teacher style

The end of the year is near - only 8 school days left!!! - and I feel like I'm finally finding my teacher style groove! Today I'm talking about how I overcome my own teacher style challenges & sharing some great style tips from the experts over at the National Education Association Member Benefits. If you are a teacher, the NEA Member Benefits fashion tips are some really great resources that have helped me see new ways to overcome the difficulties of dressing for our jobs!

sweater: J.Crew Factory "Clare" cardigan

Cardigans are my #1 teacher style weapon. They help on those days that start out chilly (especially when you have to leave the house before the sun comes up!), & also cover up my shoulders when wearing sleeveless dresses/tops to maintain our conservative dress code.

dress: J.Crew Factory sheath dress

This basic black dress can be so many ways, easily accessorized with scarves, necklaces & sweaters. Its versatility comes in handy on my "I have nothing to wear days" & also quickly transforms from my teacher duties to any after school activities!

necklace: "Showgirl Fringe" necklace c/o Bauble Bar

My jewelry is the biggest part of my wardrobe that I can wear for both school & play. This necklace has been my go to piece for dinners out with my husband & long days at school. The gold fringe adds the right amount of jazz to any outfit!

shoes: Total Motion pumps c/o Rockport 

These are the most comfortable pair of heels I've ever worn! The soles are covered in padding & the heel is the perfect heigh to be flattering, without the pain! I just love the pink leopard spots, & the kids always give me the sweetest compliments when I wear these :)

Fit tip: I am typically a 7.5, but the 7 fits perfect in this style!

sunglasses: Carrera sunglasses ℅ Sunglasses Shop

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

Teaching has its own very particular set of wardrobe challenges that I never even considered before I became a Middle School teacher. Most schools enforce professional dress codes (dresses or slacks for women, slacks + ties for men), which oftentimes come with their own fit issues (but seriously, why are work clothes so awkward!?). But then teachers also have to consider the range of activities that they do during any given day - lunch duty, bathroom duty, recess duty, cleaning their rooms (I go through a can of Lysol wipes practically every week), setting up Science experiments, the list literally goes ON & ON! And while I can't speak specifically for the male teachers, female teachers also have to make sure that their skin is appropriately covered, ensuring that when they bend over to pick up pencils, or reach up to write on the board, extra bits are not peeking out!

Combined with the toll standing on your feet for 8+ hours a day takes on your legs & feet, picking out my outfits each morning is much more difficult than when I threw on jeans + a tee everyday as a graduate student.

May is teacher appreciation month, and The National Education Association (NEA) is also celebrating National Member Appreciation Month. To help their community of teachers and educators feel confident in their daily roles, NEA member benefits is taking about teacher style during the month of May. NEA gave three educators amazing makeovers with a style expert.

I loved getting to watch 3 deserving education professionals getting their style updated:

Jossette, is a paraeducator who wants a bolder wardrobe - see her transformation for yourself. Cameron, a 6th-grade teacher who’s stuck in a style rut - see his make-over. Tara, a 4th-grade teacher who is on a weight-loss journey & got her teacher style updated here. 

AND, along with the other amazing member benefits that NEA offers, they are now also giving away a personal style make-over too! 1 winner will receive a $1,000 Visa reward card for his or her own style shopping spree, and 25 winners will win $100 Visa gift cards, too. Check out all the details & enter here. 

Get social with NEA: Twitter // Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest

This post was sponsored in part by NEA Member Benefits, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Shop these exact pieces:

teacher swag

skirt: heather gray midi skirt c/o Morning Lavender 

sweater: J.Crew Factory "Clare" cardigan (+ they now have the "Caryn" cardigan in lots of fun colors for Spring!)

tank: J.Crew Factory racerback tank

bag: Pijama computer bag c/o Fab.com

shoes: J.Crew Factory tortoise bow flats (similar flats with a bow & without a bow)

necklace: vintage from my husband's grandmother (don't ever pass up on vintage pieces from relatives!!)

sunglasses: Carrera sunglasses c/o Sunglasses Shop

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

I wear a lot of midi skirts to work & love that I found this one from Morning Lavender! If you haven't shopped from Morning Lavender, you are totally missing out & without linking to every item currently available on their website, here are some not-to-be-missed pieces. If you are as in love with midi skirts as I am, this floral midi skirt is too pretty to pass up! Surprisingly, my husband loves a good romper, & this lace number is absolutely stunning! I don't *need* another tulle skirt, but if I was in the market, I would definitely be getting this polka dot tulle skirt. I can't get enough of the long sleeve maxi dress trend & although I tried to embrace the chambray off-the-shoulder dress last year & failed, I would be willing to give it another try with this dress. If we were going to Steeplechase or The Kentucky Derby this year, I would be torn between this scalloped dress (love that back!!), or this lace illusion dress.

In terms of perennial basics, this striped shift dress looks so comfy & gray purses will always been my favorite neutral handbag!

Just for your reference, that is only a tiny sliver of the amazing pieces that they have, & you will be pleasantly surprised by their prices too!

bold print

cardigan: J.Crew Factory "Clare" cardigan

tank: J.Crew Factory racerback tank

skirt: ℅ Chicwish

necklace: ℅ Sheer Addiction Jewelry 

sunglasses: Carrera ℅ Sunglasses Shop 

(enter to win a giveaway for your own designer pair from Sunglasses Shop using the widget below)

purse: Coach ℅ Dillard's Green Hills

shoes: ShoeMint (old - shop similar below)

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oh teacher struggles! Picking out my outfit for the day at 5:30 am, before the coffee has kicked in, has definitely trained me on having a specific formula for getting dressed in the morning.

Cardigans + boldly patterned bottoms are my foundation pieces, & of those, this particular sweater & skirt are two of my favorites. I recently learned that this shade of cardigan is the one most associated with me, with one fellow teacher even searching out for a similar shade of fuchsia as she was amazed by how versatile it truly was! Oh & this skirt - bold black & white, perfect length, & did I mention that it has pockets!?

The perfect antidote when my formulaic dressing starts to get boring? A punchy statement necklace. Even better if it is a special piece from Sheer Addiction Jewelry!

 

Shop some of my teacher staples below:

twin set

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Living Proof. I received product samples to facilitate my review and to thank me for my participation.

Continuing to figure out the style that works for my new teacher lifestyle. It definitely is a balance between feeling good in what I wear, & not losing sleep over the latest stain on my favorite shirt (kids are dirty, & don't ever give them scissors or glue!)

I am finding that there are certain pieces that work for me, & from this foundation I have created my "teacher capsule wardrobe".

I have also learned that there is not much better than a new cardigan & clean hair. 

{ Blue Sweater outfit: J.Crew Factory "Clare" cardigan // dress ℅ Of Mercer // Old Navy ballet flats // vintage necklace (thanks Mom!) }

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

{ Pink sweater outfit: J.Crew Factory "Clare" cardigan // J.Crew Factory cropped black "Winnie" pants // Ann Taylor leopard shell // necklace ℅ Daisy Gem // Sole Society wedges (the most comfortable wedges ever!) }

I do seriously intend to eventually have this cardigan in ALL THE COLORS! It pairs so perfectly well with my beloved Of Mercer dress (previously seen in the capsule wardrobe series here) and skinny cropped pants (spotted in this teacher outfit as well).

I am also happy to report that after using the Living Proof PhD products for the past couple of weeks, my head of hair is changed! I've been a dedicated user of the PhD 5-in-1 styling treatment for several years now (it's magical!)  but hadn't ever bought into the idea of really dishing out for the shampoo/conditioner. I mean, how different could it be from the drugstore shampoo I was already using (just whatever my husband had picked up at the grocery store)??

Well, mark this down as yet another occasion I will have to eat my words… it is a world of difference!  And the price isn't that much of a hindrance anymore now that I realize how LITTLE shampoo I actually need to get my hair incredibly clean & healthy.

Being a first year teacher (& having NO CLUE what I'm doing), means that I have very few precious moments to spend doing my hair (the rest of the time is spent trying to figure out how to teach 7th graders Science!). So now with the Living Proof products, the biggest change I have seen is my hair routine. My new hair care schedule is something like this: wash hair on Sunday night. Wear hair down Monday. Wear hair in a pony on Tuesday. Spray on the dry shampoo and wrap hair into a bun on Wednesdays. Wash hair on Wednesday night. Wear hair down Thursday. Wear hair in a pony Friday. Take an hour long shower on Friday & celebrate the weekend!

Before the Living Proof products I was having to wash my hair EVERYDAY. And by the end of 1 day, it was a greasy mess. Now I can go 3 days & still feel like my hair looks presentable every day (with a little dry shampoo to freshen things up between washes).

I never thought this would be possible for me. I always figured I was just destined to a life of greasy hair. Thank goodness I was wrong. Thank you Living Proof Perfect hair day!

Purchase your next perfect hair day here!

Saying goodbye to the greasy teacher bun & hello to more clean hair days thanks to Living Proof!

What product do you want to purchase in every color?

Have you had any hair care breakthroughs recently? Anyone else who was/is a slave to washing their hair everyday? Or are you a magical person who is a once a week washer??

**Now through November 8th, with an order of $20 or more, you can enter the code NOV2014 to get a free Perfect hair Day (PhD) 5-in-1 Styling Treatment in travel size. With this order you will also receive free samples and free shipping!