Teachers Have Class and Style: My Teacher Fashion Story

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, Mix & Match Fashion is hosting the Teachers Have Class and Style linky party!  OF COURSE, I had to participate in this par-tayyyy!

I thought that'd also share my teacher fashion story with you and how I've transitioned my everyday wardrobe to function for work and play!

My teacher style isn't as fancy as some or as casual as others...  I feel like I fall somewhere in the middle erring with more on the side of function than fashion.  As someone who is all about dressing on a budget, my ultimate goal in buying clothing for school is to buy items that can also be easily worn for everyday.  I'm not a heels and pencil skirt kinda girl (though I do think all of you out there are super adorable), but I'm more of the type that tries to bridge the gap between teacher and regular 20-something.  

Pretty much my favorite kind of outfit...
Other than sweats, of course!

I feel like creating a teacher wardrobe was almost as much of a task as preparing my actually classroom when I first got started.  Before student teaching, I worked an office job a few days a week on campus.  I splurged on a couple pairs of black pants from Express and the rest of my office wardrobe consisted of my church clothes. I wore heels to work almost everyday since other than walking across campus to work, I spent most of the day sitting at a desk or walking around our small office.  On my days off, I was found in the typical college student gear of jeans and hoodies.  My nice clothes never made it to class unless I was working in the office that day.  When I got to the point of teaching full time, I realized I really needed to up my teacher wardrobe and cross the lines between fashion and function.  I had a wardrobe full of K-State t-shirts, American Eagle hoodies, and Gap tees and suddenly had to make it work in a more professional setting on a daily basis.  (I pretty much lived in Gap and AE since those were practically the only two stores I liked in our little mall in Manhattan.)  I also had to do this on a budget!

My style has grown up a little bit since college, but honestly I still shop at pretty much all of the same stores, I just have a different eye for items I purchase.  I try to buy items that can be worn for work on for the weekends.  In addition, I've expanded my favorite stores to a few more "grown up" stores that meet more of my professional wardrobe needs, but that still represent my personal style.  I think it's about how you pair items together and with a little creativity you can be comfy, cute, and professional all at the same time!  

Always a bargain hunter!

Here are my top stores:

Gap

American Eagle

Banana Republic

Target

Loft 

J.Crew

Old Navy

Limited

In the warmer months I love wearing comfy knit dresses, my beloved denim jacket, cropped pants, warm weather sweaters, and cute knit tees.  When it's cooler I'm most frequently found in v-neck sweaters and cardigans, black pants, adorable scarves, and cute jackets.  I believe you don't have to spend tons of money to be a fashionable teacher and that your wardrobe can cross the lines between work week and weekend.  It's all about creativity, mixing and matching, and being youself!

Now it's your turn to head over the Mix & Match Fashion and link up with all of the other awesomely stylish teachers out there! 

Follow this link to Mix & Match Fashion!

 Show us what you've got!


PS ~  If you're new to my blog, CLICK HERE to check out my other fashion and style posts!