[elizabethyellow]

Hello everybody! I start student teaching in two weeks, and was hoping some of you could give me an idea of where I can find dresses that have knee-length or JUST above the knee hemlines? I can't seem to find any in the stores I usually shop at (Forever 21, mostly because they are cheap!)

I was placed in 4th grade, so while I won't be on the floor/bending down as much as a Kindergarten teacher, I never know where I'll be placed permanently so I'd like to go ahead and build up my wardrobe work attire now.

Also, if you could suggest stores with "cute" and "flattering" dresses that fit my criteria I'd appreciate it! Seems like a lot of the knee-length or longer dresses aren't very flattering these days.

Thanks so much!

[ddc]

Can you wear leggings under the shorter dresses?
How about capri pants?

I don't wear dresses, so I can't make any recs on dress shops - lol!
Good luck

[Zeitgeist]

Have you tried your local consignment shops? It is expensive building a new wardrobe and you may be able to find some flattering outfits for cheap.

[patootie]

H&M maybe? I'm also a big fan of Anne Taylor Loft, especially if you scour the clearance racks.

[Lindy87]

I don'k now if they have these stores by you but try Fahion Bug or Dress Barn.

[elizabethyellow]

Thank you for the suggestions so far ladies!

ddc I believe I can wear leggings underneath (I'm not aware of a dress code stipulation that says otherwise) but I don't like leggings other than black ones, which don't always go with lighter colors. But, I will definitely keep this option in mind! Thank you!

zeitgeist your suggestion had me go on yelp.com and search for local consignment shops- wow! What a bargain most of these places offer! I will definitely have to hit some of the local ones and see what a good scour through the racks can find me! Thank you.

patootie From my experience, the H&M here has similar hem-lengths to Forever 21, but I have not been in more than a year, AND I never searched for dresses so I will definitely stop in the next time I hit the mall. I also looked up Anne Taylor Loft because a slightly older teacher-friend of mine shops there and always looks cute and appropriate! Thanks for the suggestions

sunflower75 Hmm, I don't think I've heard of that store here, but I will have to check out their locations and stock. Thank you for your input!

Lindy87 Dress barn! A whole store for dresses! I need to check that out, I'm on it! Thank you



Please keep suggesting places

[mimi86]

I dress business-casual for work, most of my skirts are either A-line or pencil skirts though.

My faves are H&M and New York & Co. H&M always has perfect sizing for me and their blouses--even the basic button-up ones--are tailored for a young, girly frame. New York and Co has beautiful styles as well but the sizing is sometimes hit-or-miss. Some of the clothes are cut like they're designed to be worn by rectangles. At H&M the price is always right, but at NY&Co I've found some of their pieces to be a bit overpriced, they have good sales though!

Other places that I'll check to see if anything is good--Macy's/JCP/L&T. My mom actually buys me a work outfit every year for my birthday, and every year its something gorgeous...silky and feminine without being too young & girly. I found out she was buying them at Kohl's! It blew my mind!

[ferretgirl]

Target may have a few that'll work for you: http://www.target.com/b/?ie=UTF8&sea...eve_type=Short
Merona (womens) & Mossimo (juniors) have some cute ones that look work-safe (may just need a slip if the material is too thin. The price is right too -$15-25 per dress

Other websites I would check are eBay and Amazon. They sell new clothes for decent or better prices. You can search by keyword (v-neck, knee length, a-line, etc) and then narrow by color &/or size. JC Penney & Sears might have nice stuff, but it would cost more.

If being thrifty, you could check out yard sales & thrift (second-hand) stores. Consignment shops was another good idea too. They are probably stricter on the clothes they take in, so they'll look near-new (and cost less than new).

Good luck!

[effie12]

I second the suggestions for both consignment shops and Target, I've gotten some really lovely things at both types of stores, and the Target by me has a huge 'career woman' section.

H&M and Zara (my store obsession) have lots of trendy styles, but if you look you should be able to easily find things that are appropriate for your job. Otherwise, I'd check Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic for the style of dress you like, Old Navy being the cheapest, but Banana probably having the nicest quality. I adore J.crew, but it is expensive. You might also want to look into department stores, and maybe places like Stein Mart (although they do have a lot of old lady clothes). Then there is always online shopping, which opens up a whole new world!

[onagain1]

I don't have any clothing advice for you that hasn't already been mentioned - I really like Old Navy and Target for inexpensive work clothes. But I just wanted to say to enjoy your student teaching and be sure to take lots of pictures for your teaching portfolio. I had an awesome student teaching experience, and I hope you have one too!