5 Teacher Outfit Essentials

Students aren't the only ones getting ready to go back to school! Teachers have one of the hardest and most rewarding jobs out there and we want to make sure they are prepared to walk into their classrooms feeling confident and stylish and ready to take on the new school year! One of our employees who is a former educator sat down and shared her 5 teacher outfit essentials that any teacher should have in their closet before the start of school!

Pencil Skirt - Nothing says “professional educator” more than a pencil skirt. Not only are they versatile in how you can style them, they can be worn in a variety of educational settings. Parent-teacher conferences? Check. Teacher workshop? Check. Debate Team competition? Check. The best part about Pencil Skirts? They don’t have to be uncomfortable or hard to move in! We have several stretchy, soft, and easy-to-wear pencil skirts that would be perfect for any teacher. Our Boothbay Pencil Skirt has a great stretch to it and adds fun floral and color to any outfit. The Wild Style skirt has a more a-line cut to it, making it easy to move around in. The leopard print gives the skirt a more casual feel while still looking professional with the silhouette. If you’re looking for something on the trendier side, we highly recommend checking out the Tie the Knot skirt. Complete with a paperbag waist, big buttons down the front, and a big bow belt, this skirt will keep any teacher trendy and hip while still looking professional. Pair it with a black blazer and heels and you’re ready to go!

Cardigans - Having a cardigan to layer with is essential to any teacher! It can get chilly in the classroom or having to walk between buildings for meetings. Cardigans are also a great way to dress up any tops that a bit too basic on their own for the classroom. Our favorite cardigans include the Denver Stripe Cardigan, Cocoa & Cream Colorblock Cardigan, and the Murray Block Cardigan. Each of these can be dressed up or down, worn with dress pants or denim, and give any teacher a professional but cozy look.

Sweaters - Not only are sweaters essential fall and winter wardrobe staples to any closet, they are fantastic options for teachers in the cooler months. That’s because a teacher can style them multiple ways and get a lot of different outfits out of a single sweater! A trend we’re seeing right now is layering a sweater over a button-up flannel or gingham top, like our Sunglow Gingham top! This mustard yellow top would look fantastic paired with our robin-blue Manchester Sweater, paired with a pencil skirt or black slacks.

If you don’t want to worry about layering, we have sweaters that will be great for teachers as they come. This means they are a bit more fitted and have some special details that take them from a casual sweater to one that’s work-appropriate. Our Lovely Lace sweater is a great example because it has stunning lace detail in the sleeves that elevates this sweater with its elegant details! Finally, if you are a teacher looking for a sweater that would transition well from casual Friday to the weekend, we highly recommend the Palo Colorblock Sweater. It’s more fitted and has a trendy colorblock pattern with mixed stripes on the sleeve, making it the perfect sweater to take you from the classroom to your weekend errands with girlfriends!

Comfortable Shoes - Teaching is the kind of profession that requires good shoes. Teachers are up on their feet all day and having supportive and styish shoes are a must! We recommend our Seize The Day flats, as they are comfortable and stylish and will pair with any type of pant or skirt a teacher might wear!

Grab & Go Dresses- Have a late night grading papers or lesson planning? Need to hit the snooze one extra time before getting ready for the day? Every teacher needs a couple grab & go dresses in their closet: the kind of dress that you can just grab, throw on, and be completely ready for the day without much thought as to what shoes or accessories or hair style needs to be paired with it! These dresses are comfortable and the perfect mix of casual & professional. They have a variety of prints and styles to make sure you can just throw on some shoes and put your hair up in a bun and be ready to take on your teaching day!

Some of our recent favorite grab-and-go dresses include our Take It All In dress, which has a delicate dotted pattern and drawstring waist. The fabric has great stretch and feels similar to a sweatshirt, so it’s very comfortable while still looking professional!

The Artist’s Garden dress is another great grab-and-go option if you are looking to add some floral prints to your closet. Because this dress has a large floral print with pretty pastel colors, you don’t need to worry about accessorizing. The print does all the talking. It’s elastic waist means you can just throw this dress over your head without worrying about zippers, buttons or any other fastenings that can make getting dressed a little longer.

The Break Even dresses come in Marsala and Black and made out of a super comfortable and stretchy ribbed material. They also have a drawstring waist and that makes this dress super flattering on any body type! The solid color also makes this dress easy to layer with a cardigan or denim jacket for those cooler days!

Teaching is one of the hardest jobs out there and we want our teacher friends to feel positive and stylish when they walk into their classrooms. We hope that these pieces will help them feel ready to take on the new school year with confidence!