Saturday, March 26, 2011

A Teacher's Wardrobe

As a young teacher, I sometimes have a hard time finding outfits that are appropriate for the classroom, but that are still fun and have my quirky style. I also want things that are affordable and that I could potentially wear outside of school or to other events.

When I first started teaching, I scoured the web looking for suggestions on where to get cute "teacher clothes", and really didn't find anything helpful. So here is my teacher clothes post! Even for my readers who aren't teachers, these sites have adorable clothes at pretty good prices, and some of these companies may be new to you. Happy shopping!

Oh, and just for the record, I am all for stores like Target, H&M, and Gap. I just figured we all knew about those stores already and would like stores that were new and a little different. Enjoy! :)


This site is amazing for one-of-a-kind, retro-inspired clothes that are purposely cut modestly. This means they are not low cut, cover your upper arms, and have longer hemlines. These modest touches do not take away one bit from how adorable their dresses are.

Here are two I just bought for spring:

Bellissima Bacciami!

The site has many collections with the sweetest dresses ever. I love their bold colors and fun details. The dresses typically run between $70 - $80, and are well constructed.


This is another modest clothing company that has a wide variety of basics, as their name implies. Skirts, dresses, tops, and pants are all available here. I like their skirts the best, and they also have some cute t-shirts that have some pretty embellishments to dress them up a bit for work with khakis or under a blazer.


Cute, simple tops like these are items you can find at Down East Basics. The best part? These tops are less than $25 each, and you can often find amazing sales.


Now this site you have to be careful on, because their dresses can be quite short. However, depending on how dressy or casual your school is, you can definitely wear some of the shorter dresses over leggings or over skinny black pants. They also have cute blouses and sweaters, and a whole section on dresses that are "longer lengths." I try to get a hemline that is at least 35'' long for school, or I plan on wearing something underneath.

Quiet Campus Stroll Dress in Yellow Tumbled Stones Dress Too Much Fun Dress in MelonEnchanting Entomologist Dress

Their variety of dresses is really large, and as you can see from the pics above, they can run from retro to more polished, to quite whimsical. Dresses typically range from $40 - $80.


Ruche is another site very similar to Modcloth that carries inexpensive, cute clothes with a little bit of vintage style. Again, watch the hemline on their dresses. I find that I like their outerwear and tops the best.

mint 'n chips dippin' dots top by Nick & Molead me straight to you striped blazer

Ruche's prices for tops tend to range from $30 - $80.


Boden is a European company that has traditional clothes, but that are made with unique, colorful fabrics that really give them a twist. One downside? I find them a bit expensive. I'm not sure they are all that more expensive than department stores, though. And, I will say that their quality is incredible. They also have great sales!


Essential Short Sleeve Scoop Neck Breezy Jersey Tee Appliqué Jersey Top Flared Cotton Trousers


If you are looking for clothes that are a little more traditional, or you just need some basics like good work pants, cardigans, or simple button-downs, these are my favorite go-to stores. The best part? They all give a teacher discount!


This is my favorite store to buy work pants and cardigans. Their quality is great, and their pieces last for years. The 15% teacher discount doesn't hurt, either. They even have a whole teacher section on their website with styling ideas for the classroom.

Go to:

teachers.anntaylorloft.com for information on how to sign up for their discount and to take a peek at their teacher lookbook.

Other stores that give teacher discounts:

New York & Company
The Limited

Usually you just have to have your Teacher's Association card with you to the discount.

To end, are these not the cutest teacher shoes ever?

Image of Brown Apple Moccasin

Buy these and other cute moccasins at Darlingtonia Moccasin Company. Love!




3 comments:

  1. Only you would know where to find apple embellished mocassins! So cute!

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  2. Can you just come dress me? I buy cute clothes but never seem to be able to make them look good again at home!

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  3. J.Crew does a teacher discount, too.

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