Let Your Outfit Help Your Attitude

April 10, 2017 by Virginia 26 Comments

Ok friends, I have been dying to write this post because a few weeks ago I stumbled across (and impulse bought…) these incredible, bright, comfortable suede loafers! There is just something about a pair of flashy shoes that makes me happy – and that’s what I want to talk to you about today! I am a firm believer that your outfit can help your attitude!

Early on in my teaching career I learned the power of an outfit that could shape my attitude. It’s important that I have a positive attitude when my students walk in the door. This is not an easy thing to do when you’ve had very little sleep and a stack of grading eyes you from the corner of your desk. But a positive attitude is contagious! If I’m smiling when my students come in, they are more likely to smile back. Who wants to be in a classroom where the teacher is grumpy and negative all the time? Not me! I fully admit that there were years where that’s exactly what my classroom was like. I let my lack of sleep and stress overwhelm me and the result was that I connected less with my students. Lesson learned!

Attitude matters in a learning environment! My trick to being more positive on those more difficult days is to wear things that make me happy! Let your outfit help your attitude! There is definitely a place in the work environment for dark, professional work pants but maybe pair them with a bright blue sweater! Find that item in your closet that makes you happy with one look and keeps you grinning all day! For me it’s my pink bow flats, my fushia tunic and my leopard heels. If you don’t have an item in your closet that just makes you happy, find one! Pull it out on those days that you are dragging or that you just don’t feel put together.

The newest addition to my “improve your attitude outfit” list are these amazing fushia, comfortable suede loafers. I’m so glad loafers are on-trend right now because they’re great for an on-your-feet-all-day profession. I found these when I was looking for some black mules to replace my beat-up, black ballet flats and as I was scrolling through Amazon BAM…there they were – SUEDE FUSHIA LOAFERS!!! My eyebrows popped up and my eyes grew large (do you know the feeling?!) and after checking to see that my hubby wasn’t looking…they landed right into my cart. I was in love with them from the first gasp as I opened the box. The leather is so buttery-soft and they slipped on so comfortably. My husband even came out of his office to make sure nothing had happened to me, since I was hopping up and down around our apartment squealing with joy! Hahaha!

These loafers come in 10 different options. They are super-comfy but if you decide to try them out, make sure to use the fit recommendation on Amazon and also spray them with a protectant spray like this one so that they last a long time.

I paired them with an equally bold top this time but you don’t have to. I’m positive you will see these again so stay tuned for other ways to style bright shoes!

Every time I’ve worn these loafers since that first time, I have had a grin on my face all day. I can’t explain it and really, I don’t need to! Your outfit really CAN help your attitude! So whether it’s a pair of pretty suede fushia loafers or an adorable top that you just love – embrace those pieces that give you an extra bounce in your step!

Do you have an outfit that just makes you happy? What is it? Let me know in the comments below!

Get the Look:

*This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on links may result in a commission for More to Mrs. E.*

Fushia Loafers, Amazon.com.
Kelly Green Tunic, boutique (old). Similar in widget below.
Skinny Jeans, American Eagle.
Ray Ban Original Aviators, c/o.
Rachel Double Ring, c/o Kendra Scott. Similar here.
Tori Burch Three-strand Logo Bracelet, Tradesy.com. Similar here.
Monogram Necklace via Jane.com. More here and here.
Sugarfix by Baublebar earrings, Target.
Michael Kors Two-Tone Darci Watch, Areatrends.com.
MAC’s Rebel Matte Lipstick, Nordstrom.

Clickable Outfit Widget:

The Leggings You Need for Work

March 27, 2017 by Virginia 20 Comments

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:

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.
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:

Dress them up with heels
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!

Note: This article contains affiliate links. Clicking on links may result in a commission for More to Mrs. E.

Get the Look:

Polka Dot Tunic, Shein (old). Similar without collar here and here. Love this bow blouse version.
Pink Leggings, Amazon (no longer available in exact color, but more here). I also tried these (available now in more colors) but I wasn’t as pleased with the fit.
Black Longline Cardigan, Ross (I seriously think everyone needs one of these!). Similar here and here.
Sam Edelman Leopard Pumps, Nordstrom (old).
Pink Tassel Earrings, Baublebar (old). This year’s design here. Under $15 version here!
Black Oversized Sunglasses, Nordstrom (old). Similar here.
Leopard Bag, Amazon (gift). Most similar.
Baublebar Mason Ring, Nordstrom.
Michael Kors Two-Tone Darci Watch, Areatrends.com.
NYX Butter Gloss in Strawberry Parfait, Ulta.

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

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

The Cutest Affordable Embroidered Dress

March 20, 2017 by Virginia 17 Comments

Yaay!! Welcome to my new blog!! I’m so excited to be starting this new stage of my journey! So excited, in fact, that I bought balloons and braved the cold a day after our snow storm to photograph this beautiful, affordable embroidered dress. Balloons are for celebrations and THIS is a celebration! (Balloons, however, and short dresses – for that matter – are not for windy days…so I apologize if some of the shots are extra windy.)

Note: This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure page.

When I saw this cute ruffle dress, I knew I had to try it. Embroidery is all the rage right now (see this post on 50 spring trends under $50) – a trend that I absolutely love. Thankfully, this is one of those trends that you can try for an affordable price tag. Plus, if this affordable embroidered dress is not your thing, you may try a regular top or some shoes! Seriously, they are putting an embroidered detail on just about everything these days!

If you decide to try this dress, consider paying for the $1.99 return shipping. It’s sometimes hard to tell what size to order from this retailer so I always get the return insurance in case I need to return it. Thankfully, this cute ruffle dress fits well. I followed the measurements on the website and actually sized down one size for this dress. It’s definitely too short for me to wear as a dress most of the time. By adding OTK boots I reduced the amount of leg exposed, making me feel a little more covered up. As I often do with “dresses” from this retailer, I plan to wear this embroidered dress as a tunic over leggings or to tuck it in to jeans. In fact, don’t be surprised if you see this top again.

This affordable embroidered dress is the perfect embroidered piece for spring because of the variety of colors in the embroidery detail.

Get the Look:

Blue Embroidered Ruffle Dress, Shein. (Almost exact shirt version from same retailer)
Grey Over-the-Knee Boots, Forever21 (old). Similar in widget below!
Sugarfix by Baublebar Star Drop Earrings, Target.
Michael Kors Two-Tone Darci Pave Watch, Areatrends.com.
Tori Burch Three-strand Logo Bracelet, Tradesy.
Regal Jewelry Cable Bracelets, Zulily. (They return periodically. You can sign up on Zulily to be alerted when they come back into stock!)
Lips: Lined with NYX Retractable Lipliner in Hot Pink. Mixed Nyx High Voltage Lipstick in Tiara with Maybelline’s Pink N Chic on top.
Nails: Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Tickled Pink.

Clickable Outfit Widget:

Or, if you’re a fan of Amazon’s free shipping and returns (Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial):

7 Embroidered Pieces from Amazon

Pin this image to find it later!

Click on the images below to go to the products on Amazon!

Have you tried any embroidered pieces yet? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks so much for stopping by today!