Professional attire for teachers

A new school year is upon us and with that a bunch of newly appointed teachers will enter the teaching corps. But what to wear? I decided to show you a few suggestions for some of my staple outfits that I love wearing to work. Now what you can wear to your teaching job will differ from job to job and school to school. Especially if there are rules for how to dress, then make sure you stick to those. Where I work I can show up wearing sneakers, jeans and a baggy t-shirt and that will be just fine, but I like dressing up for my job too.

I like wearing dresses with heels, but other days I opt for more casual looks. I like mixing up casual and chic to begin with. So if I’m wearing a preppy dress, I top it off with a chunky cardigan and manly brogues. And it is unlikely I combine a blazer with a pencil skirt and heels. Teaching is a job where a lot of people look at you and the people looking at you are at that stage in life when looks matter most. Students will appreciate you if you have a bit of fashion no-how. At least mine do ;-).

Retro style cream & mint pleated dress with peter pan collar (Mint &Berry)
Bold black & white horizontal stripe tulip dress (H&M)

My default clothing item to throw on when I don’t know what to wear is one of the many dresses that I own. Dresses instantly make you look put together and they are effortless. With a heel you instantly have an outfit that makes you look professional yet fashionable. Pair it with flats for a more effortless look for that added bit of prep school chic.

Black & white checked trousers (H&M)
Stonewashed highwaisted Jamie jeans (Topshop)

When it comes to bottoms, pants and jeans are always a good option. Depending on where you work, you may or may not be able to wear jeans. I personally haven’t worked anywhere that didn’t, but they do exist. Dress pants are thus a must, even if you own just one pair to wear to your job interview. When it comes to jeans I pick ones that I find the most comfortable and that go with anything. I pair jeans with blazers and pants too, depending on the occasion.

White broderie anglaise midi skirt (Zara)
Black crinkle midi skirt (H&M)

Your other option for bottoms are skirts. I try to make them not too short and I happen to own a few midi skirts that I love pairing with blouses and other button down shirts. But of course anything could work depending on your style and body shape. I will wear anything from pencil skirts to skater skirts and everything in between to make different outfits. You can never go wrong with a stylish skirt.

Cream polka dot sheer pussy bow blouse (Zara)
Black baggy blouse with gold button details (Forever 21)

For tops, a simple t-shirt will do. I try to stay away from busy prints and instead go for plain white, grey and black shirts as they can go with everything. If you want to step up your professional game, I highly recommend investing in some good blouses and button down shirts. They are classic and classy at the same time and worn the right way they can take any outfit from casual to professional.

Black lace cardigan (H&M)
Cream thin knit cardigan and with rolled sleeve detail (H&M)

Cardigan are my favorite items to complement any outfits. I find they make the ideal teaching accessory. Why? When I teach, I can get quite hot and sweaty as you’re being pretty active. So a clothing item that is easy to take off and put back on as the day goes on, is a must for me. I even have an extra thick one in my office drawer which I put on when it is freezing in my office in the dead of winter. I wear cardigans year round though as you never know when they might come in handy.

Black blazer with embroidery detail on front (H&M)
Cobalt blue blazer (Hema)

Finally, a good blazer can make or break your professional wardrobe. For the longest time I only wore blazers to job interviews, but lately I have been finding myself enjoying a good blazer. I wear these with dresses or with jeans mostly. With pencil skirts and trousers I usually find it looks too office like and I try to steer clear of that look. I’d say have a basic black one and at least one fun one, so you can change it up and show your personality while still looking stylish.

If you’re a teacher, what do you wear to work?