Another post in my Survival Guide to Student Teaching. Today I'm sharing some tips for dressing professionally, how to pick out your outfits, and a few (three plus weeks) of my winter outfits. This guide is great for anyone who needs some help with dressing in business casual whether it's for teaching, student teaching, sorority chapter attire, an internship, work, etc. I mentioned in my guide how important it is to be professional during student teaching, and what you choose to wear has a lot to do with this. It is important that you are dresses appropriately at all times. Most days this means business casual, but other days it might mean pajamas or your favorite sports team.
Dressing Professionally
In order to know the appropriate attire to wear, it's best to overdress on your first day and then observe what those around you are wearing. Each school has a different dress code for faculty, so you will want to make sure you are adhering to your school's guidelines. You want to look put together but not over the top. Mirroring what the teachers in your school are wearing is a great guide to know if you're dressed appropriately or not. You will always want to make sure your clothing is never not too tight, too baggy, too low cut, too wrinkly, or dirty. If you don't have one, now is a great time to purchase a steamer or iron. As far as shoes go, make sure they are clean and comfortable. Heels are cute, but they aren't necessarily the most practical teaching shoes. You want to seem approachable to your students, and if you tower over them then they might be intimidated (especially elementary students). I recommend having a few pairs of comfortable flats, sandals, booties, and riding boots. This goes without saying, but sneakers are definitely not appropriate. Unless it's a dress down day, stay away from wearing them to school.
Planning Ahead
In my opinion, getting dressed in the morning is either lots of fun or absolutely torture. If I can't find an outfit that I love or I'm comfortable, then it becomes torturous. I think we've all had those mornings when you finally find the perfect outfit your rooms looks like a tornado hit. During student teaching I discovered a method for making my mornings less stressful. I would pick out my clothes for the week on Sundays. That's right- choose five to six outfits at one time. I would first look at the week's weather and my calendar, and then I would choose six outfits that I liked. I chose six in case there was one day I wasn't feeling that outfit. I would then group these outfits together and hang them on my closet door. Having them preplanned made my mornings run much more smoothly because I didn't have to think about what to wear. You can find over- the- door hangers at lots of places. I got mine from Target for less than $6. You can actually order the same one and have it shipped to your house within a few days.
Business Casual Staples
In order to make getting dressed a little easier, there are a few staples you'll want to include in your wardrobe. You can find these for inexpensive prices at Old Navy, Target, JCrew Factory, and TJ Maxx.
Pants: A printed pant //Black pants
Outfit Inspiration
Here are some of my go to business casual outfits for the winter. They vary in how dressy they are.
Plaid blouse// black cardigan// houndstooth skirt// black flats
Fur vest// polka dot blouse// black pants// riding boots
Red pants// boatneck striped sweater// plaid flats
Houndstooth pants// black sweater// black flats
Black pants// blue collared shirt// red plaid vest// tan flats
Plaid tunic// tan sweater// navy skinny pants// riding boots
Navy cardigan// plaid blouse// tan pencil skirt// tan flats
Black dress// blanket scarf// riding boots
Black pants// striped shirt// herringbone vest// booties
Navy skinny pants// sweater// purple gingham shirt// riding boots
Navy printed pants// white blouse// maroon cardigan// tan flats
Black pants// teal cardigan// long sleeve tee// booties
Fur vest// chambray shirt// skirt// riding boots
Black pants// oxford shirt// leopard flats
Herringbone vest// black pants// polka dot blouse// herringbone flats
Black pants// Sweater// oxford shirt// black flats
Hunter boots// tan skirt// 1/4 zip
teal cardigan//white Oxford// plaid black skirt// riding boots
Dress Down Days Outfit Inspiration
Pajama Day: Lilly Pulitzer pants// pink tee// oversized sweater// tan flats
Sports Day: Jeans// Villanova shirt// oversized sweater// booties
XOXO
