Teacher Normcore

By Ella McLay

September and October is “fashion week” season from New York City, to London, to Milan and Paris. What better way to celebrate this season than to dive into the prime season of teacher normcore right here in Middle Tennessee. I may not have been able to attend the shows and analyze the ensembles from Maison Margiela, Miu Miu or Alexander McQueen, but I do get to observe the teacher “normcore” every day.  Like the reclaiming of “Christian Girl Autumn” and women taking full ownership of such titles, teachers are also joining in on this wave and fully embracing the teacher attire. First and foremost, what is in the closet of a teacher? Are they all the same?

I have found that there are many divisions of a teacher’s wardrobe depending on their personality and what age group they teach. A personal favorite of mine is the elementary school teacher and maybe even the middle school teacher who dresses in fun colors and patterns that often reference everyday classroom items. For example, an elementary school teacher might wear a brightly colored maxi skirt, a blouse, tasteful flat shoes, and of course, the pièce de resistance, the pencil earrings. I would put this ensemble in the high fashion category rather than the so-called “ready-to-wear” category. It takes an immense amount of energy to put this much effort into an outfit at 6:30 in the morning and then have to wear it for an eight-hour school day. Some middle school teachers and most high school teachers tend to take the more “ready-to-wear” approach to teacher fashion. The best of this category, in my opinion, is the cardigan sweater, with buttons, and the pair of slacks. If this teacher is in a good mood, they might feel inclined to wear a cardigan with a pattern. If this teacher is feeling slightly under-the-weather, they might wear a gray cardigan. That is my favorite part of teacher fashion–their ability to express their feelings in what they’re wearing. Or maybe they aren’t doing that at all, and I just enjoy thinking that way.

I have learned a lot about my teachers through what they are wearing. For example, on my first day of school freshman year, my geometry teacher was wearing a white blouse with blue elephants on it. I figured she likes elephants, and as it turns out, she does in fact like elephants. I may notice clothing way too much because I did tell her three years later in my calculus class that she was wearing the shirt she wore on my first day of freshman year. All of this is to say that teachers have made a business out of their wardrobes, most likely unintentionally. I have now seen entire sections in stores for clothes appropriate for the classroom all while being interesting and reliable. Teachers can also dress according to the subject they teach. I personally love the wardrobe of my school’s theater teacher because she has a very elegant and expressive style. Science teachers tend to love their themes-ties or bowties. Our science department takes it to the next level, and they coordinate their ties or bowties. Teachers have adopted this stereotype and they have made it their own. I must admit that a little part of me wants to become a teacher solely to participate in teacher fashion, and I have felt this way since I was in the second grade. Their clothing may be more humble than haute couture ensembles, but they prove that comfort and style can coexist.