7 Style Tips for Fashionable Teachers: A Back-to-School Guide

fashionable teachers

Summer might be over, but fashionable teachers do not need to abandon their own personal style when heading back to school.

Staying true to yourself and embracing your unique fashion sense can help beat the stress of lesson planning and classroom preparations.

Check out the 7 practical fashion tips for cute teacher outfits below to perfectly balance your personal and work styles.

7 Great Back-to-School Style Tips for Fashionable Teachers

Follow these seven handy style tips to build an approachable and professional teacher wardrobe.

1. Start with a Basic Foundation

First, you should check if your school administration offers a dress code or a suggested list of outfits for teachers. If they do, you will likely find a list of very basic clothing suggestions. These staple items form the foundation of your wardrobe to create a variety of stylish outfits for teaching.

Stick to pants and skirts in neutral colors. This makes them more versatile so you can transform an outfit completely by changing only your blouse, top, or jacket. You cannot go wrong with neutral colors like grey, brown, blue, and black.

The same goes for dresses and button-down shirts. If you buy neutral colors, you can basically make a new outfit every day with the same base dress or shirt. Try to buy at least 4-5 pairs of pants/skirts/dresses so you do not need to wash them during the week.

Don’t be afraid to buy a few items in patterns or bright colors like green, pink, or purple. Even if you cannot match them with everything, it is nice to have a combination of conservative and bright basic items for mixing and matching.

2. Strategically Choose Accessories to Personalize

Once you establish a base wardrobe, you can pick up accessories to personalize your teacher wardrobe. Give those neutral stable pieces some pizzazz with a bold, chunky necklace or a brightly patterned scarf. Teachers who work with small children may want to avoid long necklaces or scarves that could end up choking them when pulled on.

Themed earrings make holidays even more fun and help your students get into the festive spirit. Pick up comfy cardigans in funky patterns or colors that you can wear alone or layered under a jacket. Wear jewelry with a story and share that with your students to better connect with them and make you more approachable.

Both stylish and practical, a watch doubles as a fashion accessory and a way to keep track of your lessons without obviously checking a wall clock. If you can’t seem to find a stunning watch for under $500, read more here to find the perfect one before school starts.

3. Don’t Forget Your Feet

As a fashionable teacher, you spend a good portion of the day on your feet while giving lessons and performing other daily duties. Be kind to your feet by investing in a quality pair of shoes with proper support. If you have a hard time finding shoes that fit, you should get professionally fitted so you know what to buy for your particular foot shape and instep.

Living in sneakers during the school year may not be an option if you want your shoes to be as fashionable as your outfit. Try to find flat shoes with rubber soles with extra support. Pick up a pair of shoe inserts if you find an adorable pair of shoes lacking adequate support.

4. Be Sensible with Your Cute Teacher Outfits

Think about what you spend your days doing in your classroom. Are you surrounded by 5-year-olds with gluey hands and paint all over their clothes? Or are you teaching high school students who would rather die than get their hands dirty?

Investing in a cute teacher wardrobe only to have it slowly destroyed with stains throughout the year would be disappointing. Primary and elementary school teachers need to be more aware of the clothes they wear to school. So they should stick to wash-and-wear clothes that grape juice and glitter glue wash out of without issue.

5. Avoid “Dry Clean Only” Clothes

Try to avoid buying clothes with complicated care requirements. You already have enough to do during the week. You do not need to waste precious time running to the dry cleaner or hand washing blouses in the midst of everything else.

Choose clothes that do not need ironing before wearing. Especially if you have a lot of things to accomplish in the morning before school, like getting little ones ready for their own school day.

6. Use Your School ID

Did you know several major clothing retailers offer discounts to teachers? Banana Republic, Ann Taylor Loft, J. Crew, and The Limited are just a few examples of large clothing stores that offer a 15% discount to teachers. Some of these retailers have exclusive teacher appreciation nights and sweepstakes as well.

Take advantage of these discounts to get high-quality clothing at much cheaper prices.

7. Stick with Tried-and-True Outfit Combinations

If you want to be a trendy teacher, but do not know where to start: stick with these tried-and-true outfit combinations. Use these as a basis for buying staple pieces as well as accessories.

Choose dress pants with a button down shirt and a blazer for a quick, go-to outfit. Easily switch out the top or blazer for a new look. Wear this outfit with dress sneakers or comfy flats.

Combine a long dress or tunic with easy-to-clean leggings. Pair a professional dress or tunic with patterned or brightly colored leggings for more personality.

For a very professional look, wear a long-sleeve top with a knee-length skirt and a cardigan. On casual days, choose dark colored jeans or slacks with a nice top or dress shirt.

Loving All These Tips for Stylish Teacher Clothes?

Do you feel more prepared to go back to school with all these great style tips for teaching outfits?

Need more guidance in your personal or professional life? Want to learn more about how fashionable teachers and other women practice style and beauty in their daily lives?

Check out our other awesome health and beauty tips for women to be a happy and beautiful woman inside and out.