Student Teacher Style Essentials

This (school) year was my first of two in the Teacher Education program at the University of Ottawa. Part of the requirement was an eight week evaluated placement at a school. Despite my teachable subject being English, I was placed in a subject area class for none other than...math, grades 6, 7, and 8, as well as one class of language arts. 

During my placement, I quickly learned the unspoken rules of dressing the part of a student teacher (namely, no jeans), and today I offer some of my favourite pieces. Keep in mind that all schools are different; some portray a more casual vibe, while others tend to have a higher standard for teacher attire. As a student teacher, it is important to look nice, but not out of place. Also keep in mind that I did my placement in the winter months, so most of these essentials are tailored to that season. My next placement will be in the fall, so we will see if my essentials change with the season!

Dress Pants

Left to right: Eclipse, American Eagle, Dynamite, Noisy may

Instead of jeans, I was introduced to the world of dress pants. Aside from the wide leg / boot cut pairs, I was also able to find skinny pants that fit well but did not look like leggings. The ones on the far right are in fact jeans, but they are black and so soft that they feel like pants, so they are an exception to the no jeans unspoken rule. If you are allowed to wear jeans or if your school is more casual, I would suggest skinny or boot cut fits in dark washes. 

Dressy Tops

Clockwise from top left: Target, Zara, Dynamite, Dynamite, Smart Set (middle one)

Unfortunately, I could not find links to any of these specific tops, as they are all at least a year old (except for the one from Zara, which is not online, but it might still be in stores). Instead of traditional button down blouses, I found myself wearing more printed tops, first for comfort, and second for interest. They are easier to move around in and still look dressy and professional. Try to choose tops with interesting patterns, colours, and necklines (I love the zipper detail on bottom two). 

Sweaters and Cardigans

Clockwise from top left: Eddie Bauer, Tommy Hilfiger, Forever 21, Eddie Bauer

(similar styles here)

All Lord & Taylor except top right, American Eagle (similar)

Since it is now spring, most stores have gotten rid of their stock of cable knit sweaters and wool cardigans, but once it hits fall and winter, they will be back in stock (I know for a fact that Eddie Bauer has new wool sweaters every winter)! As I mentioned before, my placement was during the winter months, and it was COLD in the classroom, so I had to layer up as much as I could. That meant wool or chunky cable knit sweaters and cashmere / wool cardigans. To relieve some of the itch from the wool, I would sometimes wear a thin long sleeved shirt underneath. These essentials, especially the Lord & Taylor cardigans, are quite pricey, but they are worth it!

(Comfortable!) Shoes

Left to right: Payless (similar), Payless, Naturalizer (similar)

Comfortable shoes are a must for teaching, as you are on your feet pretty much all day. My footwear choices were definitely not the best during my placement, as the black flats in the middle were not very comfortable at all, even with insoles. I will continue my search for comfortable shoes in the fall! I had to change into shoes at my placement school, but if yours allows you to keep your boots on in the winter, definitely invest in a good pair!

Jewellery

Left to right: Accessorize (similar), Forever 21

Left to right: Ardene (similar), Ardene (similar), Forever 21

For accessories, I loved wearing statement or long necklaces instead of bracelets, as they were less in the way when showing something underneath the projection screen, or pointing at something on student work. These necklaces work especially well with the chunky sweaters from above.

These are all my student teacher essentials! Let me know what other essentials you have for student teaching / internships / placements!

Outfits for Work & Interviews: Dressy

When school ended and I continued the task of finding a summer job, I went to multiple interviews for a variety of different places (everything from summer camps to government positions). Even though I was overdressed for most of them, I still recommend dressing up to make a good first impression. Whether you're looking for your next job or in a position that requires a professional look, here are some ideas for dressing for success.

Blouse: Tommy Hilfiger (at Hudson's Bay)
Tank top: Garage
Pants: American Eagle
Necklace: Ardene

My go-to dressy look always starts with a good button-down shirt. I love rolling up the sleeves so I can move around, take notes, or type on the computer better. It's hard to see in the picture, but the pants are navy blue, skinny, and cuffed at the bottom. These pants are soft, comfortable, and a great alternative to basic dress pants.

Blouse: Tommy Hilfiger
Pants: Eclipse
Necklace: Ardene

You can sense a theme here...I do like Tommy Hilfiger shirts. Another great place for basic blouses is H&M- they're only $20! The other theme here is the statement necklaces- I liked wearing them in the winter with sweaters, but they're great to dress up a blouse in the summer. Paired with that I have some basic black dress pants.

T-shirt: Target
Cardigan: Justice
Pants: Smart Set
Necklace: gift

I got creative with this last outfit- I thought it would be good in the event of an interview for a creative place, or an intern in a magazine. And yes, the cardigan is from a store for teen girls (that I worked at for two years). I also like how bright these pants are for summer.

What are your favourite work outfits?

What I Wear to Work

Since I have a job for the summer, I thought I'd post what I wear on a daily basis. My work environment is pretty casual, but I still like to dress up without sporting a full suit. 

All of these looks feature different patterns- I am finally branching out from the floral!

Outfit 1: Leopard Print

Shirt: Target

Jeans: American Eagle

Cardigan: American Eagle

Lipstick: Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 11

Even though it's summer, I still wear jeans and a t-shirt, but I have updated my collection of t-shirts with different prints and styles. I also love wearing red lipstick with a leopard print. Also, my go-to pair of shoes for the summer are some light brown oxfords I bought at Payless. 

Outfit 2: Crazy Colours

Blouse: Dynamite

Jeans: American Eagle

Bangles: Forever 21

I absolutely love this blouse, yet I don't know quite how to describe this print- zigzag? Tie dye? Tribal? Whatever it is, it's something I normally would not have picked out. Aside from the pattern, I like the zipper detailing, which is a change from the normal button-down shirt. Paired with classic skinny jeans and some bangles (or bracelets of your choice), this look is also great to transition to an evening out. 

Outfit 3: Casual Friday

Tank: Ardene

Cardigan: Aeropostale

Jeans: Ardene

Necklace: American Eagle

This final look is the most casual of the three; something I would wear on Friday to dress down a little. I really like the tribal print in the shirt (which is also super soft!) mixed with the lace in the cardigan. 

I realize these outfits are probably not for everyone, seeing that my workplace is more casual than most, but I do have more outfit ideas on the way, including what I wore to my numerous interviews I had in May, as well as some summer appropriate options (think skirts and dresses). 

What do you wear to work?

September Outfits

I have a few different outfits to show you all from the past few weeks that I've been back at school. The weather has been all over the place- one day it was 25 and the next it was 15! I accommodated appropriately (except for the one day the temperature went down during the day...like really?) Anyways, here they are! :)

Shirt & Shorts both American Eagle

I wore this outfit on the first day of classes. I had an intimidating fourth year seminar, so I wanted to look classy, but at the same time, it was so warm out! I didn't accessorize; I only added some pretty brown-ish gold sandals to complete the look. 

Blouse: Eclipse

Camisole: Target

Cardigan: American Eagle

Jeans: American Eagle

Bracelets (if you can see them): handmade

And I'm back to wearing my favourite floral prints, of course :) I love this blouse because it is nice and flowing without drowning me in shapeless fabric (like chiffon tends to do)- the tie at the bottom helps with that. I finished off the look with some pink flats. 

Tunic: Dynamite

Camisole: Urban Behaviour

Leggings: Garage

Bangles: gift

In my attempt to try more prints and colours other than pink and blue, I bought this tunic as part of my back to school shopping. It didn't come with the belt, so I just took a ribbon from one of my blouses and added it on to define my waist. I didn't wear the bangles to school because that would be a bit uncomfortable while taking notes, but they would be nice for a day-to-night transition. I wore pink flats again, and a burgundy coloured jacket because it was freezing by the end of the day!

Shirt: Target

Cardigan: American Eagle

Jeans: American Eagle

Bracelet: gift

I've been meaning to try leopard print for a while, so you can imagine how excited I was when I found this top on the sale rack at Target ($6)! I paired it with some wide leg jeans this time to further vary things (since I'm always in skinny jeans), and some formal black shoes. 

T-shirt: Garage

Cardigan: special order from my school, but it's from American Apparel

Jeans: American Eagle

Scarf: Aeropostale

What do I love about fall fashion? Scarves. I have a drawer full of scarves just waiting to dress up a plain t-shirt and complete my outfit while keeping me warm. I remember seeing this scarf online at Aeropostale last fall, but I could not find it in store; then one day...it was there!!! :) That wasn't a very exciting story but you get the idea. I love scarves. 

Blouse: Bluenotes

Blazer: Eclipse

Pants: Eclipse

Scarf: gift

Necklace: gift

If you can believe it, last week I already had a presentation for one of my classes! I had to give a news report in French, and it was pretty nerve-wracking! This outfit was my attempt at colour-blocking- I love royal blue and mint together! And these pants are so comfortable- they're like knit jeggings; different from leggings in that they do have some structure, pockets, and buttons, but they're so soft that it does feel like wearing leggings. 

So that's it for now! What do you like about fall fashion?

Spring Outfit of the Day

Top: Forever 21 (recent)

Tank top: Bluenotes

Cardigan: Urban Behaviour

Jeans: American Eagle

Bracelets: handmade 

I bought this super cute top from Forever 21 last week and I absolutely love it! I don't own anything in this type of floral print (I have more small prints than large ones). The top is loose-fitting and has a super flattering rounded hemline. I was a little skeptical on buying it only because the hemline makes it a tiny bit cropped but it can be easily fixed with a tank underneath. I can never have too many florals it seems!

Easter Outfit Ideas

I'm baaackkkk!!!! Exams are done so I am now fully able to do as much blogging and fashion related things as I like for four whole months. To start off, I have some outfit ideas for Easter, whether you're going out to dinner, going to church, spending time with family, or just really want to look your best! You may recognize some pieces from earlier outfits, but that's just because they're some of my most worn items!

Outfits 1 & 2: Church

Blouse: Bluenotes

Pants: Dynamite

Necklace: This & That Axesoir

Shirt: H&M

Skirt: Jacob

Bracelets (left to right): Accessorize, Forever 21, Justice Clothing

I put these two outfit ideas together because they are both perfect for Sunday morning church. For the first option, I really like statement necklaces at the moment, but nothing too big and chunky, so I find that this one is a nice balance between the two. The second option is a bit more dressy because of the flower / ruffle detailing at the neckline. I opted for a few bracelets instead of a necklace for this one. Also, I forgot about tights, but a solid black pair would do the trick here! For shoes I would recommend some basic black heels for both options. 

Outfit 3: Family Time

Dress: American Eagle

Cardigan: Old Navy

Bangles: Forever 21

I bet you were wondering how long it would take me to put something floral in this post :P Now that it is finally spring, florals are definitely the way to go, especially for Easter. I love the corset detailing on this dress, not to mention that it is very well made. I paired it with a pink cardigan to brighten up the navy, and the bangles add some fun to the look. I would add some pink or navy flats to complete this outfit.  

Outfit 4: Dinnertime 

 

Top: American Eagle

Skirt: Simons

Necklace: Forever 21

My second favourite thing: lace. Of course I had to include it! This top is gorgeous, I've worn it out so many times and gotten a lot of compliments. The shirt is not too long, so the cute bow waistband of this bright blue skirt still peaks through. The skirt, despite its short length, has some great pluses: it's nice and thick, and, it has pockets! For shoes both heels and flats would work well with this outfit. 

Bonus: Easter Extras

I am currently loving Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh perfume. The best way to describe this scent would be...fresh! I know, descriptive, right? There's also a slight floral undertone. Seriously, how much more spring can you fit in a bottle decorated with flowers? :) My next must-have is this matte eye shadow palette from Too Faced. It has a bit of everything: browns, blues, and purples. I pretty much wear these shades all the time!

So there you have it! Hope these outfits gave you some ideas on how to look cute this Easter weekend! Happy Easter everyone! :)

Florals all week

In honour of Valentine's Day I decided to dress girly pretty much all week. Here are two of my outfits (the rest of the week looked pretty similar- you know me and my florals :P)

Top: Garage Clothing

Tank top: Forever 21

Cardigan: Old Navy

Jeans: American Eagle

Bobby pin: Forever 21

Bracelet: Forever 21

Blouse: Zara

Tank top: Urban Behaviour

Cardigan: Urban Behaviour

Jeans: American Eagle

Bracelet: gift

Eyeshadow: Maybelline Expertwear Eyeshadow quad in Designer Chocolates (I only used the rose-coloured shade)

Lipstick: Loreal Colour Riche Lip Balm in Blushing Sequin

100TH POST!!!!

I cannot believe this is my 100th post! Thank you to everyone who has been reading! Even if you discovered this blog today or last week or have been with me since the beginning, I appreciate your support! I am at over 1800 page views!

So this is a little late, but I did have some good outfits last week!

Sweater: Urban Planet

Cardigan: Bluenotes

Jeans: American Eagle

Necklace: Forever 21

Blouse: Bluenotes

Tank top: Urban Behaviour

Cardigan: Aeropostale

Jeans: American Eagle

Necklace: Forever 21

T-shirt: Tommy Hilfiger

Cardigan: Pure by Alfred Sung (Hudson's Bay)

Tank top: Bluenotes

Jeans: American Eagle

Necklace: Urban Behaviour

And now on to my outfit of the night! I went to a party on Saturday hosted by my department's student's association. It was Harry Potter themed, called the Yule Ball of course! I bought my very first LBD, and this is how I styled it!

Dress: Taylor (Hudson's Bay)

Tights: from my mom

Necklace: gift (from This & That Axesoir)

Earrings: gift

Lipstick: Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon

See this dress seems like the classic LBD, but then it has an unexpected lacy design in the back! I actually didn't notice until I tried it on!

Until my next post, stay stylish! :)

One of My Favourites

As you probably guessed from the title, this outfit is one of my favourites! I put it together back when I was in grade 12, and I still love it today!

Shirt: Garage

Cardigan: Aeropostale

Jeans: American Eagle

Necklace: gift

Since high school, I've swapped the medium blue jean for a darker, sleeker wash, and changed up my jewellery- sometimes I wear pearls, sometimes I wear something more interesting like this much worn music necklace I got from a friend a year ago. I wear the blouse tucked in, and I have a sturdy medium sized brown belt that I purchased in the fall. I also love the letting the floral pattern peek out from the sleeves of the cardigan (you know me and my florals)! Hope this outfit inspires you! :)