Staple Pieces Part I

Let’s begin with the basics!

It's your first year of teaching or you just got a new position and you don’t know what to wear. You want to be taken seriously enough for students and colleagues to respect you. You also want to look like a cool teacher. Creating a balance of the two can bring your classroom fashion to the next level. First, let’s begin with some staple pieces.

What Are Staple Pieces?

Staple pieces are items of articles of clothing that can be worn most days. When getting staple pieces for your classroom wardrobe you should begin with these 10 pieces.

Blazer

Tailored Pants

Jeans

Casual Dress

Professional set

 1. Blazer

 The ultimate cover for all your outfits. Blazers are one of the best dress staple pieces because you can dress them up or down.

2. Tailored Pants

The perfect fit for your everyday teacher moves in the classroom. When looking for tailored pants you want to make sure the fit of the pants is tight enough so it won't fall off yet loose enough where you can squat down to the eye level of a five-year-old. Tailored pants can be worn every day of the week. Different occasions require different colors. You can read more about the diversity of colors in the wardrobe here. 

3. Jeans...Anything

But let's not get too excited. When picking out jeans, you want to make sure they can go with anything. Plain jeans pants are for the professional environment. Leave the ripped jeans for the weekends. Now, I know there are some faux ripped jeans out there to purchase. I would check with your school's handbook on what jeans are considered appropriate to wear during school hours with students in the building. If your school is for the ripped jeans, always keep it classy. Don't overdo it on the ripped effect, you do not want to be a distraction for students. Jeans Jackets are also being added to the jeans family. Jeans jackets are a great staple piece and are perfect for spring weather. You can layer them up or down. Last to add to our jeans list is a jeans shirt. It doesn't have to be jeans per se but, it should have a jeans look. You can find jeans pattern shirts, button-ups, and T-shirts.

4. Casual Dress

Every woman teacher needs a casual dress. Casual dresses are normally a loose fit. Your casual dress can be short or long sleeves. If you decide to get sleeveless, I'd recommend a thick cut of the straps. As for the neckline, I'd recommend the 3 finger test. Take three fingers, preferably the index, middle, and ring. Place your fingers right above where your cleavage would begin. If the neckline reaches your index finger, you are risking showing some cleavage when you are having a small group. The length for most casual dresses is about mid-leg. You can read more about dresses here. 

5. Professional Set

No, not a professional suit, because, well, we all can't afford it, at least not yet. Read more about the level of buying items here. A professional set consists of a top and a bottom that can go well together in a professional setting. This is where your tailored pants may come in handy. The tailored look these pants provide is a business professional look. When paired with a blazer, or suit jacket, the tailored pants make you look professional. Because you may not be getting a suit set, I'd focus more on the color of the pants and blazer rather than the material. You may find some cotton pants and a polyester top, and that's okay, as long as the colors match. This will give you a more uniform look.