School Swag: Can upping your wardrobe make a difference in the classroom?

This post was fun! Look out for more, but a few disclaimers:

I’m sucking my tummy in during all these photos.
Taking pictures of myself makes me feel SO VAIN.

Below you will find a compilation of five outfits worn during the first two weeks of school. The plan was to document all ten outfits but things happened…

Last school year I made a vow to myself to take dressing for work more seriously. For different people this means different things; for me it meant separating my “casual hang out” clothes from my “go to work” clothes, i.e. no more leggings and a long shirt on a school day. Every good rule has exceptions so if you catch me on casual-Friday or during end-of-year exams: THIS RULE DOES NOT APPLY. During those days it’s survival mode. They’re lucky we get dressed at all. Am I right?

Can upping your wardrobe make a difference in the classroom? Yes.

Confidence and clothing often go hand-in-hand. Dressing like a grown up and not like a high schooler (as my mom would say) makes me take myself seriously. Do the kids notice? Couldn’t tell you. Do your colleagues care? I highly doubt it. Will your principal and assistant principals say anything? Around here, you’re lucky if they remember your name (sort of kidding). All I know is in room 570 I’m the boss and I started dressing like it. The way you dress as a teacher is a major part of your classroom culture. There is no right but there is lots of wrong! For me, I’m all about tiny changes, over the course of long periods of time, making a big difference. See compound interest formula, Chapter 7, page 101, Exponential Functions.

Without further ado:

Outfit #1: PICTURE DAY

Details:

Jacket- Some knock off store at Albrook Mall in Panama City, Panama. Ended up being Forever 21, the tag was scratched out with Sharpie, lol. $20.

Pants- OLD NAVY Houndstooth Ankle Pixie Pants, Mid-rise, all the curvy girls said AMEN! You’ll see some common themes in my wardrobe. This is one of them. $20-25.

Glasses- Zennioptical.com This is my GOSPEL. I own 4 pairs of glasses. They are part of my accessories and Zenni helps me do that. This pair comes with magnetic snap-on sunshades. Not a big fan of contacts but, love wearing shades and this was the ultimate solution. LOVE! $35.

Broach- I think NY & Co. or Burlington. I went through a broach phase. This is the only one that made it. It stays on this jacket and I wear the same jacket every year for the yearbook. I’m trying to be this guy. (I started doing this before this story came out, FYI. Great minds think a like.)

Outfit #2: 2016 PANTONE COLORS

Details:

Top- Bought this to go with a pair of leggings before I renounced leggings on a school day. It’s from Forever 21, hence the missing button and its poor ability to keep shape. Probably $17.60.

Pants- Linen Ankle Pixie Pants from good ol’ OLDNAVY (Insert heart eyes emoji). I told you, you would see some common themes. $25-35.

Glasses- You guessed it! Zenni. The glasses were my first pair from Zenni and the Pantone Colors of the year in 2016 (Why do I know that? My best friend is a weirdo). They used to be my go-to pair until I got the black ones you saw earlier. $10. <—prescription included!!!!

Necklace- Clearance at JCPenny, I think… Maybe $5.

Outfit #3: MY FAVORITE

Details:

Pants- My first pair of Pixies!!! This is how I fell in love. The color, the cut. The pants can do no wrong.

Top- Also Old Navy. Slightly boat-necked, loose fitted. $7.

Glasses- Zenni. Duh! These are my fancy glasses I usually only wear them for special occasions because they have a weird tilt that doesn’t let me see as clearly as I’d like. $30.

If I could wear this combo everyday I would.

Outfit #4: ALL BLACK EVERYTHING

Details:

Top- Old Navy Peplum. I know you’re starting to get bored. $7.

Pants- Yup, Pixies from Old Navy. I LOVE subtly mixing patterns. $20-25.

Necklace- H&M. Clearance $3.

Outfit #5: NO NEED TO SUCK IN

Details:

Top: I’m not even gonna tell you this time. Probably the most expensive top I’ve bought from them. Love that it’s loosely cut and still flattering. Keeps a good shape but it requires ironing. $20.

Bottoms- T.J. Maxx or Marshalls! These are actually leggings and kinda sorta break my rule. But they are fancy leggings. Look at those zippers! No-one ever sees the zippers so I pulled up my top and I look like one of those fashion bloggers who casually took a candid shot. These pants are form-fitting but hold everything together. With a longer top, like the one above, (when I’m not puling it up) it covers all my curvy curves. It has a seem through the middle of the legs that makes it look even more structured. Love these. Less than $20.

Necklace: H&M Clearance, $3.

Rings- Old Navy… I’m a broken record I KNOW! Less than $5.

Glasses- Zenni, I looked for translucent lenses for a while until I found some I liked AND at a price I was willing to pay AND with a Memorial Day 20% off coupon. About $10-15.

Okay hope ya’ll enjoyed this one! What are your go-to places to shop? We have a little Old Navy gang at our school. #PixiesPayTeachers Get you some.

Did you enjoy this post? Would more of these be fun? Which outfit was your fave? Which outfit was documented the best? Lots of questions this week! I’d love your feedback!