I am writing this in lieu of Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year to remind all first year teaching professionals of the opportunity to spruce up your wardrobe while maintaining your shoestring budget. I promise, I remember my first year teaching and how difficult it was to acquire professional clothing with my limited budget. However, since I am smart about my outfits, I stick to my work uniform and I follow my own rule: buy nice or buy twice, I’ve been able to create a professional wardrobe that suits my needs.  This post will outline two simple things that you can do to make a limited wardrobe seem fresh all year.

1. The Third Piece

The third piece is that one extra little thing that pulls an outfit together. Usually, it is an accessory or a jacket; something that makes an outfit pop just a little bit. For example, if I wore a button up shirt and a pair of ankle pants on Monday and I find myself needing to repeat that outfit again on Thursday, then simply adding a cardigan or a blazer to that outfit will change it up enough to look new. I could even use a chunky necklace or a scarf to add something extra. Simply adding one or two extra items to an outfit will make it look different and more polished. When I worked retail, we were encouraged to always wear a “third piece.” Don’t just wear a top and pants. Add one more thing to finish off your look. It will make you look much more professional, while also allowing you to stretch those wardrobe staples you invested in over the summer. You did that, right? If not, lucky you! Black Friday is today so head to the outlets! Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, and J. Crew are calling my name! How about you?

2. Capsule Wardrobe

The capsule wardrobe seems to be a very popular concept these days, but for good reason. A capsule wardrobe encourages us to use quality staples that coordinate well that we can use for an entire season. I love this idea because I don’t want to spend a ton of time or money on my clothing, to be honest. So my work wardrobe follows a lot of the same principles as a capsule wardrobe, meaning that most of my work separates coordinate.

I can literally mix and match almost anything in my wardrobe, which is great for me because I usually get up before sunrise and I sometimes literally get dressed in the dark!

Anyway, go out there, brave the masses, and get yourself some kick-ass clothing that shows your colleagues, students, and parents that you are a boss!

Class dismissed!