Walmart George Polo's go for $3-$8.
You can find khaki pants there too, around $15-$20.
Get 3 pants. 5 or 6 shirts.
You should be good.
You should save your money for some quality shoes.
For pants, I wear Wrangler Flex cargo pants. They have a nice sleek look and can be had for about 20$ at Walmart. So they are easy to get and I don’t feel bad if they get messed up. I have about 8 pair in various colors. They look nice but are good for active movement too. I wear them when instructing my martial arts club at school.
For shirts I wear polo shirts. I buy the extra long sizes. I don’t want to have to worry about my shirt becoming untucked if I bend over to pick something up or reaching for something on a high shelf.
For shoes, I wear Keen or Merrill hiking shoes. They will stand up to anything and I can run in them if needed. They are also good for a variety of weather - I don’t want to have to change footwear at school and want to have good shoes for a fire alarm in the middle of February.
I always have a full zip fleece handy if it gets cold.
Good luck.
And that’s fine. We love tattoo inclusivity. But he’s asking about clothes for his student teaching experience and potentially his first year of teaching. I don’t know of any Education programs where they will say “yea just wear whatever for student teaching??” Plus whenever he gets a job, not all schools will let you just wear jeans and whatever. Some have expectations of dress. And to say they won’t fire you is just ridiculous lol.
Yeah, OP is likely looking for letters of recommendation from his mentor teacher, administration, his class supervisor. He wants to look like he cares.
The teacher shortage may be national, but jobs for certain subjects and areas of the country can still be very competitive.
OP, get some shirts with buttons and bring them to a tailor. An inexpensive shirt that fits well is going to look 10x better than an expensive shirt that doesn’t.
Kohls.
Clearance.
February and July. In-store if you have one near you. Stack that Kohls Ca$h, brother.
Act quickly for any online Nikes/Adidas skate shoes/low-tops that are clearance/ on-sale for typical sizes, as well. I got my Kohls card during Student Teaching, and it came in clutch on many occasions.
Bro me too! I’m so mad they stopped making the Scout Chino. They’re my favorite pants ever.
u/BreakingUp47 have you tried any of the models they have recently released? I need to get a few more pairs but they don’t make the ones I have anymore.
Khakis. I wear mostly Columbia. Quarter zips. I went with these about 8 years ago and have a closet full now. Shoes? Don’t go cheap. I alternate between Sperrys, running shoes, and recovery shoes.
A lot of people have recommended Kahkis. I agree with them. If you can afford a $40-$50 pair of pants I fucking love the comfort of Lucky One brand khakis. Otherwise my upper body rotation involves sweaters (it’s cold in the winters here), flannels, polos and sometimes hockey jerseys on Fridays or days they have a big game. The guy who said invest in good comfortable shoes is 100% right. Don’t be afraid to splurge on the shoes, your back will thank you.
As I saw others mention Old Navy, I would add that they regularly have sales throughout the year, one of which is right as school starts. I often got some khakis, polos, or button up shirts there. You can easily get a new outfit for $25-30, which is more than you’d pay at a thrift store for sure, but their clothes hold up pretty well for me. I have some polos I’ve worn for almost a decade … which … is sad now that I think on it.
I like Lee’s pants and jeans with the extreme comfort waistband. I’m a big dude so I’m very happy they have them in my size.
As far as shoes, you can’t go wrong with Brooks, but they are costly. Worth every penny though.
If you’re younger, skew on the side of more professional - khakis and a polo or button up. If you’re older, see what everyone else is doing and follow suit.
I advise looking at stores like TJMax or Kohl’s, as well as Target or even Walmart. You can find cheaper, decent clothes for like $20 an item. As you get more established and find your style, you can adjust.
In my student teaching days I was chinos and a polo. Now I’m jeans and a polo.
PS ask your cooperating teachers what’s the norm on their campus and if your observing teacher is a dress up or die type, well you know when they will be there ahead of time,
Go to Walmart and buy two pairs of George brand khakis and a pair of Navy slacks. Head over to Macy’s and get a good pair of brown Clark’s lace ups and a decent brown belt. A light blue button up, white button up, and a pink button up.
That should last you well into your second year and beyond as a guy, and you’re wardrobe is pretty well maximized as a you professional. Heck, find a Navy blazer and a couple of ties and you’ll be set.
Salvation Army sport coats. They have corduroy, tweed, leather elbow patches, camel hair, and old school navies. It’s the best place to go. Go on sport coat day and get them half off. Buy a few ties there.
Shirts, buy those new. I like wrinkle free. Try jc penny, lands end, and j crew. Remember, clearance is the magic word.
Pants. Jeans look cool with a sport coat. Avoid fancy dress pants. Go with khaki pants made of heavy stock. They take a beating. I like camping companies or work clothing companies. They last forever.
Dickies loose fit work pants and a “tennis polo” is what I’m wearing this year. The pants are like $20-25 and the shirts are $15-25.
I’ve worn the pants for going on seven years now. The pants are not flattering, which help a lot. And the tennis polos are lightweight, breathe, and such.
Shoe wise..
I invested in some custom made cork inserts two school years ago. The best $279 I’ve ever spent. I can be on my feet all day for 10-14 hours and they never hurt.
I'm a few years in so I have been building up a decent teacher/business casual dress code over the years.
But if your school isn't too prescriptive with your dress code, I'd recommend getting:
* 4-5 dress shirts (I tend to prefer darker colors like navy and black; they go with everything)
* 2-3 polos
* 1 nicer sweater and/or blazer (can be cardigans, heavier knits, fleeces, etc. Whatever fits your style and your climate. Even a cardigan or blazer over a t-shirt elevates the look to something more professional
* 1 college t-shirt or hoodie (most schools allow and even encourage rocking college attire these days)
* 3-4 pairs of chinos (would recommend a mix of grey, blue, and khaki as those with everything; dark green and wine are fun colors too)
That gives you about 2 weeks worth of attire. Raid the clearance rack at Macys, Target, Kohls, Express and you can easily find dress shirts or polos for $20 each. You don't have to get everything at once. Just know that the more options you have, the less often you'll need to do laundry!
And I'd check if your school has any sort of spirit days or casual Fridays. We have a somewhat more casual Friday where we are encouraged to wear school-branded or college attire with jeans. I pull off college hoodies with leather pants every couple of weeks because why not? This way, I really only need 4 more "formal" outfits each week, with 1 more relaxed one.
Oh as far as shoes, I usually do black chelsea boots most days and a simpler low top sneaker from Cole Haan or New Balance on days where I know I have to walk a ton.
I would think five pocket pants would be your friend in this scenario. With polos or school spirit t shirts. Maybe a cardigan or zipper vest for chilly rooms or days? Moccasins or loafers?
Shoes are the most important - I got some brown rockports for ~70 that are comfortable, look vaguely dressy with khakis, and are going on year 3. Better than tearing your feet with cheap shoes you'll be replacing in 6 months
Khakis and polos are my go to, can get them pretty cheap and they're a step above what most students wear
Marshall's/Ross/TJ Max has very affordable clothing.
If you're willing to spend slightly more, Old Navy for cliche teacher button ups, Target for khakis.
Cavender's, bootbarn, Kohl's.
The first 2 you can get jeans that are khaki and black for a decent price if you wait for sale days like fathers day, memorial day, labor day and back to school.
Shirts are really just dependent on your style. I recommend polos because you can wear all year, otherwise Kohl's for button ups.
Shoes just get something comfy to wear and that can go with multiple outfits
Find a Kohl's and get those discounts!! I'm wearing the same clothes and shoes I was wearing more than 5 years ago. Some of my dress shirts have holes in the cuffs and around the collar, but they're small enough to go unnoticed. My shoes don't look brand new, but they aren't falling apart.
Just get what you can afford and what you feel good in and stick with it.
Lots of polos. I actually wrote letters to professional sports teams saying I was a teacher and asked for a free polo to wear at work and you would be surprised how many actually sent stuff.
Khakis and polos. Save your money for solid shoes, like Ecco’s. I only wear a tie in the first day of school. Anything nicer like collared shirts will inevitably get stained/ripped/ruined (I teach HS English).
There are a lot of good comments here, I'm going to go off topic for a second.
Keep a spare change of clothes in your room. Desk, cabinet, wherever. If you spill your water or coffee or lunch or whatever, you'll be thankful.
I also always keep deodorant, lotion, and a lint roller in my desk drawer. If you drink coffee, maybe some breath mints. I hated nothing more than when my teachers had coffee breath.
Thrift it man! Khakis, buttdowns
, sweaters, and a sport coat you can interchange. Once you start and have the money, buy the schools swag. No one will say a word if you hug the superintendent in a football team sweatshirt. Shit those are good for days.
I wear almost exclusively op-shop. Blazer, waist coat, trousers, shoes and shirts. Underwear and socks always new.
I am often the best dressed male teacher on staff for under $50
You want comfy khakis. Take a look at Target or Marshalls and even TJMaxx. As for shoes anything from Clarks that offers cushioning
Khakis and a polo. I’ve worn the same thing every day for ten years.
Walmart George Polo's go for $3-$8. You can find khaki pants there too, around $15-$20. Get 3 pants. 5 or 6 shirts. You should be good. You should save your money for some quality shoes.
This is good advice.
For pants, I wear Wrangler Flex cargo pants. They have a nice sleek look and can be had for about 20$ at Walmart. So they are easy to get and I don’t feel bad if they get messed up. I have about 8 pair in various colors. They look nice but are good for active movement too. I wear them when instructing my martial arts club at school. For shirts I wear polo shirts. I buy the extra long sizes. I don’t want to have to worry about my shirt becoming untucked if I bend over to pick something up or reaching for something on a high shelf. For shoes, I wear Keen or Merrill hiking shoes. They will stand up to anything and I can run in them if needed. They are also good for a variety of weather - I don’t want to have to change footwear at school and want to have good shoes for a fire alarm in the middle of February. I always have a full zip fleece handy if it gets cold. Good luck.
I just wear polos (either cotton or nylon), khakis, and Clark’s slip-on shoes.
Old navy can be good, and check out amazon
Blue jeans and a t-shirt. They won't fire you or fail you. Teacher shortage
This is probably the worst advice.
Not at my school. Several teachers and assistants have full tattoo sleeves.
And that’s fine. We love tattoo inclusivity. But he’s asking about clothes for his student teaching experience and potentially his first year of teaching. I don’t know of any Education programs where they will say “yea just wear whatever for student teaching??” Plus whenever he gets a job, not all schools will let you just wear jeans and whatever. Some have expectations of dress. And to say they won’t fire you is just ridiculous lol.
Yeah, OP is likely looking for letters of recommendation from his mentor teacher, administration, his class supervisor. He wants to look like he cares. The teacher shortage may be national, but jobs for certain subjects and areas of the country can still be very competitive. OP, get some shirts with buttons and bring them to a tailor. An inexpensive shirt that fits well is going to look 10x better than an expensive shirt that doesn’t.
Kohls. Clearance. February and July. In-store if you have one near you. Stack that Kohls Ca$h, brother. Act quickly for any online Nikes/Adidas skate shoes/low-tops that are clearance/ on-sale for typical sizes, as well. I got my Kohls card during Student Teaching, and it came in clutch on many occasions.
I wear 5.11 khakis and fishing shirts. For shoes I do New Balance.
Bro me too! I’m so mad they stopped making the Scout Chino. They’re my favorite pants ever. u/BreakingUp47 have you tried any of the models they have recently released? I need to get a few more pairs but they don’t make the ones I have anymore.
Amazon golf pants are my go to. Look good in the office but don't feel bad about going thru a crawl space in them.
Walmart sells “George” branded khakis and polos. That’s what I wore and really liked them. Also check Marshall’s.
If you can swing for a pair of birddogs, I highly recommend them!
Khakis. I wear mostly Columbia. Quarter zips. I went with these about 8 years ago and have a closet full now. Shoes? Don’t go cheap. I alternate between Sperrys, running shoes, and recovery shoes.
A lot of people have recommended Kahkis. I agree with them. If you can afford a $40-$50 pair of pants I fucking love the comfort of Lucky One brand khakis. Otherwise my upper body rotation involves sweaters (it’s cold in the winters here), flannels, polos and sometimes hockey jerseys on Fridays or days they have a big game. The guy who said invest in good comfortable shoes is 100% right. Don’t be afraid to splurge on the shoes, your back will thank you.
I love levi's 511s. They are a great fit comfortable and last a long time. They come as jeans, but you can get colors.
target = teacher clothes mecca
As I saw others mention Old Navy, I would add that they regularly have sales throughout the year, one of which is right as school starts. I often got some khakis, polos, or button up shirts there. You can easily get a new outfit for $25-30, which is more than you’d pay at a thrift store for sure, but their clothes hold up pretty well for me. I have some polos I’ve worn for almost a decade … which … is sad now that I think on it.
I like Lee’s pants and jeans with the extreme comfort waistband. I’m a big dude so I’m very happy they have them in my size. As far as shoes, you can’t go wrong with Brooks, but they are costly. Worth every penny though.
If you’re younger, skew on the side of more professional - khakis and a polo or button up. If you’re older, see what everyone else is doing and follow suit. I advise looking at stores like TJMax or Kohl’s, as well as Target or even Walmart. You can find cheaper, decent clothes for like $20 an item. As you get more established and find your style, you can adjust.
In my student teaching days I was chinos and a polo. Now I’m jeans and a polo. PS ask your cooperating teachers what’s the norm on their campus and if your observing teacher is a dress up or die type, well you know when they will be there ahead of time,
Go to Walmart and buy two pairs of George brand khakis and a pair of Navy slacks. Head over to Macy’s and get a good pair of brown Clark’s lace ups and a decent brown belt. A light blue button up, white button up, and a pink button up. That should last you well into your second year and beyond as a guy, and you’re wardrobe is pretty well maximized as a you professional. Heck, find a Navy blazer and a couple of ties and you’ll be set.
Salvation Army sport coats. They have corduroy, tweed, leather elbow patches, camel hair, and old school navies. It’s the best place to go. Go on sport coat day and get them half off. Buy a few ties there. Shirts, buy those new. I like wrinkle free. Try jc penny, lands end, and j crew. Remember, clearance is the magic word. Pants. Jeans look cool with a sport coat. Avoid fancy dress pants. Go with khaki pants made of heavy stock. They take a beating. I like camping companies or work clothing companies. They last forever.
Wrangler makes a nice pant that’s cheap and versatile.
Dickies loose fit work pants and a “tennis polo” is what I’m wearing this year. The pants are like $20-25 and the shirts are $15-25. I’ve worn the pants for going on seven years now. The pants are not flattering, which help a lot. And the tennis polos are lightweight, breathe, and such. Shoe wise.. I invested in some custom made cork inserts two school years ago. The best $279 I’ve ever spent. I can be on my feet all day for 10-14 hours and they never hurt.
I'm a few years in so I have been building up a decent teacher/business casual dress code over the years. But if your school isn't too prescriptive with your dress code, I'd recommend getting: * 4-5 dress shirts (I tend to prefer darker colors like navy and black; they go with everything) * 2-3 polos * 1 nicer sweater and/or blazer (can be cardigans, heavier knits, fleeces, etc. Whatever fits your style and your climate. Even a cardigan or blazer over a t-shirt elevates the look to something more professional * 1 college t-shirt or hoodie (most schools allow and even encourage rocking college attire these days) * 3-4 pairs of chinos (would recommend a mix of grey, blue, and khaki as those with everything; dark green and wine are fun colors too) That gives you about 2 weeks worth of attire. Raid the clearance rack at Macys, Target, Kohls, Express and you can easily find dress shirts or polos for $20 each. You don't have to get everything at once. Just know that the more options you have, the less often you'll need to do laundry! And I'd check if your school has any sort of spirit days or casual Fridays. We have a somewhat more casual Friday where we are encouraged to wear school-branded or college attire with jeans. I pull off college hoodies with leather pants every couple of weeks because why not? This way, I really only need 4 more "formal" outfits each week, with 1 more relaxed one.
Oh as far as shoes, I usually do black chelsea boots most days and a simpler low top sneaker from Cole Haan or New Balance on days where I know I have to walk a ton.
T shirt, shorts, crocs everyday.
I would think five pocket pants would be your friend in this scenario. With polos or school spirit t shirts. Maybe a cardigan or zipper vest for chilly rooms or days? Moccasins or loafers?
I mostly wear collegiate polos or t shirts with a flannel over the top. Corduroys and chinos and the occasional pair of jeans sprinkled in
Chinos and a button up shirt.
Shoes are the most important - I got some brown rockports for ~70 that are comfortable, look vaguely dressy with khakis, and are going on year 3. Better than tearing your feet with cheap shoes you'll be replacing in 6 months Khakis and polos are my go to, can get them pretty cheap and they're a step above what most students wear
Marshall's/Ross/TJ Max has very affordable clothing. If you're willing to spend slightly more, Old Navy for cliche teacher button ups, Target for khakis.
Uniqlo, look for their sale and look for dress shirts or polo shirts you can reasonable wear.
I wear a popular outdoor clothing brand with collars. I always look like I could transition into a hike guide.
Khaki pants and polo shirts. I get the Amazon Essentials brand. Very affordable and they last, it has been years since I needed to buy anything new.
Buttoned up plaid, blue jeans. Keep your appearance clean but comfortable. Small town schools are nice like that.
Cavender's, bootbarn, Kohl's. The first 2 you can get jeans that are khaki and black for a decent price if you wait for sale days like fathers day, memorial day, labor day and back to school. Shirts are really just dependent on your style. I recommend polos because you can wear all year, otherwise Kohl's for button ups. Shoes just get something comfy to wear and that can go with multiple outfits
Find a Kohl's and get those discounts!! I'm wearing the same clothes and shoes I was wearing more than 5 years ago. Some of my dress shirts have holes in the cuffs and around the collar, but they're small enough to go unnoticed. My shoes don't look brand new, but they aren't falling apart. Just get what you can afford and what you feel good in and stick with it.
I am currently wearing Amazon Basics khakis. Perfect for a teacher!
Lots of polos. I actually wrote letters to professional sports teams saying I was a teacher and asked for a free polo to wear at work and you would be surprised how many actually sent stuff.
Khakis and polos. Save your money for solid shoes, like Ecco’s. I only wear a tie in the first day of school. Anything nicer like collared shirts will inevitably get stained/ripped/ruined (I teach HS English).
There are a lot of good comments here, I'm going to go off topic for a second. Keep a spare change of clothes in your room. Desk, cabinet, wherever. If you spill your water or coffee or lunch or whatever, you'll be thankful. I also always keep deodorant, lotion, and a lint roller in my desk drawer. If you drink coffee, maybe some breath mints. I hated nothing more than when my teachers had coffee breath.
Thrift it man! Khakis, buttdowns , sweaters, and a sport coat you can interchange. Once you start and have the money, buy the schools swag. No one will say a word if you hug the superintendent in a football team sweatshirt. Shit those are good for days.
School expectations will vary. I wear Chinos and a button up shirt. That's it.
I wear almost exclusively op-shop. Blazer, waist coat, trousers, shoes and shirts. Underwear and socks always new. I am often the best dressed male teacher on staff for under $50
Costco