How to Build a Smart, Stylish Teacher Wardrobe

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Like so many educators I have been taking stock of my professional wardrobe in these last weeks leading up to the start of school. I wanted to add a few new pieces to the mix and headed to the internet for some fashion inspiration.

I typed in “fashionable teacher back to school outfits” and was hit with a barrage of the most ridiculous, inappropriate, and nonfunctional clothing I could possibly imagine.

No one designing these 'capsule collections' has ever spent an afternoon sitting criss-cross applesauce in a bean bag chair or rinsing a sick student's vomit off their shirt. They have never had to run up 4 flights of stairs holding 500 paper copies and a laminator or had to stand on chairs and reach up high to decorate classroom bulletin boards.

Fashion bloggers mean well but a Bryant Park runway look, while cute, is not going to be functional in a classroom.

In one two-page spread, a young woman is surrounded by her “must-have” back-to-school items, including a pair of white linen slacks, a spaghetti strap sundress five inches above her knees, and strappy platform sandals. Stop, stop, stop the madness!!!!!

Those white pants will be wrinkled and covered in paint, ink, or an unknown substance from a child’s hands by lunch, that adorable sundress is going to give your students an unintended anatomy lesson the second you sit down in circle time or bend over to pick something up, and your feet won’t last through first period in those shoes.

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Does that mean I’m doomed to a life of scotch-guarded khakis and boring button-downs? Nope, I refuse. So instead, I crowd-sourced some of Beijing’s best educators to find out what their must-have pieces are and where to find them. Here is the real wardrobe these veteran educators say you should be creating.

You got to have pockets!

At least four people commented that pockets are a must-have! Wendy Heppner, a 4th grade teacher at Beijing Xin Fuxue International Academy in Shunyi, keeps it classic.

“I usually go with dresses, simple, comfortable, and basic…This one is my favorite for work, it is so comfortable to wear and it has pockets.”

Other teacher suggestions included wrap dresses and items made out of durable materials like denim. Several teachers pointed out that the age of the kids you're working with poses different issues, so leggings and cardigans help to keep everything conservative but cute if you're sitting on the floor or bending over desks to help students with assignments.

The Roundabout thrift store in Shunyi has rack after rack of great gently used cardigans at very reasonable prices, and the HEATTECH leggings at UNIQLO are a game changer come Beijing’s notoriously cold winters.

Mary Frances Cappiello who will be teaching public speaking at Renmin University this fall suggested one of my favorite fashion hacks: "Sometimes you find a dress you really like, but you think it is too low cut to wear to school.

On Taobao you can buy all these lace things that go in the front of your dress to cover your cleavage.  They're very light, so they're cooler than a shell or undershirt. Some snap onto your bra straps. With these, you can have a dress that's school-appropriate in the day, and when you get off work you can just remove the lace thing and be ready for a date.”

Skirts and pants that actually fit!

Dresses are great, but you can only mix and match so much with them. Pants and skirts give you a lot of mileage both in and out of the classroom. University lecturer and researcher Santa Stopniece loves a classic black skirt.

“Practical (and) it can still be worn into autumn. The skirt I have is straight and a bit above the knee, not tight but still shape-defined enough to balance a ruffled top, for instance. It is comfortable yet work appropriate and easy to combine with various tops or blouses.”

I talked to tons of people and we all agree you ‘gotta have great slacks. Specifically, you need comfortable, durable, and machine washable slacks. But finding well-made pants that fit everywhere they are supposed to is a difficult task even in our home countries.

Finding them on Taobao or off-the-rack in local malls is nearly impossible for western proportioned ladies.

So, I took the advice of a friend and headed to a tailor she suggested. It’s a little more expensive (about 300-350 RMB per pair) but I know they will fit and I chose the fabric to be resilient in the face of art project mishaps, so theoretically I will keep them for more than one fast fashion season, which is better for the environment and it supports a local business.

Check out the link at the bottom of the article for a list of local shops or ask around for recommendations from friends.

Blazers make everything better!

Hannah Northcott is the founder of Well Style and the International School of Beijing's (ISB) Middle School Drama teacher and theatre director. Her job requires her to have ease of movement but she still brings flair to her wardrobe.

“Wearing blazers has been a simple way to upgrade any teaching outfit. I’ve sourced some of my favorite blazers sustainably from either the Roundabout (like this beige Zara blazer) or the Beijing Clothing Auction Network (like this Crane blazer).”

To join the Well Style WeChat group and get more amazing tips from real women, add Hannah using the ID: Hannah_Northcott.

Don’t ignore your feet!

Ana Lourenco, the founder of Beijing Foodies group, spent all summer on her feet teaching cooking camp. She swears by these cute and comfy loafers that allow her to always look cool, collected, and professional.

Another fan favorite with lots of votes from the teachers I talked to was Rothys, which are machine washable and made from recyclable materials. They come in a billion colors and patterns, and you can walk the halls all day! Get them from Eason Shoes, he has great prices and ships fast. WeChat ID: 13717589495

Accessories!

It never ceases to amaze me how a belt or bag can change an entire outfit. So many teachers I spoke to mentioned buying sustainably through resale outlets or clothing swaps. That often means things need little adjustments. But a good belt can help cinch the waist of that super cute dress that’s just a little too big, and these retro clips can add definition to a collard shirt or a few inches to the waistline of an almost right skirt, all while giving them a touch of your personal style.

To all those educators who make the hallway their runway: have an amazing start to the 2022/23 school year…you make teaching look glamorous! Got a teacher fashion tip we didn’t cover? Put it in the comments section!

Images: Hannah Northcott, Canva, Taobao

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