Shopping with Teacher Fashionista

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I’m Jules, a teacher and fashion-blogger in Scottsdale, Arizona. I am currently in my 11^th year of teaching in elementary school, and feel so fortunate to be impacting young children, our future leaders. I grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota loving the snow, riding cows, and being a total tomboy. My sisters and I were obsessed with what our teachers would wear and we would talk about it every day. My sisters and I live so far apart now, so I started an Instagram account dedicated to sharing my daily “teacher outfits” to keep the tradition going. What started as an easy way to share my daily outfits with my sisters, surprisingly grew into what it is today – not just Instagramming, but now also blogging.

I started shopping at Goodwill and thrifting in general for quality, name brand denim and work pants. I always thought that as a teacher, you can’t go wrong finding clothes that look nice, but don’t cost a pretty penny when tomorrow a Kindergartener might spill paint or walk around with a marker. Over the past couple of years, I have gone to Goodwill for furniture, too. My husband likes to refurbish pieces and has sanded and repainted some for our house and for my classroom. When Goodwill reached out to me to see if I would like to put together some outfits from one of their stores in the Valley, I was very excited about the opportunity. I have really worked at making my blog and Instagram a place for affordable as well as re-wearable styles – and Goodwill is a great place to make that happen.

Today I am sharing how I shopped at Goodwill for work wear, along with one weekend look. I put together a few casual outfits that I enjoy wearing day to day as a teacher. I also found a few dressed up ones in case you work in a corporate office, have an important meeting to attend, or host parent-teacher conferences and want to be more dressed up.

My Method to Shopping at Goodwill

Here are my top three tips:

• Search for brands you like and already know fit and sizing, and when something catches your eye, put it in your cart.
• Try it on! When in doubt, no matter where I shop, things always look different on me than on the hanger. Sometimes what looks quite “average” hanging on the rack is something you’ll fall in love with once you get it on!
• Think of things in your closet that you love, and hunt for complimentary pieces. This will stretch your wardrobe without spending a lot on a whole new outfit. Sometimes switching up one thing can create an entirely new look look.

DRESS IT UP with Goodwill

Look 1: Dress Pants, Blouse, and Blazer

When I browse through the pants section, I look for pants I normally wear to work: skinny dress pants, ankle dress pants, barely boot dress pants, or thick colored jeggings. If I find some, I start looking at labels to see if it’s a brand I know for fit, and then I check the color and style to see if it is “me.”

Look 2: LBD and a Duster Cardigan

When I hit the dress racks in Goodwill, I like looking for prints that catch my eye and can easily be paired with something else I already own like a blazer, jacket, or cardigan. I also always search for a solid-colored dress, as that can look more professional and dressed up.

GET CASUAL with Goodwill

Look 3: Moto Leggings and a Tunic Sweater

I am so glad these moto leggings are still trending! I have been wanted some, so these were a no-brainer for me. I wear black pants, jeggings, and even leggings to work in the winter with long tunics or duster cardigans, and this tunic I found at Goodwill went so cute with them – I just added a scarf!

Look 4: Olive Skinnies and a Striped Shirt

If you have followed me for any length of time, you have seen me styling olive or green pants with stripes often on my Instagram feed. I can’t get enough! The darker green color of these skinny pants drew me in, and when I saw the tan stripes, I knew they’d be an instant pair.

WEEKEND STYLE with Goodwill AZ

Look 5: Print Dress and a Denim Jacket

This print is nice and versatile. Dress it up for a night out with heels and a black blazer, and dress it down with a denim jacket and favorite sandals or booties for a day look. I added a belt to give it some flair, and love how the outfit turned out!

Which look was your favorite? I’d love to hear your feedback or style ideas with the things I found! Have you ever found a Goodwill or thrifted gem? What was it? Leave a comment 😊

Thanks for stopping by to read! XO

*This post was created in collaboration with Goodwill, and I was given a shopping spree in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.