I have a good one for you...
I'm a new teacher who has to wear a uniform to school. We can wear any color polo shirt or button-front shirt with skirts below the knee, pants or capris in solid black, white, navy or khaki. (I'm lobbying for brown to be an option too. Ugh.)
The very worst part is our shirts have to have the school's logo embroidered on them! Gag me!
I didn't find out this was the protocol on dress until AFTER I was offered the job and accepted. I had visions of great outfits (I'd even made up a few already), and now I'm pretty bummed.
I wondered if you had any out-of-the-box tips for making the sterile polo-and-khakis combo a little less...sterile. I open to pretty much anything except super high heels because I'll be on my feet most of the day. Wedges, flats boots and/or 2.5"ish-or-less heels are definitely OK in the shoe department and all accessories are greatness.
Thanks in advance!
Sarah
Ah, Sarah, thanks so much! While at first having to wear a "uniform" seems a bit boring and bland it can be anything but. Luckily, you can wear any color shirt and several options for bottoms in color and style. The most important thing is to realize that you don't have to wear a white shirt and khakis every day to be in accordance with the dress code. You have options - use them!
Things to keep in mind while shopping for your new wardrobe:
-Look for shirts that have "extra" details like fun sleeves and french cuffs you can add cuff links too (lots of great pairs at thrift stores for mere dollars). Hopefully you can buy whatever shirts you want and have them embroidered with the crest!
-Make accessories your friend!! Add fun pops of color and patterns by adding belts, scarves, fun shoes and more to put your own personal spin on your outfits.
- Don't be afraid to add a "dressy" spin to your uniform by sporting skirts vs. the standard khakis.
- When fall and winter come you can add patterned and colorful tights for a fun pop.
Here are a couple of looks I pulled together:
Left Outfit:
Portrait-collar shirt – Newport News, $29
Slimming Solutions V-Neck Sleeveless Dress - Target, $29.99
Alloy Multicolor Swarovski Brooch – Enternal Sparkles, $19.99 (styling tip: use the brooch to secure the shirt over the dress like I did here with a cardigan)
J. Reneé Swirl Heels - 6pm.com, $19.95
Right Outfit:
Striped Ruffle-Placket Shirt – Old Navy, $14.99
Ponté knit pencil skirt – Newport News, $29
Basket Weave Belt – Forever 21, $9.80
rsvp Desi kitten heels - 6pm.com, $20.94
Left Outfit:
Oxford Shirt – Old Navy, $24.50
Floral Sprig Scarf – Forever 21, $7.80
Button-Pocket Twill Pants – Old Navy, $29.50
Zigi NY BrandI – 6pm.com, $26.16
Right Outfit:
3/4-Sleeve Button-Front Shirt – Old Navy, $14.99
Lotus Buckle Belt – Forever 21, $8.80
Black Skirt – Target, $14.99
Bronx Shoes Miro - 6pm.com, $48.30
Have a great school year, Ms. Sarah!
* Note: The shirts depicted here come crest free - the crest was for demonstration purposes only.
4 comments:
Love it- so great how positive you can be about things. Actually, I think the challenge could be fun! The logo is the only issue I would have- anything for work couldn't be used out! Could you get a freaking pin instead!??! I would ask ; )
Meli22 good idea. Maybe you could have the school logo embroidered on a couple of pieces of felt and glue on pin backs. Maybe that would be ok.
Love the pink one! A "uniform" does sound boring but it seems like there is a lot of leeway and that could lead to all kinds of possibilities!
Whenever an outfit seems basic or boring, I love to accessorize. For me that's mostly fun jewelry, but you can also do scarves, headbands, and even cute shoes liven an otherwise dull outfit up!
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