Friday Playdate. She is a big believer in machine washing with care.

Submitted by Susan Wagner (view blog

) on Tue, 11/06/2007 - 12:12

Posted In

Comments (8)

Tell a Friend

Comments

A couple of more tips

A couple of more tips (coming from the daughter of a former teacher):
* this may be obvious, but please no cleavage. Also, make sure none of your shirts or sweaters show anything when you lean over. You'll be doing alot of that working with kids, esp. the wee ones.
*check your tops to make sure they will work (i.e. long enough) while you are reaching up for things or writing on the whiteboard or blackboard. You don't want to be showing off your midriff to the kids.
*I would avoid mules, as they can be difficult to keep on if you're running to break up a playground tiff.
*does it rain much there? If so, you may want to make sure your trench has a hood (or at least a detachable one). On the playground you'll want to keep both hands free, not holding onto an umbrella. This shouldn't be a fashion-kill, as many coats have this option. This was always a must for my mom.
* I also really like the idea of a more casual jacket - like a tailored jean or sweater. This addition can really set you apart while not being stuffy or uncomfortable.
*And pretty much everything should be machine washable! =)

Submitted by BethanyWD on Tue, 11/06/2007 - 11:46

Thanks, Bethany!

Those are excellent tips, especially the bit about keeping everything covered. Which should be true for ANY work wardrobe. And most casual wardrobes too.

Friday Style | The Working Closet | Friday Playdate

Submitted by Susan Wagner on Tue, 11/06/2007 - 11:53

Thanks a million!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! This is really helpful. I really appreciate the advice. It will be very useful. I'm going to start acquiring pieces in the spring (since I will be student teaching then), and I will take everything into consideration. Thanks again!

Meagan

Submitted by meggypoo2008 on Tue, 11/06/2007 - 12:32

My Two Cents

As a member of TFA, I spent two years teaching 3rd grade in South Texas. I'm not sure where exactly you are going to be teaching, but here are some things to take into consideration:

Culture What do the other people at your school wear? What does the principal wear? You might notice that the principal is usually more dressed up than the teachers. That's okay because he or she typically doesn't work with kids. Schools don't have the same sort of culture as an office, so dressing for a promotion doesn't always make sense. Instead, pay close attention to what folks (especially grade-team leaders) are wearing.

Skirts are out. There's just too much that can go wrong if you're wearing a skirt. And if you're teaching 3rd grade and under you're going to spend a lot of time either sitting on the floor or in a little chair or sitting in a regular chair but reading to kids sitting on the floor. Save the skirts for the weekends, it will mean a lot less grief when you're working in your classroom (or you have to crawl under a workstation to plug in your overhead projector). I love wearing dresses because it is just such an easy option, but unless you're going to wear something long and billowy (enormous jumpers anyone?), skip them.

Prints are in. Stay away from white and light colors. This doesn't mean you should wear black all of the time, but if you wear dark colors and prints, then little things like dry-erase marker won't be such a big deal when they get on your clothes. The same goes for pants: opt for darker grays, blacks, and even pin stripes or plaids before going with pale khakis. This is not as essentially if you're teaching older kids.

Button-downs Being a teacher means getting up earlier than everyone else in the world (coal miners, truck drivers, and the parents of newborns excluded). This means that you're not going to have time to iron, let alone want to do it. Instead, invest in a few no-iron button down shirts. Get them from a place like Nordstrom so that they can be tailored to fit you and will button up with no gaps.

Cardigans I'm not sure if you're originally from a hot place, but when I moved from Seattle to Texas, I found that it was both the hottest and coldest place I'd ever lived. Cardigans are a great way to switch back and forth easily between hot weather out on the playground and chilling air-conditioned classrooms. Plus, they're pretty cheap at Target and come in tons of cute colors.

Shoes I preferred wearing a loafer when I was teaching. It was a simple slip-on no-slip, no-laces, no buckles shoe that I could wear with just about any outfit. Rubber Soles Are Essential You're going to be spending an unbelievable amount of time on your feet and you need to get something with solid, comfy soles. Ballet flats are cute and lovely, but they are not practical for spending all day on your feet (and if you're a good teacher, that's what you'll be doing).

Spirit Days If your school has spirit days on Fridays, get into it! Buy a t-shirt in one of your school's colors or get in on the faculty polo shirts that have pictures of kids faces and say 'Ms. Jones' on the sleeve.

And most of all, good luck. Teaching is a difficult and rewarding process.

Abi Jones
Editor, HeatEatReview.com

Submitted by Jonesabi on Tue, 11/06/2007 - 14:41

Abi! That was awesome!

Thank you!

God I love BlogHer.

Friday Style | The Working Closet | Friday Playdate

Submitted by Susan Wagner on Tue, 11/06/2007 - 17:46

Danskos

Meagan-
If you have never tried Dankso shoes, you need too. Every nurse, teacher, etc that I know swears that they are THE BEST option for people who are on their feet a lot. And having comfy feet is very important, I always suspected that all my grumpy teachers needed better shoes ;)
Rachel

Submitted by RLSilvernail on Wed, 11/07/2007 - 07:38

This is great advice. I'm a

This is great advice. I'm a firstyear elementary teacher, and I've found that corduroys and a button down shirt are a good combination for me. It's easy, it looks good, and I just mix and match my pants and skirts and shirts. Everything goes with everything else, so I never have to think about it. Except I do need to think about shoes, since the ones I have now are working with the skirts and look weird with the pants.

Abi makes good points about paying attention to the way the teachers around you dress and about layering. Because, sometimes the temperature in your room will be 58. And the next day it will be 83. And there will be nothing you can do about it! I always dress in layers (usually a cardigan), and I keep a lightweight jacket in my room so that on the days the heat doesn't work I can still, you know, move my fingers. I do wear skirts, though, and it's always worked for me. Mine hit me right below my knees, and I can do just about anything in them. Except cartwheels, I guess. But sitting in small chairs works out okay.

I'll echo Bethany's point: Just about everything should be machine washable! If you're working with elementary kids, you WILL end up with all kinds of substances and just about any bodily fluid you can imagine on you at some point, so be sure you can just toss your clothes in the washer.

And Susan, I love the idea of a trench coat. I'll have to keep my eyes open for something like that. Thanks!

Submitted by TeacherJulia on Sun, 11/11/2007 - 22:40

The trench coat

is god's gift to women. No matter what your size or shape, there is a flattering trench out there for you. Plus you can dress it up or dress it down, and it will NEVER go out of style.

Seriously.

Friday Style | The Working Closet | Friday Playdate

Submitted by Susan Wagner on Mon, 11/12/2007 - 15:34