I'm still working on my 2nd Teacher Capsule Wardrobe post (see the first round up here) & this Of Mercer dress is definitely a rockstar of my work outfit rotation. But no piece in my closet is allowed to be a one hit wonder, so although love this dress for work (like in this outfit), I also wear it out & adore how flattering the cut is. As my mom always told me, "modest is the hottest", & this dress is super feminine without being revealing or uncomfortable. If you are always looking for high quality & functional work clothes & you haven't checked out Of Mercer yet, do yourself a favor & head there now!
What are you best tricks for making your work clothes do double duty for events outside of your 9-to-5 life?
dress: "Baxter dress" c/o Of Mercer belt: studded belt (saw Carrie wearing it in the Sex in The City movie & don't regret this purchase for a second!) I remember getting mine for cheap from a fast fashion site years ago (2008?), but found 2 second-hand styles for sale here & here.
shoes: open toe booties (old from DSW) - this style of shoe is a serious staple in my Spring wardrobe, so I've linked many similar styles at all price points below.
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?
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!)
Here is a recent teacher outfit, still counting on cardigans to get me through these chilly mornings, but I refuse to bring back out the tights - I don't care if we DID see snow flurries in Nashville last weekend!
This dress is from Of Mercer, a brand that I love for high quality work clothes. I already had 2 of their dresses, both featured in my Teacher Capsule Wardrobe (black dress worn here, here, here // windowpane dress worn here & here), & was excited to add this pretty number from their recent collection. Every item I have from Of Mercer is meticulously tailored so that the dress is not only flattering but also comfortable & fuss free! I've only worn their dresses before, but I am excited that they now offer blazers (including this one that matches my dress!) & accessories!
Shop these exact pieces:
Holy moly me oh my - we are 3/4 of the way through the school year & I can't believe I have almost survived my 2nd year of teaching!
While currently on Spring Break this week, I am busy busy busy planning for a smooth 4th quarter & also applying for new jobs out West. Tyler & I have our sights set on Portland, Seattle or Denver, but we are allowing ourselves to just feel things out before we let our little hearts get committed to one city over another.
I have never actually applied for a job before - the teaching job I have right now literally fell into my lap - & I am so thankful for my co-workers that are helping guide me through this process & my school's administrators who promise they will provide me with glowing references ;)
We have been talking about this move for so long - as in a, "one day when we leave Nashville we will go _____________ and do ______________ " (filling in the blanks as new dreams popped up from time to time), but now that it is upon us & we have a final date (our lease ends the first week of June!) I don't even know where to start. I should probably be focusing on getting a job first, but for some reason the only thing I have done is made a list of all the places we MUST TRY in Nashville before moving! Just added Bastion & Old Glory to the list... the problem with the list is that it keeps getting longer!
Don't forget that this adorable Dagne Dover purse is on sale for 20% off until 4/1 (promo code HEREANDNOW20) & prepare yourself for lots of posts this week, I'm on Spring Break and plan to be blogging it up (gotta procrastinate the job search some way or another!)
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.
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!
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!
Nashville FINALLY has a Nordstrom Rack & I couldn't be more excited!
I loved attending the store pre-opening party & scooped up these simply chic booties without thinking twice. How effortlessly they pair with everything from dresses to jeans to leggings with oversized sweaters only confirms the fact that sometimes an impulse buy is a GOOD call.
The 5 installment of my teacher capsule wardrobe. Still loving button downs under dresses, but this time around, enjoying mixing it up even more with a easy to wear infinity scarf. Not sure how much longer I can get away going without tights, so trying to warm up with layers that don't include cut-me-in-half tights!
Time for a life update! As many of you know, I transitioned out of a Ph.D. track graduate program in January. I cashed in my 4 years of graduate studies for a Masters in Biomedical Research to pursue my dream of teaching at the Middle School - High School level. I am now in an intensive teacher training program where over the course of this Summer, I will be teaching Summer school and working towards my teaching certificate. What this looks like on a daily basis is this: I teach 3rd grade Math for 5 hours, & then go to teacher school for 7 hours, to learn the skills that are going to make me an effective teacher starting on day 1 this Fall. I look forward to teaching 7th grade Science during the next school year and working towards closing the achievement gap in Nashville. Seeing the lightbulbs shine over my scholars' heads when they realize that the content IS within their grasp is magical, and what keeps me going during this grueling schedule.
This is not easy. I am changing my entire life to make this new career choice a reality. I work long, hard days. Often dealing with crying children, implementing new skills in the moment, taking aggressive feedback, & creating ALL of the materials that I need for my classroom this Summer.
After 12 hours of teaching/learning, I come home to practice my skills, & write lesson plans based on what I learned each day. Tyler & I have had to take up new roles in our relationship. Transitioning from working together in grad school and sharing similar hours, to me now coming home hours later than him, tired to the bone. He has been such a huge support for me (I get emotional just typing this because I am so thankful) - he is on pug duty morning and night, he cooks & then forces me to eat when I am too busy to even glance up from my computer, he lets me vent about teacher stuff that I'm sure he doesn't much care about, and is just generally my biggest cheerleader.
I am dedicated to making this blog space happen, but I might be more absent from commenting on your blogs, hanging out on social media, & possibly even posting everyday like I currently do. I thank you for your support & continued blog visits as I figure out this new life of mine. I am excited about sharing more of my "teacher style" and bringing you along on the journey as I figure that out!
First up on my "teacher style" journey: taking my graduate student wardrobe to a teacher worthy closet, without breaking the bank. In all my infinite free time (teacher jokes), I enjoy finding new boutiques that offer stylish but professional options. One that I think is doing a superb job of this, is Of Mercer. I am in love with their beautiful basics - sheath dresses, high quality accessories & blazers - and totally enamored with the special details they craft into every garment. This dress is my first acquisition from them, but I'm sure it won't be my last!
It's back to school for me… in more ways than one.
I just adore the leather paneled top, and fit & flare silhouette. Because I don't feel as professional baring my shoulders to my 3rd graders, I layered a button down under the dress. I love this polka dot number that makes the whole look appropriate yet fun. In the Fall, I am excited to play with layering this dress, including bringing some blazers & sweaters to the mix!
Has the function of your wardrobe shifted recently?
What pieces would make your closet more functional for your life from work to play?
If you are looking to build a foundation of professional attire, be sure to check out these picks from Of Mercer:
