Teacher Outfits That Won’t Break The Bank
Let’s be honest, if you’re teaching, you probably don’t have a lot of money. Hence, why the motto is always “Remember your why”. However, at this point, your “why” might be that you need health insurance, and that is A-okay. Anyways, if we’re going to teach in clothing, it needs to look professional and be comfortable. This is a hard balance to reach, especially if you’re not a girly girl who wants to show up in a dress every day. However, if that is you, go off queen!! Personally, I couldn’t be bothered to wear a dress to work- especially as a special education teacher. The number of times I find myself on the floor or running after a child is way too high to be pulling off a skirt. This leads me to my very first staple item you need in your teacher wardrobe.
1. Black Jeans
Black jeans are a lifesaver, especially since they probably match everything in your closet. You can wear black jeans every day, and nobody will say anything to you, at least I hope that is the case. My favorite pairs are always from Old Navy, but the trick is to find them on sale or at your local thrift store. Old Navy is like the consistent and cool aunt in your life. Maybe you took her for granted at one point, but now she is your best friend.
2. Stretchy Pants
There are so many days where I don’t really feel like wearing real pants. That is when the stretchy, but cute Jogger pants come into play here. Especially if you teach special education. I bought some last year from Costco that are the brand 32 Degrees, and they have held up wonderfully. You can get them here. My rule of thumb is to buy black ones, but if you want to be sporting more colors, go ahead!
3. Teacher Tees
Yeah, okay, I told myself I wouldn’t be this person. But come on, it is so easy and requires no effort. If you want to style any teacher fit, a cute teacher tee is the way to go. I got all of mine from Amazon, and I’ll link them below. I got mine on Prime Day so they were about $10 each.
It’s a Beautiful Day For Learning
4. Comfortable Shoes
I know I haven’t been in the teaching game too long, but in my 3 years of education, I’ve worn the same shoes to work every single day. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, right? And what are these magical shoes you may be asking? Adidas Superstars. Click here to find out why they are amazing for yourself, if you don’t trust my judgment. First of all, they’re hard top, so when a student is stepping on your feet or trying to kick you, your toes will stay safe. Second, these shoes are great for running after a student. Eloping? Absolutely no problem with my Adidas Superstars. Last, they hold up FOREVER. I wear the same pair every day all year long, and then some. I will live, die, and breathe in these shoes. Now, I will say, I just ordered some Birkenstocks to try to teach in, so I’ll let you know the results of that eventually.
You told me what to buy, now what?
If you’ve got all of these items, then YAY! Good for you. Now, we have essentially built a Capsule wardrobe. My outfit daily consists of black pants (jeans or stretch), t-shirt, my Adidas Superstars, and a cardigan. My cardigan colors are simple, white and maroon. Any t-shirt that I own is either black, white, black and white striped, or a mostly solid color. This way, it’s just a grab and go situation. We are A) too tired and B) have to make too many decisions as teachers to try to figure out what to wear every day. Help me, help you out here. Don’t let the cute “influencer” Tik Tok teachers make you feel like you need to show up to school as if it were a runway. You’ve got this.
-Emma