teacher fashion – Page 2 – Teachers Have Lives Too!

05/18/201905/18/2019 Erika S. outfits, teaching

Controversial/Appropriate or Nah

Controversial/Appropriate for school or Nah?

I know there are plenty of teachers (people) out there who might look at my classroom fashion choices, and think “that’s not appropriate for a teacher to wear in front of kids/teenagers”. I have heard that I shouldn’t wear skinny jeans to work because they’re not professional. I have also heard that I shouldn’t show my shoulders at work because it’s too much skin. Frankly, I don’t really care what other people think is appropriate or not because I have already set my own boundaries in terms of what not to wear to school. I won’t wear anything short (one or two inches above the knee is where I draw the line), I won’t wear spaghetti strap tops, and I won’t wear leggings on a teaching day (non-student contact days though, I might). There are very vague guidelines for a dress code of sorts in our district. I can’t even find anything that states an official dress code other than “Attire must not disrupt the school’s learning environment.”

I find that the later in the school year it is, the more lax I get with my attire. In September, I’ll wear a lot of dresses, and nicer clothes. In May, I’m in jeans almost everyday and the arms come out. This past week I wore what many other teachers might consider too “risky” or inappropriate. There were holes in my jeans. My top was sleeveless, though I wouldn’t personally call it a tank top. The top has an open back where a tiny bit of skin peeks out. I think if I worked in a private school, this outfit would have been a no-go. If I worked in a more conservative district/area/state, my outfit on this day maybe would have been outright scandalous. But thankfully I work where I do and no one says a thing to me about what I’m wearing other than, “miss, you look cute today!” Also, I think these jeans make my butt look good. I bought them last weekend at Banana Republic and they are so very comfortable. I’ve worn them 4 times this past week and I have them on today (Saturday) too. Highly recommend you check them out! They are a bit mom jeans-ish and many sizes are sold out online. They are cheaper in store anyway, so I’d recommend you try and find them in person.

So here is a question for everyone reading: do you think these items are appropriate for a teacher or not?

jeans
skinny jeans
white jeans
jeans with holes/distressed denim
bare arms
tops with open backs
tattoos
shorts
skirts/dresses that are above the knee

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top: j.crew – jeans: banana republic – shoes: sven clogs

05/15/201905/15/2019 Erika S. outfits

Easy-Like

I am turning into one of those people who chooses outfits based on comfort and ease. I used to always “suffer for the fashion”, and occasionally I still do. When the weather starts heating up though, tight restrictive clothes get left in the drawers. This dress, for example, is a tent. It lets plenty of air in to circulate around, is made of a quick dry material, and there are no tight spots anywhere. I bought it in Japan (Uniqlo, obviously) last summer, and if any of you have been to Asia in the dead of summer, you know what it’s like to steep in your own sweat for hours on end. Japanese brands have breezy clothes figured out – linen or quick dry roomy pants or dresses is where it’s at for work. So dress tents (with pockets!) are in for the next 2.5 weeks! Summer vacation is so close, I can just taste the freedom.

Speaking of comfort though, I love wood clogs – most of the time they are actually very comfortable (counter intuitive, I know). These oldies though, I’m just going to have pass on to someone else with narrower feet. I bought them while we were living in Brooklyn, but my feet must have spread more since then. Swedish Hasbeens run on the narrow end, and my feet are just getting wider and wider with age. Clogs really do last forever though, and I will keep buying them.

*Side note, you should all check out Insecure on HBO by Issa Rae. She is a favorite of mine, and the entire third season’s episodes were titled “__-like”*

dress: uniqlo – shoes: swedish hasbeens

05/06/201905/07/2019 Erika S. outfits

Where the Heart Is

Last weekend, B and I went back home to San Francisco for a friend’s wedding (it was super fun!). Whenever I go back to SF, I stay at my mom’s house which is in the Glen Park neighborhood in the city. It’s my childhood home and where I lived up until B and I moved to Brooklyn together in 2012.

I have very fond memories of the neighborhood, and have watched it change slowly over the last 38 years. Whenever I walk through the streets of Glen Park, I’m always reminded of something from when I was a kid – my elementary school has been running since 1938, the same coffee shop is on the corner, the trees are all still the same, and I still see many of the same faces around. This last trip coincided with the annual Glen Park Festival, which meant live music and a number of vendors were out selling things like jewelry and t-shirts. The moment I spied a Glen Park-Giants shirt, I had to snap one up even though the only size left was a men’s large! I’m heading to the Giants vs. Rockies game tomorrow, so I’m representing starting today! I smarted up the t-shirt for work with a stretchy ath-leisure style blazer and hoop earrings. All together a really easy outfit to throw together for a work day.

blazer: oliver bonas – earrings and t-shirt: unknown street vendors – belt: gap – jeans: f21 – shoes: adidas – watch: fitbit

05/01/2019 Erika S. outfits

A Gradual Move Away From Leg Prisons

My friend Morgan aptly calls leggings “leg prisons”. I’ve been a skinny jeans person since 2007 when I bought my first pair of skinny black jeans (Paige denim from Nordstrom Rack) and in the past couple of years, I’ve been moving away from the leg prisons and towards more straight leg cuts. Wide leg cuts just make me feel like a squat triangle, so the kinda loose, kinda fitted look is where I’ve landed lately.

These pants are anything but leg prisons. They have a paperbag waist, which means I don’t even have to undo the button or zipper fly for “bio breaks”. The drawstring lets me adjust for food babies easily, and the loose leg is just so darn free feeling on my legs. They are reminicent of pyjama pants, but the material and cuff at the bottom make them more daytime appropriate. With a frilly top and clogs, these pants could be dressed up (guess what I’m wearing tomorrow!), but I wore this last friday with a plain t shirt and sneakers for my version of “casual friday” (read: very, very, casual).

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t-shirt: uniqlo – pants: urban outfitters – shoes: nike

I was inpired to find pants like these when I saw a guy walking in front of me with cuffed linen looking pants, thick socks, and Blundstone boots. That weekend, I came across these in the sale rack at Urban Outfitters and they fit that image in my head perfectly. Fashion inspiration can come from anywhere! Here are a few images of baggy pants that I’ve been thinking about lately.

cc62ecd7dc3441e9b07fe26a1cf8e7e4 — Unknown source (found on pinterest)

tumblr_ppavpemqe81r9e7cw_500 — Image Source: Death by Elocution

11911savitri_1798web — Image Source: The Sartorialist

04/26/2019 Erika S. outfits, over analysis

Over Analysis: Levi’s Ribcage Jeans

Welcome to a new series on this blog: the Over Analysis. I spend way too much time going over small ridiculous details about clothes, skincare, makeup, anything else most people consider shallow. This series is about as deep as a puddle.

I love high wasted jeans. They help balance out my long torso-short legs proportions. So when Levis came out with their new Ribcage Jeans, I immediately had high hopes. I have a few of their wedgie fit jeans already, so I figured these would just be just as good, if not better. Well, they are, and they aren’t.

First of all, they don’t stretch, at all. I like that a lot about these old school Levis styles and that is one of the reasons why I buy them. The thickness of the denim really holds everything in and creates a very streamlined look that I love (just check it out on the model). The problem is that I’ve put on a few extra pounds (kilos) this past winter, and they’re really, really, tight now. If the denim had a bit of stretch, it would be no big deal. These on the other hand with a 12″ rise are very unforgiving and will jam into your waistline like no other after a large meal. No food babies allowed, and no seconds at dinner especially when sidelined from anything active due to a shoulder injury. The only thing that keeps me from feeling like a stuffed sausage is the wide leg, which brings us to the next thing.

The legs are a bit too wide for my liking, and they make me feel like I’m veering into Jnco Jeans territory. I know I’m totally exaggerating here, but I’m really used to my skinny jeans, and straight leg cuts are as wide as I feel comfortable. These I feel like go a bit too straight/wide, making me look a bit stumpy (admittedly, I’m 5’11” so it must be all in my head).

Now on to the good stuff, things I love about these jeans and why I decided to keep them and wear them.

They don’t stretch. I know, I know, I just complained about that in a lengthy rant above. But the fact that they’re 100% cotton means you can wear them over and over and they will never bag in the butt or the knees. Saving water FTW! They will never pull/stretch out of shape or get premature holes in the back pockets if you’re a back pocket key stasher like I am.

I love the color and the lack of distressing or whiskers. I’ve been wanting a pair of plain classic blue jeans for a while now, and these fit the bill perfectly. I’m a bit over the distressed look and really over the whiskering in the crotch area. They’re like runways pointing straight at the reproductive bits and I just don’t want that kind of attention while I’m teaching physics. These jeans are tight AF right now though so they’re pulling at the hips weirdly and making whisker like folds, so…at this very moment I’m reconsidering wearing these again till I can properly get back to my usual F = ma. Anyways, I get a bit of a 50’s vibe from these jeans, which I love.

Lastly, these jeans are made of selvedge denim. I’m not sure what that means, but I think it has something to do with the edging of the fabric. Other than the white piping on the inside seam, I honestly can’t tell the difference between selvedge denim and regular denim. I guess they’ll never unravel!

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cardigan and shirt: madewell – jeans: levis – shoes: sven – watch: fitbit

04/19/2019 Erika S. outfits

Where on the Internets Have I Been?

Where have I been on the internets this past year if not here?

Pinterest – I meticulously keep track of what I wear, what I want to buy, what I do, and what I like to cook.

Instagram – I like stories the most because it means I can post anything I want ie garbage, and none of it stays for very long.

Youtube – I don’t do videos at all, but I like watching content from ttsandra, matilda, Dasha Kim, LabMuffin, and chrissstttiiine.

Tumblr – I find a lot of visual inspiration from one tumbler page in particular: Death by Elocution. When I come across an image that I particularly like, I’ll pin it to reference later.

Aesthetics I’m really into right now: Japanese minimalism (the style not the lifestyle), men’s skate/snowboard style (specifically brands like Bape, Stussy, and X-Large), Korean makeup, natural fabrics with a neutral palette, and the hipster horticulturalist/potter/shop girl look (I know that sounds very esoteric and specific, but you’ll recognize it when you see it, and it has roots in the new old look that is basically summed up here in GQ of all places).

Anyways, I’ve been kind of all over the place. So here are a couple long forgotten photos I found when loading up my memory card. I think they are from winter 2018 when I hosted a learning lab in my classroom for science teachers from Aspen HS. The dress is from H&M, and fills my just-a-little-quirky sartorial itch that I get from time to time. I love the print, the high neck, and the ruffles. Note everyone’s cup of tea, I get it, but I like it.

dress: h&m – tights: hue via anthropologie – boots: madewell

12/13/201712/13/2017 Erika S. outfits

A Mild December

One week ’till Winter break! It’s been surreal though – we’re quickly approaching fall final exams, and it’s still 63˚F outside. It’s been a mild December. I’m still fall dressing, and my winter boots are still stored away. Except for that one freak weekend near the end of November, Denver has been darn pleasant! It’s still “no-socks” weather, so I’ve been wearing the crap out of these leopard print slides and cropped jeans. To winter-ize, I painted my nails last night with a holiday theme using nail art pens that B bought me years ago for Christmas. Also, I’ve been digging my new coffee thermos B bought me for a recent Sinterklaas party our Dutch/American friends hosted. It’s kind of the best coffee thermos ever, and if there is ever a stereotype about teachers, it’s that they drink a lot of coffee. I am one of those people.

These jeans are a new purchase from black friday when Urban Outfitters was having a buy one get one half off promotion. They are worth every penny though, because I’ve been wearing them over and over. I usually wear my denim about 3-4 times in between washes, and these are thick without stretch. So they hold up really well wear after wear without getting too baggy in the knees or the bum. Also, I’ve been digging looser fitting jeans with straight leg cuts lately. Maybe it’s getting older, or maybe it’s the changing denim trend, but I’m slowly getting off the skinny jeans train. Maybe this cut isn’t the most flattering or curve hugging, but I love the high waist (long torso/short leg strategy) and the little flare at the hem. My only complaint about these jeans is that they can cause a bit of cowboy crotch, and that they are just a tad bit too cropped. Either way, I’ve decided I’m over being weird about the crotch region with my pants. It’s just how my body is built, and its ridiculous to expect anything else.

THLT kent cardigan

THLT madewell kent cardigan

THLT Zojirushi coffee mug

THLT BDG kick flare jeans

THLT madewell cardigan

THLT HEMA soft matt lip balm

THLT urban outfitters kick flare jeans

cardigan: madewell – jeans – bdg – tshirt: f21 – belt: gap – shoes: banana republic – lipstick: hema (purchased in paris) – thermos: zojirushi

10/09/2017 Erika S. outfits

Hey, Stranger

I haven’t posted in almost a month, or as the kids like to say, “It’s been a minute.” Lately, the last thing I want to do when I get home is stare at a computer screen. My phone screen on the other hand…it’s a work in progress. So here is what I wore today, which happens to also be the first snow of the year here in Denver. In addition, here is what I wore almost a month ago. I might be back soon to blogging, or it might take months. We will see when the interest and motivation comes back. In the mean time, follow me on Instagram!

THLT blundstone monoprix

THLT blundstone shirt dress

THLT monoprix olive shirt dress

THLT monoprix shirt dress

glasses: warby parker – dress: monoprix – leggings: costco – boots: blundstone

THLT susina kellen flat

THLT uniqlo merino turtleneck

THLT uniqlo ribbed turtleneck

THLT suisana kellen loafer

THLT first snow

top and jeans: uniqlo – belt: banana republic – shoes: suisana via nordstrom rack

09/03/201709/03/2017 Erika S. outfits

The First Days, Version 8.1

The first day of school for us here in Denver was a couple of weeks ago. Years past, I always carefully chose my first day of school outfit – something that was serious and professional, while still laid back enough to signal that I was a real human being and not a robot. This year though, I spent maybe 5 minutes thinking about what to wear the night before. I’m looping with my kids this year – I taught about half of them last year for 10th grade Bio, and now again this year for 11th grade Chem. So these kids already know me directly or at least by reputation. They’re already broken in.

The first day back at my school is a freshman 9th grade only day, so I get the whole day free to myself in my classroom, working – which is glorious. So I chilled out in a loose top and stretchy jeans. For my real first day of school, I smarted up by wearing an Oliver Bonas dress that made me feel very “age appropriate” at 37. Whether that’s a good thing or not, I’m still on the fence. Is there such a thing as age appropriate anymore? I think yes – but that’s a whole other ball of wax that will need to be tackled another day in another blog post.

THLT anthropologie swing top

THLT anthropologie swing top 2

THLT anthropologie smocked swing top

THLT anthropologie smocked swing top2

top: anthropologie – belt: banana republic – jeans: mother denim – shoes: target

THLT oliver bonas lexi dress

THLT oliver bonas dress

THLT oliver bonas lexi jacquard dress2

THLT oliver bonas lexi dress2

THLT oliver bonas lexi jacquard dress

THLT oliver bonas dress2
dress: oliver bonas – shoes: target – lipstick: bo ho cosmetics in 103

08/28/201708/29/2017 Erika S. outfits

Feeling Wild

Hi all, today we started week two of the school year, and as you can probably imagine (and empathize), I’ve been busy, too busy to blog my back log of photos! I have 4 sets of photos from last week with some guest appearances from other teachers, but they will have to come later. Tonight I have just enough time to talk a tiny bit about my outfit from today before I hit the hay.

At the start of summer (right at the end of my 6 month shopping ban), I popped into J.Crew to see what they had in the sale racks. I found this prim, stripe-y shirt, and bought it with out much thought. The moment I got home, I regretted the purchase. I just know that this is destined to be one of those shirts I wear once a year. It’s one of those shirts that will need ironing after each wash, and I know myself too well – I won’t do it more than once or twice a year. I’m that lazy. It’s cute enough and proper enough to be a work closet staple – if only it was one of those wrinkle free fabrics. Needless to say, today was the first day I wore it, and it will probably make another appearance in the spring, but that just might be it. Ironing is the worst!

These shoes on the other hand…ARE THE BEST. So ridiculously soft and comfortable, chic and casual, perfect for school. I’ve been watching youtube videos from Aimee Song and Lizzy Hadfield, and both of them wear their Gucci loafer slides all the time and they make them look really effortlessly cool. There is no way in flying hell I’m ever spending that much on shoes ($650!!!!!), so I went searching for a more affordable option. These Banana Republic demi slides are IT. I’ve worn them to school 3 times in the past 2 weeks, and for someone who has a ridiculous amount of shoes, that’s got to be saying something. Right?