This posts provides teacher outfit ideas for the upcoming school year.

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Do you remember your favorite teacher? The one(s) who pushed you, challenged you, supported your “crazy” ideas, and encouraged you to do things you thought you couldn’t?
I’ve had a few of them and even at my age I remember them vividly and how they affected my life. For how pivotal these people can be, I have no idea why we don’t pay them more. Name something more important than educating our kids?
I can’t think of anything besides keeping them healthy and safe, which teachers do as well. So today, I’m dedicating my blog to all you teachers out there. I see you. I have so much respect for you. And I want you to feel as stylish as possible when you head into the classroom each day.
As many teachers return to work over the next couple of weeks, I hope you can use this post as inspiration for stylish, comfortable, practical, and affordable outfit ideas.
What kind of clothes should teachers wear?
Aside from any dress code, your school may have, teachers should wear things that are:
- comfortable
- allow them to do their jobs
- show their personality and style.
This doesn’t mean you should wear clubwear to the classroom, but you can add fun pieces that show your students you have a life outside of the classroom.
What do elementary teachers wear?
Comfort and coverage are key as you are often on the ground, stooping down to get on your students’ level. Teaching this age also comes with the threat of things getting dirty. I’d avoid light colors, delicate fabrics that are hard to clean, and anything tight or restricting.
Sturdy fabrics, dark colors, and comfy shoes are the elementary school teachers’ go-to. And, fun bold pieces are most appreciated by this age group. Think colorful clothes, bold necklaces, fun patterns, and animal print anything.
Where are some good places for teachers to shop?
There are lots of good places to find stylish clothes for teacher outfits. I’ve included a few here today in the post and this post has some great ideas as well. I’ve pulled together some ideas that you can use as a formula and recreate from your closet. Or, if you need you can pick up a special thing for the new school year. Here are some of the retailers I included today:
Cute teacher outfit ideas
I’ve got 5 outfit ideas for you to start with, make them your own. Add a scarf, belts, earrings, or anything that puts your stamp on these ideas.

A simple dress with a fun pattern is a great statement piece. Pick out a color or two to use for accessories and shoes to tie it all together. You can also add a knit blazer like this one or a denim jacket. Wrap a scarf in a coordinating color for cool mornings and you’re all set.

Go monochromatic, but make the top or bottom in a bold pattern. The contrast of the deep green is fun as well. I added the bracelet to tie in with the shoes. All eyes will be on you in the classroom in this outfit.

A prep school look for the teacher. The boxy pinstripe blouse is a classic with some flair. The pleated skirt with ballet mules and peals is traditional as well. The belt bag is a great way to make this look fresh, and what teacher couldn’t use a quick place to store pen, chalk, or keys to the school.
Casual Friday teacher looks

Lots of bold color and pattern mixing in this look. Big bold color with the bottom, then add a contrasting colored top. The scarf has stripes in various colors and the smaller scale of the stripe makes it a perfect pattern to mix with the t-shirt. Add a denim jacket, tennis shoes and fun canvas bag and you’re ready for anything the school day has to throw at you.

This floral blouse with the cuffed sleeves is so cute, and could be worn with any of the bottoms shown here. For a casual Friday look, add a sweater vest for the cooler fall days, flared jeans or pants, and a chunky loafer.
How to execute teacher outfit ideas all school year long.
Use these outfit ideas as formulas. Plug in different tops and bottoms to each formula for a new outfit. Be sure to mix and match the things you have from formula to formula. For example, how cute would the yellow polka dot shirt be with the pink skirt or jeans?
- The striped oxford with the pink skirt.
- The striped t-shirt with the navy short skirt.
- Or, the floral blouse with any of the bottoms.
Be sure to try different combinations. Explore and play with your clothes, and don’t forget to add your personality to each outfit you wear. This is crucial when creating your unique style. Let me know in the comments which outfit you’ll be trying out this school year.