More to Mrs. E

New England Based Teacher DIY, Beauty and Style Blogger

The Leggings You Need for Work

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Teacher Work Outfit Polka Dot tunic leopard accessories

Leggings for Work

I know what some of you are thinking, “Leggings for work! There’s no way leggings are appropriate for work!” I have been in that camp for awhile so I don’t blame you! I work with High School students on a daily basis and part of maintaining my authority in the classroom is dressing appropriately. But as a teacher, there comes a point where you just need to be comfortable! Do ya feel me?

When I went back to the classroom as a full-time teacher in December I was putting in long hours. As much as I love pencil skirts and dresses for work, there comes a point where – on days with lots of planning and grading – you just need a comfortable work outfit that allows for a lot of movement! It’s pretty hard to sit cross-legged doing my grading in a pencil skirt and let me tell you, skinny jeans aren’t really made for that either! Ha!

What to Look For in Leggings for Work

A lot of the teacher bloggers I follow on Instagram feature leggings pretty often but there are different norms for different levels of teaching. In Elementary school I can see more leeway for leggings but in High School, when you teach students whose hormones are doing the boogaloo, it’s a lot more tricky. In New England the dress code for teachers is much more formal (in Bellevue I got away with wearing distressed jeans to work!) but formal shouldn’t have to mean boring and uncomfortable.

I scoured Amazon and Jane for leggings that I could pull off at work. I tried 4 different pairs of leggings and concluded that the key to work-appropriate leggings are the following:

  1. They have to be thick enough to wear more like pants than like leggings – ie: supportive in back and not showing every little thing underneath.
  2. They have to have pockets on the back and seams down the side so that they look more like regular skinny jeans than leggings.

Two of the pairs I ordered had no pockets on the back. Though they looked classy on the front, they had limited use since I didn’t feel like I could wear them without a long tunic. The pair I am wearing above (and also wore in this post) are the perfect work appropriate leggings. They are light-weight, comfortable, supportive, and with the pockets and side seams – look just like a pair of skinny jeans.

How to Wear Leggings for Work

My key for wearing work appropriate leggings in the High School work environment is to:

  1. Dress them up with heels
  2. Wear them with a longer blazer or cardigan

Making the rest of the outfit more formal takes the attention away from the more form-fitting bottoms and with the pockets in the back and seams on the sides, you may not even be able to tell that they’re leggings instead of colored skinny jeans! Voila! A comfortable outfit with leggings that are appropriate for work!

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So now, tell me, would you wear leggings to work? Let me know in the comments below!

Stores to Shop for Teacher Clothes

Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to download your FREE list of the best places to shop for work/professional clothes by clicking the image above!

-Virginia

 

Linking up with: More Pieces of Me | Sincerely Jenna Marie | Style Sessions | The Pleated Poppy |Pumps and Pushups | The Red Closet Diary | Twenties Girl Style | Elegance and Mommyhood | Living in Color   | Stylin’ in St. Louis | Passion 4 Fashion  | Friday Favorites | Fab Favorites | The Fashion Canvas | Cassie Rae

Comments

  2. Stacey says

    I would definitely wear those to work! Your outfit looks fantastic…proving once again that teachers are the most fashionable. 😉

    Reply

  3. Ada says

    I agree Virginia, those leggings are quite perfect for work. You styled them so well. =) Love all the pops of leopard and the mix of the large polka dots.

    Welcome by tomorrow and linkup with me pretty lady. =)

    Reply

    • Virginia says

      Thanks Sarah! I used to gravitate away from pink because I hadn’t embraced my girly side but now I have a hard time pushing myself to buy something OTHER than pink!! It’s just such a happy color!

      Reply

  9. Kristin says

    Thanks for doing the dirty work and finding the best pairs! I work in a business casual environment so I can’t wear jeans, but in the winter (in Germany…it gets cold and snowy!) I need to be able to wear long boots over my pants to stay warm. These are a great solution to that! I definitely agree on the thickness, seams, and wearing longer tops to cover them.
    -Kristin
    countdowntofridayblog.com

    Reply

    • Virginia says

      No problem! I had the same kind of challenge with the cold this year – I’m new to New England and the cold in New England just shocked my poor legs! Pencil skirts were definitely out until spring and I felt supremely ridiculous trudging from the car to my classroom with snow boots on over my dress pants. These leggings are seriously great…and I love that they come in so many different colors!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

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