Teacher Style: The Floral Tee

I realized during this teacher style series of no end that I have several shirts capable of matching just about anything in my closet. I decided I might show you some of the top contenders (see what I did there?) and compile all of the looks featuring each one. Today, let's start with the floral tee. Why? Well, it's the perfect shirt to take you from summer to fall. If I do say so myself.

Anyway, while Jeff and I celebrate my 30th year on the planet in Vegas this week, enjoy my shirt collages.

Floral Top: Old Navy 

(similar)

 

I chose a cardigan for all of the following looks except for one, but know that a blazer would work just as well for cooler days. To change up the look, I just played with color pairings, heel heights, and bottom types (flowy versus structured skirt and skinny pant leg versus straight leg). It's amazing how different one article of clothing can look just based on the outfit in which you put it.

 

Teacher Style: Maroon Pants Inspiration

If you want to wear a colored pant to work but are feeling a teensy bit of hesitation, may I suggest maroon? It's not terribly bold, but it's something different while still being extremely versatile.

A reader asked me what I wear in rainy weather. Looks 2 and 5 would be my rainy weather gear for two reasons: one, they include a cardigan which I can put over my head if I am too lazy for an umbrella; two, they include patent leather shoes that clean off easily. If it's really bad, I wear boots into the building and change out of them once I'm in the classroom, much like people who wear sneakers on their way to work before changing into heels.

Another reader asked me how I take summer favorites into fall. Looks 2 and 3 feature shirts I wear during the summer (sleeveless button up in #1 and tee shirt in #2). To dress up a summer shirt or take it into fall, I add a cardigan or blazer, which might sound lame, but if it works it works.  

Pants: Exact Stretch from The Limited (find all of their exact stretch options here)

Options: NY&Co. (cropped and skinny), love these cobalt ones from Express

********************************

Look 1: neutral cardigan + colored top + neutral belt + leopard heels

I thought the leopard heels added something special to the look. Also, I really love this color combination of fuchsia and maroon. I think I might have found it on Pinterest a long time ago, but I have zero desire to hunt it down right now. Plus, I added the camel and leopard, so it's my look now. Dagnabit.

 

(Shirt: The Limited / Cardigan: Old Navy / Belt: The Limited / Heels: via Marshall's)

 

A close up in case you wanted to see it. 

Look 2: neutral cardigan + printed top

Honest to Pete, this floral shirt goes with every single thing in my closet. I need to buy more pieces that feature every color of the rainbow. Talk about versatility. Mom actually picked out this pairing because I showed her all of the tops and pants I wanted to work with for this week's posts. She did a good job, right? Of course she did. She always does.

 

(Cardigan: The Limited / Top: The Limited / Belt: The Limited / Shoes: J.Crew Factory, not The Limited)

 Look 3: Are you judging me for showing you two looks with floral shirts? I hope not. I picked a tee so that I could make the look a little more casual. One of you lovely readers asked for how to take your summer basics (like a floral tee) into the fall. Throw a cardigan or blazer over this bad boy, and you have yourself a winner of a fall outfit for teaching. Also, please note that I mastered the half tuck with this one shirt. There's hope for me yet, folks. (Typically, I fully tuck the heck out of everything.)

 Look 4: button up + cardigan + flats

Why does my hair look so lovely here, and it hates me these days? When I go back to the stylist, I think I shall ask her to make my hair this color blonde. It's honey colored or something. And now I want honey because I said the word honey. Anyway, I also love this color palette of tan, blue, and maroon. Subtle patriotism at its finest. 

 

(Cardigan: Target / Button up: via Marshall's / Flats: Old Navy [replacing them for something more comfortable--I really don't like the way these feel on my feet])

Look 5: polka dots + neutral cardigan + neutral shoes

Love these new shoes from J.Crew Factory. Seriously, they make great shoes there! I'm becoming a serious convert. Fear not, dear reader. I never, ever pay full price :)

As for another pair of colored yet still tame pants, I think navy makes for a good option. If you're feeling more bold, go for the cobalt ones I linked to under the collage image! (Express has great dress pants, too. I typically find my dress pants at either Express or The Limited; their dress pants last forever. I actually have a pair of Express pants that still look new after wearing them since middle school. Yeah, that was over 15 years ago.)

Help out my student because you have a heart.

I do my best to provide you with a title catchy enough that'll lure you here, sometimes under false pretenses. Okay. Maybe not. But it's fun to sound a little dangerous like a man-hating Lifetime movie by saying "under false pretenses." Anyway, let's move on from my creepiness and talk about how you can help out one of my students. (Originally, I was going to write "let's move on from my creepiness and talk about one of my students." I then realized that actually heightened the creepiness.)

Seriously. Move on, Wo.

One of my juniors has a style blog, and gave it the cutest name, too. You'll have to check out her blog to see what I mean. Anyway, she entered a Teen Vogue contest to score a "blogger to watch" feature, and it would be super dee duper if you voted for her! Go here and vote for her by clicking on the heart in the upper left corner of the picture. (You have to hover over the corner in order for the heart to appear.) To see the blog post she entered and read about KFC's chicken corsage (it's a thing), go here. Also, her about me section will melt your heart with its sweetness. (I'm not just saying that because I'm biased as her English teacher.)

Speaking of teaching, I had a slip of the tongue during first period today. I meant to tell my sophomores that they should spitball ideas with the people at their table. Instead, I told them to freeball it. Not at all the same thing. Luckily, they were too clueless, tired, or embarrassed to acknowledge the blunder.

The Look: 

Shirt: Old Navy

Cardigan: Express (OLD)

Skirt: LOFT via thredUP

Shoes: J.Crew Factory

Necklace: The Limited 

pardon my wrinkles.

Linking up with

* Shanna (http://becauseshannasaidso.blogspot.com) 

* Pleated Poppy (www.thepleatedpoppy.com/blog) 

I also wore the floral shirt this way:

And the cardigan this way...

Oh, and this way...

(The skirt is pretty new, so it hasn't been worn more than once. However, I love the fit AND the pockets, so you'll see it again.)

Emerald and Floral

After I buy new clothes, I make it a point to try on each item as a part of three, as-different-as-possible outfits. I thought I'd share two of today's shirts. (I also picked up two others, but my bedroom was wayyyy too hot to continue taking off and putting on clothes. I'll try again tomorrow. Maybe.)

I used gift cards for these two shirts.

The floral one is Lauren Conrad's via Kohl's and the emerald green one is Apt.9 also from Kohl's.

Floral Top

Outfit 1

This skirt has pockets, so I love it. I have yet to wear it (stupid!). Now that I have the perfect shirt for it, I think I'll wear it for Back to School Night on Tuesday. Genius.

This outfit might seem too "spring," but I think some brown boots and a solid color scarf will take it right into cooler weather. It's still in the 80s and 90s, so it's fine or now. 

 Outfit 2

Good grief, this outfit is warm. It's perfect for cooler weather. The blazer dresses it up for work. A pair of olive dress pants (in place of these pants) would make it even more work appropriate. However, skinny pants are acceptable at my school. I need a longer, gold pendant necklace to complete the ensemble.

Outfit 3

Perfect for a casual Friday at work. 

I think this top would work well with white jeans, maybe with an olive green button up thrown over it. 

Any other suggestions?

Emerald Blouse

Outfit 1

Probably my favorite of the three outfits. I just love emerald, black, and white together. Almost as much as I love cobalt, black, and white together. Almost. I'm so wearing this outfit to work when it's not a billion degrees in my classroom.

(I also wore these pants this way.)

 Outfit 2

I've worn this paisley skirt before (here), and I like it with emerald. I could've tucked the shirt, but I decided to create tucked and tied looks with this shirt. 

I like this necklace that a friend bought for me, so I decided to wear it a bit like a "bow" tie with this top. Look at me being all clever. Yeah, I went with emerald, black, and white/silver again. What of it?

Feel free to throw some more ideas my way! 

Go on and make these shirts worthy of staying in my closet. 

Oh, and is anyone else as obsessed with Lauren Conrad's clothing line as I am?

5 Days, 5 Ways: Mustard Skinny Pants

Today's 5 Days, 5 Ways is pants. I didn't want to recreate 5 looks. I was hoping I could pull from my archives. Luckily, I have three outfits with one pair of pants, my trusty ol' mustard skinny pants from Target, the same pants a previous student has a serious objection to (for no good reason whatsoever.) Oh, and what do you know? Yesterday's outfits featured a yellow blazer. Do you think I like yellow at all?

I also pulled together two more looks on my Go Chic or Go Home account because I'm cool like that. 

Look #1: Floral blouse + mustard skinnies + red wedges + maroon blazer 

Look #2: Chambray + mustard skinnies + brown boots + bright scarf

Look #3: Lace shirt + jean blazer + mustard skinnies + plaid scarf + brown boots & belt

Now for my Go Chic or Go Home collections:

Look #4: flannel shirt + mustard skinnies + teal cardigan + brown flats 

Look #5: jean jacket + blue gingham + mustard skinnies + navy flats

I guess I don't love dressing up these pants, but I know I could. It appears I've type casted them. 

Oh well. 

So, which look is your favorite? How would you dress them up? (I guess the first look is technically dressed up, right?)

Also linking up with: