Simple Style

[TxZen]

Here is what I wore to an event the other evening. I work in marketing and PR, so I am on my feet for 3-4 hours at minimum during an event. I have to look polished yet be able to move around and do my job. I think I have found the right balance.

The dress is Calvin Klein, basic sheath style, with faux leather trim and animal print. The cuff is a simple blingy one I bought for $5. Earrings are my studs from 3 Christmas's ago. I wear them 100% of the time. I wore simple black ballet flats with this.


I have eliminated a lot of jewelry from my life, other than my wedding rings, anniversary ring and few long necklaces (3). I also have 2 fancy watches that I switch around and a charm bracelet. I own no other earrings other than my studs. I used to love necklaces but now find them annoying to wear, so I only wear the very long ones and most of the time, I forgo them. When you have to carry around programs and are moving stuff, they are in the way and cumbersome.

I have worn these CK dresses for a long time. I buy them on sale and absolutely love them. Simple and classic. I own mostly black ones (about 9 I counted), but have a hot pink, a black and yellow/white one, charcoal grey and blue pinstripe. I have literally worn one for almost 4 years now and it is holding up lovely. I wear ballet flats because I can no longer wear heels due to my arthritis. I am trying to be kinder to my body. I buy 3 pairs of black ballet flats each year and I have other 4 pairs-2 neutral and 2 animal print. On occasion, I might were event specific clothing, such as a jersey or whom ever is sponsoring that evening, with jeans and my converse sneakers. I have 4 pair of them- 1 black blingy, 1 hot pink, 1 navy and 1 white. I also have a few pair of cowboy boots to wear also, if allowed. It all depends on the event and mood.

I have found that simplifying my wardrobe, including my jewelry, has eased my life tremendously.

[Polliwog]

I think it is great what you have done with your wardrobe and very classy. When I worked (law firm) it was always a pain to figure out what to wear.

Linda

[TxZen]

Thanks Linda. It took me 20 years in corporate to figure it out. LOL

[catherine]

Lovely dress, GreenMama. I have simplified my wardrobe by sticking to 4 colors: main colors: black, tan. Accent colors: Red, periwinkle blue. One of my favorite business clothing stores is White House Black Market, because they simplify the color scheme, and they have classic styling, good construction.

I've already worn a dress I bought this fall several times. I remember one day when I went to church, one of the elderly ladies there commented to me, "I love your dress. You've worn it several times, and I always think it looks nice." I don't mind wearing the same dress. I'd rather wear a really nice dress often than a bunch of so-so dresses now-and-then. DD is always trying to get me to buy clothes, but I'm happy with what I have.

[bekkilyn]

I'm actually feeling a bit anxious about this topic myself. After a few years of working just barely within the dress code of the company where I was previously employed, I quit to go back to school to get certified as a math teacher. I will be doing some fieldwork in a school as well as student teaching next year and I'm baffled as to what to do about a wardrobe. I'd like to have a few "uniforms" that consist of *sturdy* khaki pants, some sort of top, and a blazer, along with black, *comfortable* shoes. Where can I find a reasonably-priced assortment of these sorts of clothes that won't require hours and hours of shopping and running all over (I hate shopping) and won't cost an arm and a leg? I want to look professional, but want to be able to move freely, do squats, etc. and have plenty of pockets. I already have plenty of "dressy" dresses and suits that I could wear to interviews and special occasions, but I definitely don't want to wear those day to day!

Although I don't want to buy dresses, I love the idea of being able to find a simple dress like that and then just have a bunch of them to wear. I hope to be able to do something similar with my "uniform" idea above.

[Dhiana]

I finally broke down a couple of months ago and spent quite a bit to completely replace my wardrobe. Most of it is from the same company I have been wanting to order from for the last 6 years!

For years my wardrobe has been cobbled together from pieces obtained at thrift stores, really really free markets, and what little I could find here in Japan that sort of fits. While it was a bit pricey to do this, I know that I have had a near zero clothing expenses for years.

Now I have 10 super simple, comfortable mix and match pieces that fit both me and my life.

[TxZen]

Rebecca- do you know the dress code where you will be working? I see Teachers in everything, from leggings and a shirt to dressed up. I shop at Nordstroms, on the sales racks. Seriously- my $75 CK dress (original $156) has lasted me 4 years, with care. I found that brand fits my body style. I have shied away from too many mix and match- pants and tops- because I was always stressed out. Wearing ballet flats has increased my love of dresses immensely. NO insane heels to deal with. :) I also have some wrap dresses that I love and I buy structured slips for underneath everything. I counted and I have 5- just wear, wash in sink, dry. Lasted me a long time- need that body armor. :)

[bekkilyn]

I don't specifically know the dress codes, but I do know that as a student teacher, I'll need to be a bit dressier than jeans and t-shirt, but very likely wouldn't be required to wear suits and dresses every day. I'm shooting for something in-between. I also *really* don't like dresses! I really only wear them for dress-up when I have to pretend to be a proper female. :)

Honestly, I'd be happy as a clam if I could wear thick pants, *warm* shirts (the AC is cranked up *high* around here all year round and I'm always freezing), and big, clunky boots.

[TxZen]

How about nice wool blend pants and a nice simple top? With some cute ballet shoes. You could throw on a little sweater if needed and if you buy lined pants, you will get more wear.

[herbgeek]

My work uniform is typically pants and a sweater. I have black, grey and tan pants, with more colors for tops but primarily black, red, blue, pink. Almost every top goes with almost every bottom. The vast majority were purchased at a consignment shop, where I typically find nicer stuff, and more well cared for stuff, than at a thrift store. I'm too cheap to buy Ann Taylor and Talbots at retail prices but at my consignment store, items tend to be in the 10-15 dollar range. Plus, I can see how the item stands up over time. Some items on the rack look crappy once they are washed.

No dresses for me, I refuse to buy and wear hose except for special events (nice dinners out).

[bekkilyn]

This is kind of the look I'm envisioning, but without the heels or the need to roll up the pant cuffs. http://www.thefashionthinktank.com/trendy-khaki-pants-for-women/khaki-pants-for-women-with-blazer/

It seems like any sort of boot or shoe would work well with this sort of outfit. Just not sure where to easily find clothes like this since everywhere I look I'm overwhelmed with options that I mostly don't like.

[pinkytoe]

I get a kick out of lookliing at www.theviviennefiles.com for ideas. She has very inventive ideas about combining colors but keeping it simple. I couldn't afford most of what she posts but appreciate the classic European styles.

[kib]

I get a kick out of lookliing at www.theviviennefiles.com (http://www.theviviennefiles.com) for ideas. She has very inventive ideas about combining colors but keeping it simple. I couldn't afford most of what she posts but appreciate the classic European styles. That was extremely interesting. I went here to the "starting from scratch" instructions http://www.theviviennefiles.com/p/starting-from-scratch.html At first i thought all the color palettes were terrible, but as she began building wardrobes I could quickly see what I was drawn to and understood the color concepts better. Would be interesting to run through my existing wardrobe and see if i could make some cuts and connections using her method.

[Zoe Girl]

I'm actually feeling a bit anxious about this topic myself. After a few years of working just barely within the dress code of the company where I was previously employed, I quit to go back to school to get certified as a math teacher. I will be doing some fieldwork in a school as well as student teaching next year and I'm baffled as to what to do about a wardrobe. I'd like to have a few "uniforms" that consist of *sturdy* khaki pants, some sort of top, and a blazer, along with black, *comfortable* shoes. Where can I find a reasonably-priced assortment of these sorts of clothes that won't require hours and hours of shopping and running all over (I hate shopping) and won't cost an arm and a leg? I want to look professional, but want to be able to move freely, do squats, etc. and have plenty of pockets. I already have plenty of "dressy" dresses and suits that I could wear to interviews and special occasions, but I definitely don't want to wear those day to day!

Although I don't want to buy dresses, I love the idea of being able to find a simple dress like that and then just have a bunch of them to wear. I hope to be able to do something similar with my "uniform" idea above.

I work in education and I say that sounds good. I actually almost never wear dresses ( I do after school) unless I have something like tights underneath. And nothing that would be an issue bending over a student desk. There are a couple pinterest boards you can follow that have great simple ideas. I would dress up from jeans, maybe colored jeans/pants and a simple top with a scarf or jewelry. Check out your school, our principal wears colored jeans and converse, some classrooms are cold and teachers wear coats, others are super warm. Layers if you start subbing are important! You never know what you are walking into. And I keep a pair of tennis shoes somewhere, car or room, sometimes I need to take kids out for an active game.

Good luck!

[Float On]

Very nice.
I just found a lady on Youtube yesterday who has 8 black dresses, a couple sweaters, 2 3/4 sleeve dressy shirts, 2 pair shoes, 2 t-shirts, 1 yoga pants. She showed how most dresses looked great turned around giving her 16 dress looks instead of 8.

[bekkilyn]

I work in education and I say that sounds good. I actually almost never wear dresses ( I do after school) unless I have something like tights underneath. And nothing that would be an issue bending over a student desk. There are a couple pinterest boards you can follow that have great simple ideas. I would dress up from jeans, maybe colored jeans/pants and a simple top with a scarf or jewelry. Check out your school, our principal wears colored jeans and converse, some classrooms are cold and teachers wear coats, others are super warm. Layers if you start subbing are important! You never know what you are walking into. And I keep a pair of tennis shoes somewhere, car or room, sometimes I need to take kids out for an active game.

Good luck!

Thanks Zoe! Do you have links to those Pinterest boards? I need all the help I can get! :)

I did find a pair of black oxford shoes with good treads on Amazon that I ordered that appeared to have both comfort and potential to go with any of the outfits that I have been envisioning, so I'll see what they really look and fit like when they arrive. Free return at least if they don't work.

[Zoe Girl]

I looked at my pinterest board and it was from a lot of different people, however one blog looked good. It is Trendy Tales of a Teacher. Obviously the blogger is aware of cost on a teacher budget and things seem comfortable and classy,.

Good luch

[bekkilyn]

Her pintrest and blog look great! I was thinking about checking Target, but it looks like she's gotten a lot from Kohl's. I'd forgotten all about Kohl's, so might be worth a look there too!

[mschrisgo2]

I went back into the classroom this year after working in private learning centers for 6 years, and I am finding dressing for work a challenge! In the learning centers I was required to wear "professional dress" i.e. suits, dress shoes, etc. so I have that wardrobe, at least enough to get me through about 10 days before I repeat an outfit. That was fine there because I didn't work with students very long, most of their programs were 6 to 8 weeks.

Now the kids see me for 182 days, and I work with a much younger teaching staff, mostly early to mid 30's and they dress Very Casually for work, lots of blue jeans, tanks, tees, sneakers, jackets from the sporting goods stores, etc. When school started in August, everyone was wearing shorts, tanks, and sneakers! I settled for crop pants and tees and sandals.

I've gone to a sort of uniform, but I need to buy a few more pieces: black and navy blue polyester twill pants from JCPenney, a variety of shirts and tees and dressier blouses, a pair of short black boots, a pair of brown Clark loafers, a couple of sweaters.

I like the look of khaki's, but find them impractical (dry erase marker doesn't show on black or blue, lol) Also, I wear mostly blues, greens, and purples in my tops, so this works, color-wise.

Shoes have been a challenge. I'm working in a brand new building and the new linoleum is very slippery. I've had to give up on wearing a couple of pairs of leather shoes, and go mostly for the Clarks that are, oh, so comfortable, and have rubber soles. Also, my boots aren't comfortable after a few hours, so I'm looking to replace them, too, (at least for work, they're fine for wear-around).

My classroom is too hot, but other areas of the building are cold, so having a sweater or jacket is always important. But I'm finding my unconstructed blazers too formal... yes, it is a challenge.

[JaneV2.0]

...

Shoes have been a challenge. I'm working in a brand new building and the new linoleum is very slippery. I've had to give up on wearing a couple of pairs of leather shoes, and go mostly for the Clarks that are, oh, so comfortable, and have rubber soles. Also, my boots aren't comfortable after a few hours, so I'm looking to replace them, too, (at least for work, they're fine for wear-around)....

I bought two pairs of Clarks boots this year: a pair of brown short lace-up boots with a side zipper, and classic black ankle boots. They have an excellent selection--even some moto boots.