Tuneful & Trendy - Preview

It's almost that time again - back to school! I know some of you have already started, while others don't start until September. After all of the decorations, planning and meetings, a huge question still looms: what will I wear on the first day of school????

The first day of school is a time to shine! It's a chance to show everyone your personality and meet new students, teachers and parents. You want to look your best but also be functional. This is truly the thought process of most teachers when selecting their wardrobe, not only for the first day of school, but for most of the school year. Your grade level and content area greatly affect your wardrobe. If you're a high school science teacher, your outfit will differ greatly from that of a preschool teacher. In the end, teachers want their outfit to be functional for what they are doing that day AND meet the specifications of their district....so, what happened to fashion?
I love clothes! I worked in the mall in college and loved helping people put together outfits. My husband graciously let me have both closets in our bedroom. He's not pleased with my addiction to clothing, but he's learned to accept and appreciate it. Before I left my previous school district this spring, they labeled me as the "fashionista" in the building. This was a great compliment! Not only are the kids complimenting my clothes occasionally, but so are the teachers! Another reason this made me feel good is because I'm a plus-sized woman. It's difficult to find comfortable and cute clothing without paying an arm and a leg for more fabric. 

Anyways, this got me thinking. How can I bring my love of teaching and love of clothing together? Throughout the year, I see Facebook posts and pins from music teachers asking about comfortable shoes, musical costumes, concert attire, etc. This gave me the idea for a new blog series I'll be doing this year: Tuneful & Trendy! - a weekly blog post featuring one of my outfits from the previous teaching week. I'll also be posting where I got the items, why I chose it and it's function in my music classroom. Through the year, I'll also be featuring link-ups with other music education bloggers to share multiple ideas and examples for you.

So, what are some considerations when selecting clothes throughout the week?

• Stain resistant? (lunch duty gets messy!)
• Temperature 
• Coverage (tying shoes all day requires a lot of bending over)
• Sitting appropriate
• Time on your feet
• Special event (concert, observation, trainings)
• Classroom activities

These are just a small sampling of things to consider when choosing an outfit for school. The most important factor though is the guidelines set out by your district and building. Always follow those first and foremost! The outfit ideas you will see this year from me and other educators fit our district guidelines - yours might differ. That's what's so awesome about clothes, though...you can change them, add accessories, sweaters, etc. to make them your own!
So, the title of this blog post mentions a "preview" and that's where you come in! My first day of school is less than two weeks away and I need your help. The official kickoff of my Tuneful & Trendy series will next week with a linky party from other music bloggers featuring their First Day of School outfit. I'd like you to help me pick my first day outfit by voting below! Voting will close Thursday evening. The winning outfit will be posted and explained this Friday as well as provide you with other outfit ideas in the following weeks. 

Thank you in advance for your help! I hope that I can return the favor this year by providing you with unique, appropriate and fashionable outfit ideas to fit your lifestyle. Vote below!

Vote for Christine's "First Day of School" Outfit!

Trendy Trojan (school colors)

Scarf Stylin'

Chevron Chic

Sage Quotes