work dress of my dreams

It is embarrassing the number of "work dresses" in my closet that I can't actually wear to work. Teaching demands a lot of bending, reaching above my head, leaning over to chat with students, & other unique positions - meaning that my clothes have to stand up to these tests, especially when it comes to covering my shoulders, chest, knees and bum (don't want 7th grade boys getting the wrong impression!). Despite my best efforts to test items of clothing for these weaknesses in a dressing room setting, most do not reveal themselves until I am standing up at my SMART board realizing that if I raise an arm to write at the tippy-top, my bits are at risk of being exposed.

At the heart of my work wardrobe are the work-horse pieces that have stood the test of classroom demands, & every single piece I have ever picked up from Of Mercer (all outfits featuring Of Mercer here). In my last Teacher Capsule Wardrobe, I had two Of Mercer dresses that definitely stood up to the teacher test - the windowpane print dress (outfits here) & a super versatile black dress with leather accents (outfits here).

This time around, I have another amazing Of Mercer dress, & not only does this item make me feel amazing at work, I also enjoy wearing it during my time out of school as well (stay tuned for that outfit tomorrow). I love that this dress has a perfect at-the-knee length, a nipped-in waist that is very flattering, long sleeves (it's nice to not have to wear cardigans every day), & POCKETS!

What have you realized is not work appropriate at an inappropriate time?

{Shop These Exact Pieces}

dress: "Baxter dress" c/o Of Mercer

belt: skinny black belt (I don't even remember where I got this bad boy, but it MAKES so many of my outfits. I love that it cinches to fit any size & I found a belt with similar magical powers here - it even has a removable bow)

shoes: old kitten heels - found a similar pair from Sole Society here (although this sassy studded pair would be fun too!)

blazer: tweed blazer c/o Of Mercer

bag: Tori tote c/o Gigi New York

All Photos: Noah Berg Photography