I rock dress pants and a polo. I sweat wayyyyyy too much to be wearing suits every day (not to mention I teach science so don't really want to have a mess all over a suit if something were to happen. What is the idea behind wanting to be more "formal?" Only reason I ask is it seems like doing a lot extra for something that really doesn't impact you as a teacher (not trying to be a smartass either just generally curious).
Yep, dress pants and polo shirts (except on the mandatory staff T-shirt days). Like someone mentioned above, I get 5 dress pants and five polo shirts, all solid colors for the week. The fact that I teach in Arizona makes the suit and tie route damn near impossible.
I’m trying to create an “uniform” for myself. I hate picking out clothes, so I’m going to just make a set of 5 outfits and be done with it. I like the more formal look, so just a style choice I guess.
Fair enough. We had an older tech ed teacher who was that way (was also color blind so used to always mix up his clothes). His wife kept getting upset so bought him black pants, a white dress shirt, and a black tie. He wore that the last like 25 years of teaching everyday before he retired. No matter what it was, everyone knew he would come in with that outfit.
Maybe go for 10 outfits so u can switch up the order from week to week. Kids can be mean. If they see u wearing the same 5 things every week, they will most certainly try to roast you for it.
I had a government teacher in HS that would give you extra credit if he ever repeated a tie during a semester and you pointed it out. He said 1 kid kept notes and caught it in his 30 years up yo that point, either quite a few withers taking notes, but no slip-ups
If it's exactly the same day after day, week after week, he can just say that he has a special deal that provides unlimited suits. Never explain that the infinity is a circle of >= 5. He may need at least one extra suit for when something precludes weekend laundering or for when a spill/burn/tear takes one out of the lineup.
Blue chinos, black chinos, brown chinos (red if you’re feeling brave), 5 shirts: white, pink, blue, and two stripped/gingham of your choice. If it’s cold get some v-neck lambs wool jumpers.
My uniform is a pair of dickies work pants and either a polo or undershirt and button-down, long black socks from Costco, and a pair of Skechers weatherproof boots. Not glamorous, but comfortable and classy enough to work in.
No jacket for me, but Monday-Thursday it’s slacks, dress shirt, and a tie, usually a fun math one. I try to wear school spirit t-shirts/hoodies/something on Fridays.
I can’t do things around my neck, but my dad (not a teacher) loves beau ties of Vermont. They have lots of fun ones though probably nothing subject specific
Clip-on bow ties allow you to leave the top button undone while still holding the sides together, but with more neck room and still the same appearance.
Corduroy sport coats are cheap (especially at Thrift stores). They match alot of things. Can be worn with or without ties. They also take a beating and look better as they age.
If I want to look real academic, I put a sweater with an Oxford under the coat. Most times I just go with Oxford and sport coat with no tie.
Another great look is a quarter zip sweater (even light sweat shirt) with an Oxford and tie underneath. I generally keep the collar unbuttoned and loose.
Our sports teams sell nicer quarter zips that look more formal causal. It’s a great way to look professional and show school pride.
Shirt, tie and slacks every day. I generally don’t like suit coats they are just too to be moving around in all day in the classroom. You can be fairly frugal with this set up. However, I have found over the years buying more high quality clothing actually saves more in the end as they tend to last longer through the years.
Edit: Clicked too soon.
I think a resale shop wool coat jacket is the way I’ll go. It’s colder around me so the wool should hold up better than polyester, and the added heat won’t matter.
IMO the biggest key for frugal fancy is the quality of the shoes. You only need two pairs of shoes (black and brown) so you can invest more in something more fancy than frugal and get a lot of mileage out of them with a variety of wardrobes. I'd also recommend interchangeability. Four colors of chinos, four colors of shirts, and two jackets can go a very long way.
A note on your jacket choice, you can spice it up with a variety of outerwear while still looking professional. A sports jacket, a quarter-zip, a full-zip, and vests can all go a long way in completing the outfit. I'd also recommend looking into linen jackets as a more affordable and forgivable choice that still looks appropriate for a classroom setting. I don't think there's ever a way to make a full wool or poly suit look appropriate for a classroom, but that's just me.
The only thing in your wardrobe suggestion I'd be wary of is slacks. Chinos are the way to go, both for fashion and function. Plus, chinos are very forgiving about washing machine routines and don't require much maintenance.
I wore a shirt and tie almost daily, until I really started to question why I needed to be so formal just to break up fights every other day. Lol I keep it pretty casual at this point.
Jacket and tie guy, real shoes M-Th. No suit. Friday more casual. Jackets only get dry cleaned during breaks. I’m the only one in the school who does this, though. Bet most public schools are shirt/polo and pants for a formal or informal dress code.
I’m private school, so it’s be normal-ish to go suit and tie. We have a wide range of dress here though. My neighbor teacher goes barefoot sometimes lol
I just got a bunch of dress pants, khakis, and button down shirts from the thrift store, then got a bunch of ties.
I still look professional, but my students quickly figure out that the guy wearing a tie with a donut riding a unicorn isn't going to be a bastion of academic stringency.
For my first ten years, I wore a shirt and tie every day. I felt like I had to dress up to exude an image demanding respect.
Now I work in a district where almost every teacher wears jeans and a sweatshirt half the time. I adapted to the environment and I never looked back. It’s amazing being comfortable. The kids don’t respect me any differently than before.
My advice? Dress as casual as your school allows. Whether that’s an explicit rule, or just the community expectation.
I only do suits on Fancy Friday (the first Friday of the month). I think last year, I might have done it the first day of the year too. Ties the first few days.
Normally I do a long sleeve dress shirt and dockers. I do ties for the holidays or celebrations (I have a bunch of ties from my previous life).
If it's an outdoor day (field day or field trip) and hot, I dress in short sleeves and shorts.
If it's pajama day or beach day, I go all out, I ignore most of the other theme days.
Used to wear dress shirt and tie until Covid, now I wear chinos, untucked button down and Allbirds casual sneakers (super comfortable). Jeans day I usually wear a hoodie or a T-shirt
I go slacks and button up with nice dress shoes that are comfortable (think cole Hahn)
I try to get no iron stretchy fabric. I want to be able to move if I have to break up a fight or whatever.
Why not just get a couple of pairs of slacks (maybe black, navy, and tan), a couple of polos, a couple of button-down shirts, and maybe a tie or two for days when you really want to dress up? Make it so all the shirts go well with all the pants and you' will have flexibility; you might be able to wear the same pants two days in a row with a different shirt and no one would know the difference. I would skip the blazer unless your school is in a cold climate or the air conditioner is sent to "Antarctica" and can't be changed, because blazers generally require dry cleaning. Make sure everything you buy is machine washable and you're good to go. Of course, also have a pair of jeans for those days when we're allowed to wear them as a special privilege and the obligatory school T-shirt. As for women who like to dress up, the easiest thing is a machine-washable dress. Always read the label before you buy; a dry-clean only garment will cost you big bucks over time even if it's on sale for a really low price, and many items that don't require dry cleaning are just as fancy.
Like others mentioned, I would wear slacks, dress shirt and tie M-Th, and only lose the tie on Friday. I'd have students gift me ties periodically and they'd get the biggest kick out of me wearing them later on in the year.
My hint for slacks, is find some golf pants. They look as fancy as slacks but perform like athletic pants (freedom of movement, moisture wicking, breathable)
ETA: I HATE picking out clothes for work, like you, and the slacks and dress shirts made that so much better. Also, nothing more relaxing than coming home and changing out of work clothes to home clothes. Helps that mental separation from work.
I gave golf pants a try until I saw how… tight they were. I tried 3 brands and they all were showing way more than I’m ok with. I’d love them if they weren’t so form fitting.
The mental component is huge for me. I was blue collar for years, so it honestly makes me act more white collar at work. Plus the after work sweats are a treat!
I picked up some Greg Norman golf pants at Costco that were a little looser than the pair I picked up at the Izod outlet. I wonder if walmart has loose options.
Van Heusen also had some "traveler" pants that worked very well.
When I taught high school honors stuff I loved rocking suits. Had a couple of nice looking cheap ones and a couple expensive ones too. I don't care about professional expectations, I just feel good in them. When I feel good I teach good.
Recently switched to 5th-6th grade, and I won't wear suits anymore. I have to deal with much more filth and chaos I don't want to get my nice clothes dirty or torn. Also my new room is detached from the main building, so there more dirt, rain, and bird poop involved in my hallway duty.
One staple that still remains: blazers. I have a couple of sport coats, mostly from thrift stores, that I will wear either with a nice shirt and tie OR with a funny T-shirt, often with a content related joke on it. I can still get really dressed up with that, but still wear my Costco hiking pants and work boots and it's not too weird.
Costco slacks, white shirt and a “sports coat”????
May I suggest a trip to the Men’s Warehouse? You don’t need to purchase from them, but they can at least give you some ideas, and fit you properly for clothing.
Great suggestion. Wrong sizing in any dimension tends to cause puffed out areas and/or visible tightness. Black pants = no brown shoes, with funds available for both a more formal pair and a more comfortable pair.
High school English here. I've been trying to wear blazers with khakis and chinos for the past few years. I get lots of compliments from the older ladies. And it sets me apart from my co-workers who generally ignore the dress code (which I don't necessarily begrudge, I'm just trying to take care of myself.)
I do, but most often Dockers, jacket, shirt, and tie (sometimes vest and pocket watch, too). Black Dockers with a black jacket looks like a suit. I never go into work without a jacket and tie and never wear jeans or sneakers.
I wear a t-shirt and black jeans with sneakers every day. 5 plain black tees are part of my school supply haul each year.
I got this job to talk about characters and semicolons; if they made me wear a monkey suit, I’d have jumped off a cliff before they hired me. I think I’d actually off myself if they made me wear a polo. I did that back at Beat Buy as a 20-something, so they can miss me with that.
I avoid suit and tie stuff as much as possible in my personal life too.
My school is pretty relaxed in regards to what teachers wear, so wearing a suit would give the impression that I work at PC Penny or something. I like it that way because I avoid wearing ties as much as they can because they restrict blood flow to the brain.
I work with a guy that does from time to time.
Like a couple of others I’m probably going to do less jeans this year. I’ve normally worn polos and button-ups with my jeans, but I think it’s time to return to a pre-Covid dress routine.
That’s part of my thinking. The kids seem to love the formality. I think it shows the teacher is putting in the same effort as them. (We have school uniforms.)
I live in the southwest, so even half the winter days are pretty warm. So no, no I do not wear a suit. Most days it’s casual pants and a polo or button down. Suits are impractical and bygone in my opinion, but if you want to try to rock one, go for it.
For interviews- yes.
I was told I overdressed when I started virtual teaching in dress pants and a polo (told to just do jeans). Otherwkse, in my current position, it's polo, dress pants (except for virtual pd day when im in jeans , sweater)
Shirt and tie, yes. Suit? No. I would be open to it if a school wanted to go that route culture wise, however.
Frugal fancy? Get a rotation of wrinkle resistant shirts and a few pairs of kakis from LLBean. Rotate out your ties to mix it up. I have 2 white and 2 blue shirts and 3 pairs of kakis. That combined with ties leaves you all sorts of straightforward combinations. Do casual Friday and wear spirit or alma matter gear.
shoes? Buy nice leather ones. After they break in they last forever. Follow the care guides, grease them up and oil them, etc. Darker leather is easier because scuffs show less. Another trick is if you go lighter leather and they start to show their wear grease and oil them to a darker color. I've been wearing my Redwing boots daily for like 15 years.
Look at the Unstructured Blazer from J Crew Factory. No lining inside but it still looks nice.
I get the idea of going for a uniform.
I’ve moved the other direction. $20-$25 khakis from Nordstrom Rack. Cheap microfiber polos from Amazon.
Costco had some tech pants from Banana Republic last week. I picked up two pair but those would like bad with a jacket.
5th grade here
I wear a shirt and tie about half the time, polos or dress shirts the rest (not counting Friday casual). I rarely add a jacket as our building is often on the warmer side.
There isn’t a requirement to dress that way, I just like to.
I’m known for my ties. I have over 140 ties: Looney Tunes, Disney, superheroes, cool animals, nerdy stuff, etc. I wear a simple dress shirt and tie with my various Converse shoes. I don’t own or wear dress shoes or a sports jacket. I refuse to wear them, in fact, but that’s a different response.
I’ve had colleagues wear sports jackets every day, and colleagues like me who don’t even own one.
My principal lets us wear jeans and a whatever shirt. Few days I'll wear a button up, a few a t-shirt. Been like this for last 15 years. Actually quite enjoyable. This upcoming school year I'm thinking of doing a star wars shirt every Monday, university t-shirt on Wednesday, and school shirt on Friday.
I just finished my 4th year as an art teacher. I usually wear a sweater and dress pants. I haven’t worn a dress shirt since my first year and haven’t worn a tie since I was student teaching
I wear short sleeve button ups with colourful patterns and dress pants or jeans. I have about 3 pants and 8 shirts in the style that I rotate.
I am an art teacher, so it feels apprlpriate as a 'uniform'
I taught 6th grade science for 5 years. I would wear a tie on the first day of school every year. Then, slacks and a polo.
Now I teach elementary PE. Shorts to work every day = 💰
I’d recommend Larry David-core! His sweater in the finale that looked like a blazer (specific one is absurdly expensive but bonobos has similar more affordable ones) is the most comparable for men to the classic cardigan look so many female teachers wear to dress up a more casual outfit and stay warm when they pump the ac
lol, I used to wear suits when I first started because I looked like a kid, but now I dress business casual and still one of the best dresses at my school. Dressing fashionable doesn’t necessarily mean you have to wear a suit.
I am one of the only teachers in my school who does not have a suit. I have nice slacks and a button-down shirt, belt. But, I am one of two who do not wear a suit to work every day.
I rock a dress shirt with a plain solid coloured tie, soften that with some blue jeans and sneakers. I think a suit would cause too much of a disconnect with a lot of students. The tie helps a lot with parents and student discipline. One day I looked in the mirror and decided that I'm not wearing a polo every day on my life.
I do a dress shirt and chinos 4 days a week usually (Mon-Thu). Every other Wednesday, I don't teach but tend to lead a section of PD so I might wear my suit pants + tie. I wouldn't wear my suit jacket in our building though - it's far too humid all the time that I'd be a puddle (I've only worn it for events and interviews).
I wear a suit 1-3 times a week. We have jeans days on Wednesday and Fridays. I love it. If I’m not wearing a suit, I’m probably wearing slacks, chinos, khakis, etc.
Prior jobs I was in jeans and a uniform t-shirt every day, crawling around in attics and under houses. I grew to hate that.
But I love wearing suits. Go to a Men’s Warehouse, get measured and get 2-3 suits, black and gray, and maybe navy or brown. Get a 3-5 different dress shirts, And then mix and match.for any occasion.
I don't, but I did notice the uniform comment. I have like 4 work shirts and pants that I just grab off the top. They all work well enough together so idc what gets grabbed in what combo.
I wear a suit most days. I use the dryel at home dry cleaning kits to save lots of money.
Other than looking good and feeling confident wearing a suit really simplifies the morning routine, no need to worry about your outfit just grab a suit.
I wore black Dockers pleated-front pants, first because they are comfortable and of a good quality, they had a more formal appearance that was attractive enough to suit me, were roomy for allowing cool air in on hot days without being drafty on cold days, were made with breathable and soft cotton, were easy to launder, and had usable pockets (not the shallow ones that dump everything when you sit). I had a much deeper roster of different colored polo shirts until I retired to SW Florida. Now, it's the same/similar polos or T's cotton with sports ankle socks to beat the heat. Socks with comfortable synthetic blends designed to wick away moisture are available, too -- for Winter and for Summer. If you take freshly laundered clothes from the dryer and immediately hang the shirts first since they show wrinkles more than black pants; , and bulky, wide hangers keep shirts from developing points at the hanger ends (inflatables are best, if you have the space). Then, fold the pants to match the creases, smooth with your hand, and fold in half to hang them at the fold. I go for simple and easy whenever possible, saving my time and energy for more interesting pursuits. I will have had dozens of extra weeks of living life before I die -- for free. Just by changing habits, optimizing routines, dropping unnecessary time wasters (12-14 weeks from not shaving unless required, and snipping at my beard/mustache for a few minutes every now and then). And I'm not at all hard-core about saving time. There are things that are not worth the change/effort for the ROI and things I haven't noticed or thought of yet. Uniform clothing is a great investment.
ETA: Apologies for being long-winded.
I wear a blouse or school pride shirt with a cardigan and dark/black jeans with dressy flats daily - my male coworkers do the equivalent, or wear slacks and polos. As long as you’re put together and don’t look like a student yourself, it’s fine.
I've done "slim fit" nylon "tech"/travel pants and fitted golf polo shirts for years now.
It's not "suit and tie" but it still appears clean and professional so long as the clothes don't fit you like you're wearing a wet sack (like some of my other male colleagues). As an additional bonus, you can wash it in your washing machine and it's very durable. Doesn't wrinkle easily. Doesn't stain nearly as easily as cotton or wool.
I do have 3 wool/poly blend suits when I want to dress up, though. Yes, poly/wool blend stuff is considered "cheap", but I'm quite certain, if it fits, very few people are going to notice that it's not 100% wool. The poly blend stuff takes a lot more abuse, and is easier and cheaper to clean... and cheaper to replace.
Keeping up with a jacket that you basically wear from point to point before shucking it until the next leg of your daily travels might wear on you over time.
A suit is a matching set of trousers and a coat, same color and material. I would never wear a true suit to school except for a special occasion. They're too expensive.
Our dress code for teachers was a bit more on the business casual side. For men, it was expected at a minimum that we had a tucked-in collared shirt into pants. Most of the time for me that meant golf pants and polo... it gets hot in South Carolina, I'm a sweaty guy, and our a/c wasn't great.
I've found the slacks + shirt/tie with the sleeves rolled up an interesting middle ground between formal and casual. I like ties and have a billion of them, including some bow ties so I like to wear them. During the cooler months I'll wear a sport coat with it -- I have a solid navy, a navy patterned tweed, and a brown corduroy that I'll rotate through.
The vast majority of my button-down shirts are from Kohl's. The usually do a bunch of sales and teacher discounts leading up to the school year, at least where I am.
And for people who are asking "why does it matter..." if I'm not allowed to question why you want to wear jeans and a hoodie to school, you aren't allowed to question why I might want to wear a shirt and tie. Believe it or not, dress clothes CAN be more comfortable, if they're quality enough and fit you properly. And I feel better when I look more put together.
When my classroom hits 90 in the first few weeks and last few weeks of the year, I'm rocking shorts. I don't care about dress code. It doesn't affect my ability to teach.
If the ladies can wear skirts/dresses to stay cool, why can't I show some ankle?
I wear a polo or t-shirt with jeans every day, I can’t imagine wearing a long sleeve dress shirt and tie ever. I had a high school teacher that dressed similar to what you are describing so it’s possible.
During student teaching, I did a few times to make a good impression. Now it’s just polos, quarter zips, and sweaters during the year. I move around too much to wear a suit. I teach 3rd grade
I was a middle school science teacher for 9 years (now a high school teacher) And a fairly active one in the classroom at that - I'm constantly moving around. I made the decision early on to not wear suits, especially due to the lack of A/C ...
Now as a high school science teacher, I've contemplated it, but I like how I dress now and the students really like it. But given that I will be teaching Chemistry (and maybe Biology) next year, I'll probably have an extra set of clothes at work so that I'm in compliance with safety regulations for the lab (which I'm now the supervisor for).
I always go in slacks, a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up a bit, a tie, and a vest. It keeps that formal look without forcing me to bother with a jacket, and it makes it easier to move about, while also giving me more freedom with color, pattern, and style so that I'm not wearing the exact same color everyday. I highly recommend it for your circumstances.
I do! The temperature especially in the fall and winter allow me to. I’m younger and have fun hair and piercings so I started wearing suits to give myself a more professional aura, then it stuck.
I've worn suits to interviews, but wearing one into a school on a regular day would make me look very weird and way over-dressed compared to every other staff member.
For me, the most formal I go is dress pants, collared shirt, and maybe a tie if I am really feeling it.
I teach science and even when not doing labs I spend tons of time cleaning the classroom every day so I don't want to wear something super nice and prioritize looks over comfort regardless.
My first year teaching I wanted to wear a suit and tie every day. On day three, one of my seventh graders came up to me and said “you are really intimidating in that suit”. Haven’t worn one since unless something special is going on.
Not sure what you teach - but I think this could apply to any grade honestly. My fiancé teaches elementary school and has 4 white shirts and several nice pairs of pants, and about 45 ties! He lets the kids pick the tie on a rotating basis. They love it and he doesn’t need to think about outfits! Friday is casual!
I don’t know why you’d want a tie, just gets in the way, if you want to be “formal” for school these days chinos and button downs in the usual greys blues and khakis should be more than plenty. At least for middle school I feel like a jacket or tie would be irritating and in the way more than the formality is worth.
Then again I wear sweatpants to work…
Jeans and a button up or spirit wear these days. Too many nice clothes ruined my clumsy kids with markers or dirty floors or whatever. Plus it's comfier.
A suit is too businesslike, students will think you are an admin, but if you want a look like that I’d get some nice sport coats. A good tweed or corduroy is nice in the fall and winter, pair that with a knit tie and that’s always a winner
I wish more men wore suits , it's so professional and sexy. I have male co workers that wear shorts everyday and then fellow teachers wonder why we are not respected. Oh even had an art teacher wear flip flops everyday
If I were a teacher (and id be a band teacher) I'd wear a white tailcoat every single day XD
White tailcoat with black dresspants and shirt and vest and then a little white bowtie to top it all XD
I rock dress pants and a polo. I sweat wayyyyyy too much to be wearing suits every day (not to mention I teach science so don't really want to have a mess all over a suit if something were to happen. What is the idea behind wanting to be more "formal?" Only reason I ask is it seems like doing a lot extra for something that really doesn't impact you as a teacher (not trying to be a smartass either just generally curious).
Yep, dress pants and polo shirts (except on the mandatory staff T-shirt days). Like someone mentioned above, I get 5 dress pants and five polo shirts, all solid colors for the week. The fact that I teach in Arizona makes the suit and tie route damn near impossible.
I’m trying to create an “uniform” for myself. I hate picking out clothes, so I’m going to just make a set of 5 outfits and be done with it. I like the more formal look, so just a style choice I guess.
Fair enough. We had an older tech ed teacher who was that way (was also color blind so used to always mix up his clothes). His wife kept getting upset so bought him black pants, a white dress shirt, and a black tie. He wore that the last like 25 years of teaching everyday before he retired. No matter what it was, everyone knew he would come in with that outfit.
Maybe go for 10 outfits so u can switch up the order from week to week. Kids can be mean. If they see u wearing the same 5 things every week, they will most certainly try to roast you for it.
I had a government teacher in HS that would give you extra credit if he ever repeated a tie during a semester and you pointed it out. He said 1 kid kept notes and caught it in his 30 years up yo that point, either quite a few withers taking notes, but no slip-ups
If it's exactly the same day after day, week after week, he can just say that he has a special deal that provides unlimited suits. Never explain that the infinity is a circle of >= 5. He may need at least one extra suit for when something precludes weekend laundering or for when a spill/burn/tear takes one out of the lineup.
I can be meaner 😂 but point taken.
Same. I roast them right back.
I have a uniform too. Jeans and tee shirt. Daily. 7th grade science.
5 pants, 5 white long sleeved shirts, ties.
My uniform is long sleeve shirts of varying niceness and then khakis to jeans
Blue chinos, black chinos, brown chinos (red if you’re feeling brave), 5 shirts: white, pink, blue, and two stripped/gingham of your choice. If it’s cold get some v-neck lambs wool jumpers.
Use ties to add some personal flair
My uniform is a pair of dickies work pants and either a polo or undershirt and button-down, long black socks from Costco, and a pair of Skechers weatherproof boots. Not glamorous, but comfortable and classy enough to work in.
The way I’ve accomplished this is getting 5 slightly different navy blue polo shirts and 5 pairs of slightly different tan pants.
This is the way.
I did a suit for my first year. Parents complained that it made me intimidating. Seemed like a win to me.
No jacket for me, but Monday-Thursday it’s slacks, dress shirt, and a tie, usually a fun math one. I try to wear school spirit t-shirts/hoodies/something on Fridays.
Samesies but my ties aren't fun yet haha
Ever do a bow tie?
I never have, but I’m not necessarily opposed. Maybe I’ll try it out next year.
Love my bow ties. I’m sure you can find some that are specific to your subject.
I can’t do things around my neck, but my dad (not a teacher) loves beau ties of Vermont. They have lots of fun ones though probably nothing subject specific
Clip-on bow ties allow you to leave the top button undone while still holding the sides together, but with more neck room and still the same appearance.
Beau Ties of Vermont has some of the most unique bow ties ever.
Bill Nye style. I like it!
Yeah honestly, loose fitting slacks are comfy enough to wear every day.
Elastic waste bands make them feel like light sweatpants. I love slacks.
Corduroy sport coats are cheap (especially at Thrift stores). They match alot of things. Can be worn with or without ties. They also take a beating and look better as they age. If I want to look real academic, I put a sweater with an Oxford under the coat. Most times I just go with Oxford and sport coat with no tie.
Jacket with no tie might be a good option!
Another great look is a quarter zip sweater (even light sweat shirt) with an Oxford and tie underneath. I generally keep the collar unbuttoned and loose. Our sports teams sell nicer quarter zips that look more formal causal. It’s a great way to look professional and show school pride.
That’s basically all I wear in winter/spring.
A tie is cooler than a jacket in hot weather, but the jacket might be necessary in colder weather.
That just reminded me that I kinda wanna rock a tweed blazer with elbow pads. College professor vibes.
Shirt, tie and slacks every day. I generally don’t like suit coats they are just too to be moving around in all day in the classroom. You can be fairly frugal with this set up. However, I have found over the years buying more high quality clothing actually saves more in the end as they tend to last longer through the years. Edit: Clicked too soon.
I think a resale shop wool coat jacket is the way I’ll go. It’s colder around me so the wool should hold up better than polyester, and the added heat won’t matter.
Hell no. Collard shirt, chinos, and vans is as good as they're getting from me.
Same, and I specifically wear shirts that don’t tuck in to really push the casualness of it
Not a suit, but a shirt and tie. I have over 200 ties. I do not repeat a tie during the school year.
I've cleared the semester threshold, but I still have a way to go before I can finally year without repeating. Fridays are science t shirt days
Do you have a favorite tie?
A couple have sentimental value to me.
IMO the biggest key for frugal fancy is the quality of the shoes. You only need two pairs of shoes (black and brown) so you can invest more in something more fancy than frugal and get a lot of mileage out of them with a variety of wardrobes. I'd also recommend interchangeability. Four colors of chinos, four colors of shirts, and two jackets can go a very long way. A note on your jacket choice, you can spice it up with a variety of outerwear while still looking professional. A sports jacket, a quarter-zip, a full-zip, and vests can all go a long way in completing the outfit. I'd also recommend looking into linen jackets as a more affordable and forgivable choice that still looks appropriate for a classroom setting. I don't think there's ever a way to make a full wool or poly suit look appropriate for a classroom, but that's just me. The only thing in your wardrobe suggestion I'd be wary of is slacks. Chinos are the way to go, both for fashion and function. Plus, chinos are very forgiving about washing machine routines and don't require much maintenance.
Only the admin wear suits in my district.
I’m SPED. No ties for me. No chance.
I wore a shirt and tie almost daily, until I really started to question why I needed to be so formal just to break up fights every other day. Lol I keep it pretty casual at this point.
Yeah, I wouldn’t wear a tie at all anymore. Way too dangerous.
Love this, had the same experience. Why am I getting dressed up and having clothes that restrict movement. Need to be agile
Jeans, t-shirt and Chucks. I teach elementary art. If I had to wear a suit, I’d strangle myself with the tie.
Just buy 5 dress shirts, 5 pants, all solids. Ties if you want to be formal. A suit is too much for a teacher.
5 pants is excessive. I usually have 2.
Basically what I’m planning on. Just with a sports jacket that I take off. I like the solid color idea, so they mix and match better.
Jacket and tie guy, real shoes M-Th. No suit. Friday more casual. Jackets only get dry cleaned during breaks. I’m the only one in the school who does this, though. Bet most public schools are shirt/polo and pants for a formal or informal dress code.
I’m private school, so it’s be normal-ish to go suit and tie. We have a wide range of dress here though. My neighbor teacher goes barefoot sometimes lol
I just got a bunch of dress pants, khakis, and button down shirts from the thrift store, then got a bunch of ties. I still look professional, but my students quickly figure out that the guy wearing a tie with a donut riding a unicorn isn't going to be a bastion of academic stringency.
Does… the doughnut have legs? How is it riding the unicorn??
It has little stick legs
Black jeans, flannel, whatever pair of Vans I haven't worn through skating yet.
For my first ten years, I wore a shirt and tie every day. I felt like I had to dress up to exude an image demanding respect. Now I work in a district where almost every teacher wears jeans and a sweatshirt half the time. I adapted to the environment and I never looked back. It’s amazing being comfortable. The kids don’t respect me any differently than before. My advice? Dress as casual as your school allows. Whether that’s an explicit rule, or just the community expectation.
Nope, khaki or black jeans. Polo, button down shirt, or sweater. I haven't put on a tie regularly since pre-Covid.
I’ve seen a few people comment black jeans.
I only do suits on Fancy Friday (the first Friday of the month). I think last year, I might have done it the first day of the year too. Ties the first few days. Normally I do a long sleeve dress shirt and dockers. I do ties for the holidays or celebrations (I have a bunch of ties from my previous life). If it's an outdoor day (field day or field trip) and hot, I dress in short sleeves and shorts. If it's pajama day or beach day, I go all out, I ignore most of the other theme days.
Used to wear dress shirt and tie until Covid, now I wear chinos, untucked button down and Allbirds casual sneakers (super comfortable). Jeans day I usually wear a hoodie or a T-shirt
You can skip the jacket maybe, but the tie is the right move.
I go slacks and button up with nice dress shoes that are comfortable (think cole Hahn) I try to get no iron stretchy fabric. I want to be able to move if I have to break up a fight or whatever.
Why not just get a couple of pairs of slacks (maybe black, navy, and tan), a couple of polos, a couple of button-down shirts, and maybe a tie or two for days when you really want to dress up? Make it so all the shirts go well with all the pants and you' will have flexibility; you might be able to wear the same pants two days in a row with a different shirt and no one would know the difference. I would skip the blazer unless your school is in a cold climate or the air conditioner is sent to "Antarctica" and can't be changed, because blazers generally require dry cleaning. Make sure everything you buy is machine washable and you're good to go. Of course, also have a pair of jeans for those days when we're allowed to wear them as a special privilege and the obligatory school T-shirt. As for women who like to dress up, the easiest thing is a machine-washable dress. Always read the label before you buy; a dry-clean only garment will cost you big bucks over time even if it's on sale for a really low price, and many items that don't require dry cleaning are just as fancy.
I was reading about caring for clothing some years ago, and the recommendation was to let clothing air for a day between wearings.
\*set, not sent
Like others mentioned, I would wear slacks, dress shirt and tie M-Th, and only lose the tie on Friday. I'd have students gift me ties periodically and they'd get the biggest kick out of me wearing them later on in the year. My hint for slacks, is find some golf pants. They look as fancy as slacks but perform like athletic pants (freedom of movement, moisture wicking, breathable) ETA: I HATE picking out clothes for work, like you, and the slacks and dress shirts made that so much better. Also, nothing more relaxing than coming home and changing out of work clothes to home clothes. Helps that mental separation from work.
I gave golf pants a try until I saw how… tight they were. I tried 3 brands and they all were showing way more than I’m ok with. I’d love them if they weren’t so form fitting. The mental component is huge for me. I was blue collar for years, so it honestly makes me act more white collar at work. Plus the after work sweats are a treat!
I picked up some Greg Norman golf pants at Costco that were a little looser than the pair I picked up at the Izod outlet. I wonder if walmart has loose options. Van Heusen also had some "traveler" pants that worked very well.
I’ll check that out!
Levi's XX Chinos. 98% cotton, so much nice stretch w/o the look, and breathable.
When I taught high school honors stuff I loved rocking suits. Had a couple of nice looking cheap ones and a couple expensive ones too. I don't care about professional expectations, I just feel good in them. When I feel good I teach good. Recently switched to 5th-6th grade, and I won't wear suits anymore. I have to deal with much more filth and chaos I don't want to get my nice clothes dirty or torn. Also my new room is detached from the main building, so there more dirt, rain, and bird poop involved in my hallway duty. One staple that still remains: blazers. I have a couple of sport coats, mostly from thrift stores, that I will wear either with a nice shirt and tie OR with a funny T-shirt, often with a content related joke on it. I can still get really dressed up with that, but still wear my Costco hiking pants and work boots and it's not too weird.
Costco slacks, white shirt and a “sports coat”???? May I suggest a trip to the Men’s Warehouse? You don’t need to purchase from them, but they can at least give you some ideas, and fit you properly for clothing.
Great suggestion. Wrong sizing in any dimension tends to cause puffed out areas and/or visible tightness. Black pants = no brown shoes, with funds available for both a more formal pair and a more comfortable pair.
High school English here. I've been trying to wear blazers with khakis and chinos for the past few years. I get lots of compliments from the older ladies. And it sets me apart from my co-workers who generally ignore the dress code (which I don't necessarily begrudge, I'm just trying to take care of myself.)
I do, but most often Dockers, jacket, shirt, and tie (sometimes vest and pocket watch, too). Black Dockers with a black jacket looks like a suit. I never go into work without a jacket and tie and never wear jeans or sneakers.
I wear a t-shirt and black jeans with sneakers every day. 5 plain black tees are part of my school supply haul each year. I got this job to talk about characters and semicolons; if they made me wear a monkey suit, I’d have jumped off a cliff before they hired me. I think I’d actually off myself if they made me wear a polo. I did that back at Beat Buy as a 20-something, so they can miss me with that. I avoid suit and tie stuff as much as possible in my personal life too.
Whatever suits you 😉
When in doubt look up what Steve Harvey says for buying suits
I remember seeing that!
I wear a dress shirt, dress paints, tie, and nice shoes to work. I do this because I want to be a good role model for my students.
I like it!
My school is pretty relaxed in regards to what teachers wear, so wearing a suit would give the impression that I work at PC Penny or something. I like it that way because I avoid wearing ties as much as they can because they restrict blood flow to the brain.
Sometimes, yeah. I like to look the part
Jeans and a plaid button down, with some red wing boots.
Exact same. Lol
Iron ranger boots are hard to beat.
So comfy
I work with a guy that does from time to time. Like a couple of others I’m probably going to do less jeans this year. I’ve normally worn polos and button-ups with my jeans, but I think it’s time to return to a pre-Covid dress routine.
That’s part of my thinking. The kids seem to love the formality. I think it shows the teacher is putting in the same effort as them. (We have school uniforms.)
I live in the southwest, so even half the winter days are pretty warm. So no, no I do not wear a suit. Most days it’s casual pants and a polo or button down. Suits are impractical and bygone in my opinion, but if you want to try to rock one, go for it.
For interviews- yes. I was told I overdressed when I started virtual teaching in dress pants and a polo (told to just do jeans). Otherwkse, in my current position, it's polo, dress pants (except for virtual pd day when im in jeans , sweater)
Shirt and tie, yes. Suit? No. I would be open to it if a school wanted to go that route culture wise, however. Frugal fancy? Get a rotation of wrinkle resistant shirts and a few pairs of kakis from LLBean. Rotate out your ties to mix it up. I have 2 white and 2 blue shirts and 3 pairs of kakis. That combined with ties leaves you all sorts of straightforward combinations. Do casual Friday and wear spirit or alma matter gear. shoes? Buy nice leather ones. After they break in they last forever. Follow the care guides, grease them up and oil them, etc. Darker leather is easier because scuffs show less. Another trick is if you go lighter leather and they start to show their wear grease and oil them to a darker color. I've been wearing my Redwing boots daily for like 15 years.
Suit and bow tie, 14 years!
Bow tie is a solid choice!
Look at the Unstructured Blazer from J Crew Factory. No lining inside but it still looks nice. I get the idea of going for a uniform. I’ve moved the other direction. $20-$25 khakis from Nordstrom Rack. Cheap microfiber polos from Amazon. Costco had some tech pants from Banana Republic last week. I picked up two pair but those would like bad with a jacket.
I got a bunch of Costco slack/athletic pants. I think they geared them towards golf. I’ll check out Nordstrom rack!
I wanted to dress more fancy, then I needed up with Achilles tendinitis from walking 15k steps a day in dress boots…
Oh no! Yeah I’ll wear my running shoes no matter what. Hope you’re feeling better.
I’ll be sneakers full time going forward…
5th grade here I wear a shirt and tie about half the time, polos or dress shirts the rest (not counting Friday casual). I rarely add a jacket as our building is often on the warmer side. There isn’t a requirement to dress that way, I just like to.
I’m known for my ties. I have over 140 ties: Looney Tunes, Disney, superheroes, cool animals, nerdy stuff, etc. I wear a simple dress shirt and tie with my various Converse shoes. I don’t own or wear dress shoes or a sports jacket. I refuse to wear them, in fact, but that’s a different response. I’ve had colleagues wear sports jackets every day, and colleagues like me who don’t even own one.
Comfy shoes are non negotiable. I go for brooks running shoes. That’s a solid tie collection!
Most I go is with a nice suit vest, but that is my go-to style.
Solid look. I look like a discount Doc Holiday when I try that though.
I wear dress pants, shoes, buttoned shirt and tie. No jacket. My students call it a suit, but it is not.
My principal lets us wear jeans and a whatever shirt. Few days I'll wear a button up, a few a t-shirt. Been like this for last 15 years. Actually quite enjoyable. This upcoming school year I'm thinking of doing a star wars shirt every Monday, university t-shirt on Wednesday, and school shirt on Friday.
Instead of a jacket, rock a quarter zip sweater
I just finished my 4th year as an art teacher. I usually wear a sweater and dress pants. I haven’t worn a dress shirt since my first year and haven’t worn a tie since I was student teaching
As a fellow art teacher, do you not get all of your clothes stained? Am I just that clumsy?
My shoes get wrecked every year, but clothes are spared. Haha. Maybe it’s age group? I’m junior high 7-9.
I do 6-12, I think its me
I wear short sleeve button ups with colourful patterns and dress pants or jeans. I have about 3 pants and 8 shirts in the style that I rotate. I am an art teacher, so it feels apprlpriate as a 'uniform'
I taught 6th grade science for 5 years. I would wear a tie on the first day of school every year. Then, slacks and a polo. Now I teach elementary PE. Shorts to work every day = 💰
I wear Chino Pants from Target, dress shirts and ties. Next year I'll add a vest, I'm going for the teacher from "The Hangover" look.
Kohls has cheap sports jackets. I've had to wear them at some schools. I ended up with a torn rotator cuff from them and trying to write on the board,
Khakis and a Polo shirt....
The classic “Jake from State Farm”.
Better the PE teachers they all wear shorts....
I’d recommend Larry David-core! His sweater in the finale that looked like a blazer (specific one is absurdly expensive but bonobos has similar more affordable ones) is the most comparable for men to the classic cardigan look so many female teachers wear to dress up a more casual outfit and stay warm when they pump the ac
I wear khaki's/black pants, long sleeve shirt and tie everyday to work. I am usually the only one in a shirt and tie.
lol, I used to wear suits when I first started because I looked like a kid, but now I dress business casual and still one of the best dresses at my school. Dressing fashionable doesn’t necessarily mean you have to wear a suit.
I am one of the only teachers in my school who does not have a suit. I have nice slacks and a button-down shirt, belt. But, I am one of two who do not wear a suit to work every day.
I kinda want to, regardless of if I become a teacher or not. I just like the idea of dressing *professionally*.
I was blue collar most of my life, so it’s a nice mindset change for me. Reminds me I can’t cuss at anyone lol
I wear jeans and a polo shirt Monday thru Thursday. Jeans and a school t shirt on Fridays.
I rock a dress shirt with a plain solid coloured tie, soften that with some blue jeans and sneakers. I think a suit would cause too much of a disconnect with a lot of students. The tie helps a lot with parents and student discipline. One day I looked in the mirror and decided that I'm not wearing a polo every day on my life.
I do a dress shirt and chinos 4 days a week usually (Mon-Thu). Every other Wednesday, I don't teach but tend to lead a section of PD so I might wear my suit pants + tie. I wouldn't wear my suit jacket in our building though - it's far too humid all the time that I'd be a puddle (I've only worn it for events and interviews).
Jeans and a Polo Shirt for me 🤷♂️
I wear a suit 1-3 times a week. We have jeans days on Wednesday and Fridays. I love it. If I’m not wearing a suit, I’m probably wearing slacks, chinos, khakis, etc. Prior jobs I was in jeans and a uniform t-shirt every day, crawling around in attics and under houses. I grew to hate that. But I love wearing suits. Go to a Men’s Warehouse, get measured and get 2-3 suits, black and gray, and maybe navy or brown. Get a 3-5 different dress shirts, And then mix and match.for any occasion.
I only wear a suit for special occasions. Graduation, school closing ceremony, and if I speak at a conference or something like that.
I don't, but I did notice the uniform comment. I have like 4 work shirts and pants that I just grab off the top. They all work well enough together so idc what gets grabbed in what combo.
I used to. Then I heard backhanded comments and things being said behind my back about my attire. So I stopped. Hurt my feelings. Do you though!
I wear a suit most days. I use the dryel at home dry cleaning kits to save lots of money. Other than looking good and feeling confident wearing a suit really simplifies the morning routine, no need to worry about your outfit just grab a suit.
Only my R2D2 suit on May the 4th. That's the only one I have and 33 years of teaching.
I wore black Dockers pleated-front pants, first because they are comfortable and of a good quality, they had a more formal appearance that was attractive enough to suit me, were roomy for allowing cool air in on hot days without being drafty on cold days, were made with breathable and soft cotton, were easy to launder, and had usable pockets (not the shallow ones that dump everything when you sit). I had a much deeper roster of different colored polo shirts until I retired to SW Florida. Now, it's the same/similar polos or T's cotton with sports ankle socks to beat the heat. Socks with comfortable synthetic blends designed to wick away moisture are available, too -- for Winter and for Summer. If you take freshly laundered clothes from the dryer and immediately hang the shirts first since they show wrinkles more than black pants; , and bulky, wide hangers keep shirts from developing points at the hanger ends (inflatables are best, if you have the space). Then, fold the pants to match the creases, smooth with your hand, and fold in half to hang them at the fold. I go for simple and easy whenever possible, saving my time and energy for more interesting pursuits. I will have had dozens of extra weeks of living life before I die -- for free. Just by changing habits, optimizing routines, dropping unnecessary time wasters (12-14 weeks from not shaving unless required, and snipping at my beard/mustache for a few minutes every now and then). And I'm not at all hard-core about saving time. There are things that are not worth the change/effort for the ROI and things I haven't noticed or thought of yet. Uniform clothing is a great investment. ETA: Apologies for being long-winded.
I wear a blouse or school pride shirt with a cardigan and dark/black jeans with dressy flats daily - my male coworkers do the equivalent, or wear slacks and polos. As long as you’re put together and don’t look like a student yourself, it’s fine.
I've done "slim fit" nylon "tech"/travel pants and fitted golf polo shirts for years now. It's not "suit and tie" but it still appears clean and professional so long as the clothes don't fit you like you're wearing a wet sack (like some of my other male colleagues). As an additional bonus, you can wash it in your washing machine and it's very durable. Doesn't wrinkle easily. Doesn't stain nearly as easily as cotton or wool. I do have 3 wool/poly blend suits when I want to dress up, though. Yes, poly/wool blend stuff is considered "cheap", but I'm quite certain, if it fits, very few people are going to notice that it's not 100% wool. The poly blend stuff takes a lot more abuse, and is easier and cheaper to clean... and cheaper to replace.
Keeping up with a jacket that you basically wear from point to point before shucking it until the next leg of your daily travels might wear on you over time.
A suit is a matching set of trousers and a coat, same color and material. I would never wear a true suit to school except for a special occasion. They're too expensive. Our dress code for teachers was a bit more on the business casual side. For men, it was expected at a minimum that we had a tucked-in collared shirt into pants. Most of the time for me that meant golf pants and polo... it gets hot in South Carolina, I'm a sweaty guy, and our a/c wasn't great. I've found the slacks + shirt/tie with the sleeves rolled up an interesting middle ground between formal and casual. I like ties and have a billion of them, including some bow ties so I like to wear them. During the cooler months I'll wear a sport coat with it -- I have a solid navy, a navy patterned tweed, and a brown corduroy that I'll rotate through. The vast majority of my button-down shirts are from Kohl's. The usually do a bunch of sales and teacher discounts leading up to the school year, at least where I am. And for people who are asking "why does it matter..." if I'm not allowed to question why you want to wear jeans and a hoodie to school, you aren't allowed to question why I might want to wear a shirt and tie. Believe it or not, dress clothes CAN be more comfortable, if they're quality enough and fit you properly. And I feel better when I look more put together.
When my classroom hits 90 in the first few weeks and last few weeks of the year, I'm rocking shorts. I don't care about dress code. It doesn't affect my ability to teach. If the ladies can wear skirts/dresses to stay cool, why can't I show some ankle?
I wear a polo or t-shirt with jeans every day, I can’t imagine wearing a long sleeve dress shirt and tie ever. I had a high school teacher that dressed similar to what you are describing so it’s possible.
I sacked that off 8 years ago - I didn’t even wear a suit for my last job interview (I got the promotion).
During student teaching, I did a few times to make a good impression. Now it’s just polos, quarter zips, and sweaters during the year. I move around too much to wear a suit. I teach 3rd grade
Occasionally.. Sometimes I tell them this is how I dress when I give a test 🤣🤣🤣
I was a middle school science teacher for 9 years (now a high school teacher) And a fairly active one in the classroom at that - I'm constantly moving around. I made the decision early on to not wear suits, especially due to the lack of A/C ... Now as a high school science teacher, I've contemplated it, but I like how I dress now and the students really like it. But given that I will be teaching Chemistry (and maybe Biology) next year, I'll probably have an extra set of clothes at work so that I'm in compliance with safety regulations for the lab (which I'm now the supervisor for).
I always go in slacks, a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up a bit, a tie, and a vest. It keeps that formal look without forcing me to bother with a jacket, and it makes it easier to move about, while also giving me more freedom with color, pattern, and style so that I'm not wearing the exact same color everyday. I highly recommend it for your circumstances.
I do! The temperature especially in the fall and winter allow me to. I’m younger and have fun hair and piercings so I started wearing suits to give myself a more professional aura, then it stuck.
I like casual at times, but I love the confidence felt when dressing a little more formally.
I've worn suits to interviews, but wearing one into a school on a regular day would make me look very weird and way over-dressed compared to every other staff member. For me, the most formal I go is dress pants, collared shirt, and maybe a tie if I am really feeling it. I teach science and even when not doing labs I spend tons of time cleaning the classroom every day so I don't want to wear something super nice and prioritize looks over comfort regardless.
Fuck no
Dress pants, polo or Henley top. Occasional turtleneck. But in Florida, a suit is just a death sentence. Recess would murder me.
My first year teaching I wanted to wear a suit and tie every day. On day three, one of my seventh graders came up to me and said “you are really intimidating in that suit”. Haven’t worn one since unless something special is going on.
Not sure what you teach - but I think this could apply to any grade honestly. My fiancé teaches elementary school and has 4 white shirts and several nice pairs of pants, and about 45 ties! He lets the kids pick the tie on a rotating basis. They love it and he doesn’t need to think about outfits! Friday is casual!
I like that idea! Involving the students makes it fun.
Polo and dress pants or khakis. My first 4 years I wore dress shirts and was miserable.
I don’t know why you’d want a tie, just gets in the way, if you want to be “formal” for school these days chinos and button downs in the usual greys blues and khakis should be more than plenty. At least for middle school I feel like a jacket or tie would be irritating and in the way more than the formality is worth. Then again I wear sweatpants to work…
I haven't owned or worn a suit for over thirty years. I've never worn one to work.
Jeans and a button up or spirit wear these days. Too many nice clothes ruined my clumsy kids with markers or dirty floors or whatever. Plus it's comfier.
Nope. I dress comfortably polo, button down , math t-shirt. Then jeans or comfortable khaki pants
Hell no. I wear shorts, a polo or button up and some sneakers. Sometimes sandals.
A suit is too businesslike, students will think you are an admin, but if you want a look like that I’d get some nice sport coats. A good tweed or corduroy is nice in the fall and winter, pair that with a knit tie and that’s always a winner
We only have 180 kids so they all know me. I like tweed!
Absolutely not. Pants and a flannel in the winter and shorts and a polo in the spring and fall.
I wish more men wore suits , it's so professional and sexy. I have male co workers that wear shorts everyday and then fellow teachers wonder why we are not respected. Oh even had an art teacher wear flip flops everyday
If I were a teacher (and id be a band teacher) I'd wear a white tailcoat every single day XD White tailcoat with black dresspants and shirt and vest and then a little white bowtie to top it all XD