Help me build a very conservative tznius wardrobe- quick & c

alwayscooking

Mon, Aug 17 2015, 7:17 pm

I second going to Talbots. They have very conservative and stylish stuff at the same time and have a very nice woman's size section. I believe they r having now end of season sale and have really nice sweaters on sale for $28.
Good luck the most important thing on a new job is to make a good impressions and dress well and put together.

amother

Burlywood

Mon, Aug 17 2015, 10:46 pm

lands end has a great variety of plus sweaters. There aren't a lot of skirts but there's a basic sport knit and a slinky or jersey skirt that goes on sale a lot. And the t-shirts can be really cheap if they have the size & color you want on sale. Sign up & you'll get a 30% coupon pretty soon!

Amarante

Tue, Aug 18 2015, 1:29 pm

I think the issue is time since, in my experience, thrift shops, consignment shops and places like Marshalls etc. are hit or miss. They are great if you don't need something specific but not good if you have limited time to find exactly what you need - and you have very specific criteria.

Get the minimum necessary so that you look presentable every day - one or two black skirts. If you can make your current tops work with shells, then get shells and you are set. Or buy one or two nice new tops.

I have taken jobs where I didn't fit into most of my clothing so I had to go out and get enough "basic" wardrobe so that I just blended in. I was fine with two black bottoms and five or so tops that I cycled through. As you see what others are wearing - and have a bit more money saved - you can buy a bit more clothing. But unless you are attempting to make a fashion statement :-) wear some boring unmemorable stuff and no one is going to remember whether you wore it on Monday or Wednesday.

octopus

Tue, Aug 18 2015, 2:03 pm

Don't do a major shopping yet. Sometimes you need to work in a school to see what others are wearing and to pick up on the social minutiae of what is acceptable, unacceptable, and what is a gray area and you can kinda get away with. So get one or two black skirts and three tops and then fill in when needed.

imasinger

Tue, Aug 18 2015, 2:31 pm

BTDT! Here's one of my cheap tricks. Go to Target or any other discount store, and buy plain T shirts in basic colors -- black, white, navy, gray, cream. Make sure that the backs are tagless (or cut out the tags), and wear them backwards. (Hey, they're the nderneath layer; nobody looks closely.) For about $5-8 apiece, you now have your shells.

Later on, in Lakewood and Brooklyn, there are sometimes factory sales of shells for $8-10. See if you can find a friend in the know whom you can commission to pick some up in your size.

Right now, there are some pretty tops (3/4 sleeve) for sale at BJ's that can go over that fake shell. I just bought 2. They were $15 apiece, and came in XS to XXL.

You can shop end of summer sales and find one or two more tops. And try salvage stores. I often pay $5-10 per top for name brands if I get lucky.

Splurge on a few good black (or gray, brown, tan, or navy skirts. But black, really.) Look for machine washable if you can. Depending on what age and subject you are teaching, you are probably also okay with some long cotton prints on end of summer sales. Look now for sweaters or suit jackets on final clearance, too.

Finally, get a few nice necklaces and earrings to match your new wardrobe, if you don't own any. Wear panty hose and nice shoes (black, little or no heel, pretty but sensible enough for a teacher.) Do you have a sheitel, nice tichel, or some good hats?

Hatzlacha, and mazel tov on your new job!

Benevolence

Tue, Aug 18 2015, 3:03 pm

amother wrote:

Get very pretty blouses wear a matching solid tee-shirt underneath. . Also get a White and black cotton dickey that looks crispy under sweaters

Dickies are wonderful and really did the trick for me when I stated to lehithazeck beznious

wiki

Thu, Aug 27 2015, 10:49 am

I second Barbara's idea that after getting the basics, focus on accessories (belts, necklaces, scarves), which you can start collecting for super cheap from all over the place, and they add a lot of diversity.

Although you will have to meet the school's standards for tznius, you probably don't need to dress as formally as the limudei kodesh staff. As someone who has taught in Bais Yaakovy environments, I've always found that the Judaics teachers wear Shabbos clothes every day, while the general studies teachers, by and large, usually dress a notch more casually. Sweaters and professional attire, but not crazy formal. So, definitely wait until the school year begins before deciding how many items you really need to buy.

Ruchel

Fri, Aug 28 2015, 6:25 am

FTR have you asked? They may not care as long as you cover knee elbow no cleavage. BTDT, I thought most of my clothes wouldn't pass and in fact yes. I did end up going in snood glasses makeupless because I felt more of the type but I was never told to change.

PinkFridge

Fri, Aug 28 2015, 7:44 am

imasinger wrote:

There's Basic Colors in Brooklyn for shells. For Shabbos I have two OK Basic (?) shells, the ones with buttons, in black that I live in. (Yeah, OP, get shells with buttons, then no one will be able to figure you out Very Happy

)
I had a lot of fun this summer updating my wardrobe with a few half off coupons at a thrift store. No hugs necessary, I got some beautiful stuff - cardigans, other tops, and even a Shabbos top or two. And some great jewelry.
OP, I hope you're having fun with your new look and wish you much hatzlacha and satisfaction in your new job.

cbg

Fri, Aug 28 2015, 8:15 am

Try Burlington. They have lots of solid skirts, good quality Kasper brand. They run about $20-$25. You would have to sew the slit and possibly lower the hem, if you are on the tall side, and that adds to the cost. But these skirts do last, mine is at least 5 years and still looking good.
A black suit type skirt, 2 black shells, get mine at basic colors, and they have an on line store. I don't know if the xl will fit you. I wear a 14-16 size and wear Medium basic color shells, 3/4 sleeve. The long sleeve are too tight in the sleeve for me to be comfortable.

The most important of your outfit are shoes and hair, those are the things people look at to see if you are put together.

amother

Khaki

Fri, Aug 28 2015, 8:41 am

The most important of your outfit are shoes and hair, those are the things people look at to see if you are put together.[/quote]

Interesting! I did buy 2 very classy but comfortable pairs of shoes and I got a my tired looking sheitel cut and washed and set. I also bought rollers to put into it because it tends to fall and lose its style very quickly.

I bought 1 expensive black skirt that will work for all 4 seasons. I sewed up the slits on another skirt (Black and cream- very pretty) and have a black skirt that is midi length with no slits. I bought 2 bras which made all the difference in the world to the way I feel about myself (which I find affects the way I look, or at least the way I carry myself) and I bought 2 very pretty tops from a thrift store and 2 shells- one black and one beige and I already owned a white one.

Thank you all for your help! I feel confident, comfortable and am so far enjoying the job!

PinkFridge

Fri, Aug 28 2015, 8:45 am

amother wrote:

The most important of your outfit are shoes and hair, those are the things people look at to see if you are put together.

Interesting! I did buy 2 very classy but comfortable pairs of shoes and I got a my tired looking sheitel cut and washed and set. I also bought rollers to put into it because it tends to fall and lose its style very quickly.

I bought 1 expensive black skirt that will work for all 4 seasons. I sewed up the slits on another skirt (Black and cream- very pretty) and have a black skirt that is midi length with no slits. I bought 2 bras which made all the difference in the world to the way I feel about myself (which I find affects the way I look, or at least the way I carry myself) and I bought 2 very pretty tops from a thrift store and 2 shells- one black and one beige and I already owned a white one.

Thank you all for your help! I feel confident, comfortable and am so far enjoying the job![/quote]

Thumbs Up

amother

Khaki

Fri, Aug 28 2015, 8:47 am

BTW- I want to thank Dolly for your post. I was feeling somewhat "resentful" about having to dress in a way that I don't usually, and you helped me to reframe it. If I were working in a downtown law firm, I would be expected to dress in a manner that I don't usually dress. So thanks.