Well, it's happened for the first time this school year. Two weeks have gone by with no new posts from me, and what a two weeks it has been.
The first postless week was due to complications from the new course I'm taking - have I told y'all about it? I truly can't remember. Anyway, I'm getting gifted certified, which is an addition to my teaching certificate so requires a full-out course. That course started September 9, but for who knows what reasons, I was unable to access to online classroom to see the first three assignments, which were due this past Monday. When I did finally get access to the classroom, my focus was on those assignments that I now had less than three days to complete and turn in, and y'all should remember from last year that I like to get things done as far in advance as possible!
Last week was just not a good week. The moon was full, the students were wild, and some other things I can't talk about happened that made this blog the very last thing on my mind. Plus, I had to write a paper for my second gifted assignment. This assignment gave me a little too much freedom and my former-gifted-student self ended up down a rabbit hole of research because I was allowed to pick the one that interested me most. Two hours later I had six pages of notes for a one-page paper. Rookie mistake.
Sizing info: I'm 5'2" and weigh about 140 lbs. I usually wear size 6 or s/m in clothes and 7 in shoes.
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When I saw this cargo skirt at Target, I knew I had to try it on. I love this style because I am a child of the 90s, but it's tough to find cargos of any kind that don't add bulk to my hips because I'm so short. This skirt on the rack gave me, so I tried it on and fell in love. The cargo pockets aren't super bulky and they're lower on my thighs than cargos tend to be. This has a traditional button-and-zipper waist but with some elastic in the back, which I appreciate. It's got buckle straps at the waist for some added fun, and a slit in the back to help with movement. On me, this skirt was about ankle length. I got this in a medium because this brand is a juniors brand so it's cut a little different than women's clothing, and honestly, I usually end up with a large with them, but the medium was a great fit.
I paired it with my favorite book fox tee that I've had for a bit. This is the medium. It's a fitted style, but you can get it in men's or youth sizing. It comes in a couple other colors. I finished the outfit with my comfy black canvas sneakers.
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I think this was the last time I wore sandals, although technically it's still warm enough to wear them. This outfit should look familiar. I showed it in my teacher try-on haul last month and finally wore it in real life a couple weeks ago. It got all the reactions expected of an outfit this colorful.
In contrast to how I showed this outfit in the try-on, I decided to not tuck the sweater for school. Comparing the two pictures now, I like the tucked version better, and I don't love the sandals. I don't know what other shoes I would have worn though. The pants are long enough that I need to wear shoes with a little bit of height to them, but I think the sandals are too much white.
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This might be my favorite outfit of the post, although I remember not feeling that way about it in person. I felt like the colors were just a little blah, but looking at it now, it's just such a pretty combination.
These pants were also part of my teacher try-on haul. After wearing them for a full day, I'm glad that I decided to stick with 6 and not size up to an 8. If I'd gone with the 8, I think they would have stretched out too much and ended up being too loose. These are a trendier wide-leg style but not so wide that I feel like I'm swimming in them. The cropped length helps with that, as well.
I paired them with this navy blue, floral-print blouse from a couple of years ago. It's a classic cut shirt that fits me really well. I can tuck it or wear it loose. I looked for similar options but couldn't find anything that really fit the bill.
I decided to bookend the outfit with my navy flats. I own these flats in a bunch of colors. These are just a basic flat with a classic silhouette.
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For this outfit, we're going to focus on the shoes. I've been so on the fence about Mary Janes. I remember the last time these were popular. I didn't really like them then either, but I keep seeing them on some of my favorite bloggers and they look so cute. So when these went on sale during Labor Day, I said what the heck and ordered a pair.
Okay, so on first inspection, these flat Mary Janes are very cute. After wearing for the first time, I'm not so sure about them. They look cute on, for sure, but the shoes themselves are very stiff. I have very narrow feet and find these to be almost too tight. They are not too small, though. By the end of the school day, my feet were crying. I had major blisters on my heels, and my big toe on my left foot still hasn't recovered, though I'm not sure how to explain it appropriately. It's not a blister, but it feels like a bone-deep bruise or something. I'm not giving up on them yet. I think they might just need to stretch out, so I'm going to wear them with thick socks to see if that helps.
My skirt and sweater are old favorites that have made many appearances here on the blog. Both are still available.
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Here's another teacher try-on haul outfit. I've decided to start calling this sweater my granny sweater. It reminds me of my mema so much. Honestly, when I ordered it, I expected the sweater to be more fitted than it actually is. I don't hate the loose fit; it just gives a different vibe than if it was more fitted. I mentioned in the try-on post that it has an open weave, so when I wore it for real I did layer a camisole up under it. I think if I was not a teacher, I wouldn't worry about a base layer as much, but with middle schoolers I'm not taking any chances. I also decided not to front-tuck it, but mostly because I was having a little bit of a stomach issue and it was more comfortable untucked.
These pants are the same as the khaki-colored ones from earlier in the post. I have a ton of green pants because they always seem to be in style. Most of them are an olive green shade. These are lighter and have a little bit of fading to them, which I like. They're also a wide-legged, cropped style, which I don't have in green of any shade. I think I'll wear these pretty much year-round.
If you had told me that one day I'd be wearing a pair of cargo parachute pants, I probably would have laughed, but these are not the parachute pants of my past. I absolutely love this pair. They remind me of a pair of green Umbro cargo pants I had way back when. As with the cargo skirt I showed earlier in the post, these cargo pants don't have super bulky pockets, and the pockets are situated further down my thighs, so I'm not carrying extra bulk. They also have other fun details like buckles and ties at the bottom. They're a traditional button-and-zipper front closure, but the back of the waist is half elastic, which is almost a must-have for me in pants these days. These also come in a light khaki color (I didn't like it, but you might).
My shirt is one of my favorite book shirts - Frog and Toad from The Wind in the Willows. One of my students even recognized it and told me he liked it. I kept my shoes simple and comfortable. I really felt like a walking 90s ad this day, but I'm pretty sure this was my students' favorite outfit of the year so far.
I really enjoyed this outfit, even if the skirt didn't want to lay nicely all day. First things first, my blazer is really old. It's also not a trendy cut, but I don't like oversized blazers so I will not be jumping on that trend. Second thing second, my shoes are a few years old, but they're still available and worth every penny. They are my most comfortable flats and what I reach for when I don't know what shoes to wear.
The rest of this outfit was featured in my fall inspiration post from two weeks ago. The skirt is part of Old Navy's pixie line, which means it's a nice stretchy, thick material. It is lined, and the liner is attached to the shell, so you don't have to worry about it riding up or anything like that.
This is technically a mini skirt, but I'm short so minis tend to be about knee-length on me. You can't see it in the picture, but it has a small slit on the left side. It also has a side zipper and eye-hook closure.
It is very stretchy material and fits snugly. I got the medium. It fits pretty exact, so I probably will not dry the skirt to prevent shrinking, which most of their pixie line does. Because of the stretchy material and snug fit and how much I move during the day, I did find myself constantly readjusting it either by pulling the hem down or flattening the waistband. I think in a less mobile atmosphere, this wouldn't be a problem, and I don't think sizing up is the answer.
My t-shirt says hopeless romantic in a reddish-brown color. It's not a perfect match to the skirt, but it was close enough and worked with the blazer. I always get medium in Old Navy's tees.
This was a fun outfit. My skirt is actually on clearance, but it's still available online in most sizes. It was pretty slim pickings in the store. It's hard to tell because of the belt, but it is a button-and-zipper front closure. The back of the waist is elastic so it's got movement. As you can see, it does have pockets. The material is linen. I got it in a medium because it's a slimmer a-line than I'm used to.
My t-shirt is actually from early in the summer. It's skeleton cowboys with "Let's get rowdy" written in cursive underneath. The design has just enough pink in it to match the stripe of the skirt. Surprisingly, this is still available in all sizes. I'm wearing a medium.
If this outfit looks familiar, it's because I've worn a version of it before, except that go 'round the overalls were shorts. Truth be told, I just wanted to be comfortable on the last day of what was a pretty rough week, and I didn't feel like wearing blue jeans.
These overalls are a teacher's dream. They're easy to move in and go with almost anything. I've worn these with boots, sandals, and now sneakers. I've dressed them up with a frilly blouse and kept things casual with a graphic t-shirt. I also own them in yellow.
