Post Grad Career Chic

Upon Allison A's request on blogging about fashion in the workplace especially for teachers, I have pulled some items I would consider to keep a young, flirty, classy but professional look. The transition from waking up for class and throwing on sweats and getting to class to business casual and working 9 to 5 can be somewhat challenging because putting a wardrobe together is not a one time deal, it's a 5 days a week of creating a polished and professional look. And to me, what I loathe the most is a plain white button down and black pants I wore to my orchestra performances, because I simply looked like a waitress. In high school, we had teacher superlatives and one of them was "Best Dressed Teachers". Even teachers can be fashionable and chic. My english teacher in 9th grade, Miss Fishman was a young teacher from Manhattan and her last job was to edit books. I never took interest in English or that class until I noticed she wore Ferragamo high heel shoes. To me I always saw teachers in pencil skirts and plain blouses. From her wardrobe, I noticed other of my teachers wearing designer clothes like Physics teacher's wearing Lacoste Polos. So what i'm trying to get is, just because you're a teacher, you can still wear designer and be fabulous.

So here are some pieces that will keep you looking young but professional and fashionable in the workplace.

Banana Republic's LBD has a modest neckline so the twins won't come out to play with the students. I like the chunky necklace with this simple dress. Pair this up with a colorful cardigan would make this a perfect teacher's outfit.

If you're not into plain dresses this Ruffle dress from Gap is perfect. I would match this with a soft baby pink cardigan and substitute the black heels to a cream pair of shoes.

Lucky for us, blazers are in, thus wearing them to work does not make you look 10 years older. I love this black blazer and the combo with a striped shirt with a hint of gold jewelry from J. Crew. This look creates a laid back feel.

If you're not into dresses, this skirt is perfect. A tucked in black or white shirt would complete this look. I would also change the shoes into a more professional classic heel or flats. This skirt is also interchangeable with colors. Here it's paired with a black shirt and black belt. You can also wear a white button down tucked in with a brown belt with a gold buckle with a pair of light brown shoes.

Lots of girls love the empire waist dresses found from Aqua (Bloomingdales) and Forever 21. Here's a way to incorporate that dress while making it more mature with a blazer. This look is from Theory.

Sometimes we all need a little glitz and glamour. This is why I love this look for young teachers. Metallic and sequence put together yet not tacky makes this outfit very trendy for young teachers.

No one wants to just wear black, white, and grey combos so we need color in our lives. So I suggest throwing a colorful blazer/cardigan on a LBD or black shirt and pants. In this outfit I like the bow on the skirt which is subtle and the cardigan makes this outfit more lively which is needed for elementary school.

I am not a fan of the wide leg trousers. Not everyone has model long legs so when most of us buy these pants we have to hem them, roll them up, or buy sky high shoes to balance out the excess material. This skinny leg pant from Kenneth Cole and thick strappy shoes is the perfect tailored pants look for me.

I love long cardigans and pairing them with dresses is very comfortable for teacher that have to run around all day chasing kids. Older teacher can wear this and younger teacher can throw a chunky necklace to this look.

As stated before I hate the plain white blouse and black pants look. But this is an updated more chic version of that look. The loose ruffle shirt compliments the tight black pants.

Soft colors makes teacher give off a more relax feel. The teachers that were voted Best Dressed in my school wore casual clothes rather than a more tailored look. This is a great look for spring.

And voila, I hope your future teachers paid attention to my lesson plan on how to stay fashionable. Do you think you pass the fashion test?