September is one of my favorite months for some odd reason. I’m not exactly sure why, but I really enjoy the month. Today is the third Thursday of September which means it’s time for another style challenge with my friends of Ageless Style! We are a group of women of all ages and styles. Each month, one of us picks a theme, trend, or idea. Then, those of us who are able to participate (life happens for bloggers, too) creates an outfit and showcases it on their blogs, Instagram, or other social media. This month Bo, of Bo’s Bodacious Blog (oh, I love that alliteration!), chose Back to School looks. Last month, Amy, of Amy’s Creative Pursuits, suggested fashion on a budget. Prior to that, we have worn Summer Whites, sleeveless looks, April Showers, May flowers, and many other ideas. If you’re curious, you can find some of my looks here, here, here, and here. Please do visit the other hostesses of the link party (oh, yes, there’s a link party) at their various sites! Mercury is in Retrograde so the link button may appear a bit wonky! Try the link button no matter what it says!
A little history…
How many of you remember starting school after Labor Day (if you live in the US, that is)? We used to go to school for half a day on the Friday before Labor Day. We would get all of these registration materials we had to take home for our parents to complete. The school year would begin the Tuesday after Labor Day. We didn’t have Fall Break, but we did have Teachers’ Institute. Does anyone remember that, or was that just an Indiana thing? Teachers’ Institute was in October, and we had two or three days off school. We would get Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday (though it wasn’t near the big deal it is today), and a couple of weeks off at Christmas. And, that was the first semester!
A little more…
During the second semester, we may have gotten Presidents’ Day off, but I really don’t remember (I always think of Three Dog Night when I read or, let’s be honest, sing that). I’m not even 100% sure we had Spring Break in my first few years of school. I do know Spring Break was a thing by the time I was in high school. I think we probably had Good Friday off, too. The school year was over before Memorial Day. We didn’t have a minimum number of days we had to attend back then. And, we walked uphill five miles through the snow both ways! Hahaha!!
Back to school then…
When I first started teaching, we usually started school somewhere between the middle and end of August and ended shortly after Memorial Day. By the time I retired, we were beginning the first week of August and ending around Memorial Day. Students had to attend school 180 days. If we had snow days (and school was cancelled), we usually had a few days built into the school calendar. If we missed more than that amount of days, extra days were tacked onto the end of the school year. One year, we went into the middle of June…after starting the beginning of August!
Back to school now…
My oldest two grandchildren attend school with a balanced calendar. They usually start the first week of August though there have been years, including this one, where they start the last of July. They get two weeks off in October for Fall Break, two weeks for Winter Break, and two weeks for Spring Break. They get out of school close to Memorial Day. My youngest granddaughter attends a school with a non-balanced calendar. She started school the second week of August. She has a short Fall Break (maybe 3 days?), usually two weeks at Christmas, and one week for Spring Break. She will also get out of school close to Memorial Day.
My interpretation…
When Bo suggested Back to School for September, I was a little puzzled. I forget other places start school later in the calendar year and get out later, too. So, my back to school look is not going to be what you may be expecting! Rather than showcasing a look for the beginning of the year, I decided to go figuratively! This is a look I would have worn back when I was in school as a teacher!
My look…
This is actually an outfit I did wear as a teacher so that makes it old! This skirt has a beautiful pintuck detail down the front and is, of course, by April Cornell. My twinset, which I would never have worn as a back to school look in August, is merino wool and is by the LS Ayres house brand, Valerie Stevens. LS Ayres was a family owned department store chain (you can read more here) based in Indianapolis. I remember buying this twinset because of the embroidery. I also bought the cardigan in grey but didn’t get the matching shell. And, the cardigan had shoulder pads! I wore them long after they went out of style! The reason I wouldn’t have worn this for a back to school look? For most of my teaching career, our building was not air conditioned. My classroom was on the west side and faced the asphalt parking lot. The heat just radiated off it! Luckily, our principal allowed us to wear nice shorts those first few weeks. I would have worn this look in late October or November.
Professional dressing…
I’ve written before about being a special education teacher when I first started teaching. I was a Resource Teacher and expected to dress professionally. I wore blazers, skirts, and dresses regularly. When I transitioned to the general education classroom, I continued to wear skirts and dresses. I ditched the blazers because they were too constricting! I moved a lot in my classroom…gesturing and dancing! Even as other teachers began dressing more and more casually, I stuck with my skirts and dresses. In fact, one year, I discovered some of my students kept a tally of how often I wore skirts and dresses rather than pants! That still makes me laugh! Lucy recently wrote about dressing more professionally here. I agree with her. It’s easy, though, for me to agree with her as I don’t work! If I were still teaching, I would definitely still be wearing my skirts and dresses…maybe with a bit more flair though!
The Lewk!
In real life, I would have worn this outfit with a pair of ivory hose and Aigner Gotham shoes. I’ve included a link to a pair on Poshmark just so you can see what they looked like. I had them in every color, including a pair with linen tops. Today, I wore my grey Kimberly mules with bare legs. I would have also worn an arm party of amethyst bracelets, too. I didn’t know where the other bracelets were the day we took these photos. I bought this particular bracelet at a little boutique in Winona Lake near Warsaw, Indiana many, many years ago. The earrings are from eBay. Chances are very good I wore these with this outfit when I was teaching!
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Wrap it up, Marsha!
Oh, there is nothing like the smell of a brand new box of crayons, is there? I always wanted the box of 64 crayons so I could have that crayon sharpener on the back! So, can we talk? Has the school year begun recently where you live? Do your children, grandchildren, or even you go to a school with a balanced calendar? Does the beginning of the school year make you feel like celebrating? Did you begin the new year with a new outfit or shop your closet? Please leave a comment or two, and we can talk! I promise to respond as soon as I can!
Thank you!
Thanks to all of you who follow my blog. I especially appreciate those of you who subscribe and comment! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, My Bijou LIfe, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, Being a Wordsmith, and Mummabstylish. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I’m a co-host on the Weekend Traffic Jam (here). I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I also host Final Friday Print Mixing on the last Friday of the month. I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
And, now it’s your turn!
Here are links to all of the lovely ladies in the Ageless Style collaboration. Please do visit them on their various media. Also, please join the party and click on the link below to share your favorite back to school look, gardening, cooking, crafting, or any other post! Link up with us, visit a couple of others, and leave a comment or two! No worries if you don’t have a blog, just look around! You may find a new blog just waiting for you! Not all of the ladies are joining this month, but I’m sharing their social media links with you just the same!
Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Bo ~ Bo’s Bodacious Blog
Blog / Instagram /Pinterest / Bloglovin’
Cathy ~ My Side of 50
Blog / Instagram/ Pinterest / Facebook
Joanne ~ My Slice of Life
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style
Leslie ~ Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Marsha~ Marsha in the Middle
Mireille ~ Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Mom
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Rosemary ~ Distinctly Southern Style
I love the professional look on you and hearing about your teaching days – that’s a great twin set!
Yes, our kids go back to school at the end of August, beginning of September, which I think harks back to children needing to help their families to bring in the harvest, and only then would they go back to school. Gosh to be in school in August must be so hot! College, (that’s 16-18) is a week later in September and uni (18+) starts even later towards the end of September. Then there’s always one week for the three half-terms, 2 weeks off at Christmas and Easter, which is the beginning of Summer Term that breaks up in early July. It is so interesting to hear of the differences in our countries.
Thanks, Penny! I have always loved dressing up!! In the Midwest, we began school in September also for the same reason…we were an agrarian society and kids were needed to help with the harvest. Now, with that no longer being the case, schools are opting for different schedules. Students in the UK seem to have a longer school year than ours. And, you’re right. I love hearing about different things in different countries!
Oooh, Marsha, I love this outfit! These shades of purple are gorgeous as is the embroidery on your sweater set! I enjoyed reading about your teaching days. I bet your students loved your energy and loved when you moved and danced around the room! My kids just started school last week and will go until the last week of June with a week off for Christmas, a week off for Winter Break in February (this usually happens on President’s Day week), and a week long Spring Break (which usually happens right before or right after Easter). As a stay at home mom, back to school is definitely my favorite season of the year!
Shelbee
Thanks, Shelbee! I was afraid I’d gotten rid of this skirt years ago so I was delighted when I found it again! At the beginning of the school year, my students usually just rolled their eyes at me. But, before long, they were joining in on the fun! The only thing they didn’t enjoy was my singing!!! I just can’t sing acapella! But, we moved and danced alot! When I had to teach the compass rose, I always used REM’s song, “Stand” and made them jump to face the right direction!
Ya know…I never had a back to school time with my kids all in school! By the time they were all in school, I was teaching! I can definitely understand why that is your favorite season of the year!!!
First and foremost, I love this outfit on you! I can see why you would have worn it in October. My kids started school mid august. Little on the early side but oh yes the smell of those new crayons. Love! My kids were like mom those are for us. Haha. My favorite part of back to school was shopping for new clothes and shoes for the year! I also love the smell of new clothes!!!
Thanks so much, Meagan! Oh, the shopping for shoes was a struggle! I had big feet early…women’s size 8 in the 4th grade…it was hard to find shoes back then that looked like something a 10 year old would wear! You need to buy yourself your own box of crayons!!!
I love all the beautiful colors in this look Marsha! It must be nice to reminisce about school but not have to go anymore. Lol! My son would usually start in August but this year is was after Labor Day because of construction on the school. It felt so weird to her so late!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! Wow! The school where I taught was replaced about three years ago. They were working on it even with kids in the building! It’s strange how differently school systems operate!
I love your outfit! My son just started school the last couple of days of August; most schools up here start 2-3 days before Labor day and then give the kids a long 3 or 4 day weekend to get all that paperwork filled out. They have 2 days at Thanksgiving, a week between Christmas & New Year’s, a week in April, and then they get out mid-June (depending on make-up/ snow days). However teacher contracts do not allow them to work beyond the last day in June and that was a huge issue one year when we had a few hurricanes shut down our area for longer than we had days to make-up the school year and the states had to petition to not meet the 180 day requirement since teachers also could not work weekends. I was so thankful my boys were homeschooling and not in school that year as they went until that very last week of June despite hot, hot temps. I too always tried to get the large box of crayon so I could have that sharpener (though my mom finally caught on to me and just bought me 2 pencil sharpeners; one for pencils and one for crayons).
Our contracts never specified things like that. We had to work 185 days. One year, we had no water so our school was closed. The superintendent insisted we had to make up that day! Supposedly, he even drove past the school to make sure cars were there! I also remember one year we had missed so many days that an extra hour was tacked onto the end of the day. It was the longest hour ever! The kids were tired and knew they would usually be home by then. I think that may have last two weeks!
I don’t honestly remember if I ever got a box of 64 crayons (I always made sure my kids did, though). And, I don’t know that I ever had a pencil sharpener! Remember, I am ancient!!
I love how your students kept tabs on what you wore. That cracks me up.
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I thought it was a hoot, too! I didn’t know about it until fairly close to the end of the year. As I recall, it was a group of girls who weren’t know for being especially girly so it was interesting they paid such close attention! I wish I’d have thought to ask just exactly when they noticed and why they even did it!
Such a pretty outfit – I love the purple floral theme! School started for me in the 80s in OK in mid-August. Here in St Paul MN, we always start the day after Labor Day because the state fair is in town through Labor Day and one of the schools is right next to the fairgrounds.
Thanks, Sally! The state fair was always a big deal for kids in the community where I taught (very agrarian). They just didn’t come to school during the fair and were excused. Oh, that would be pretty stinky being right next to the fairgrounds!
What a pretty skirt! I love the color.
Thanks, Amy!
What a great post Marsha- you’ve brought me down memory lane! I love that you are still styling up this great look and used to teach in it! The skirt is incredible- love! Thank you for inking back to my post xx
Thanks so much, Lucy! I find myself down Memory Lane far more lately! And, you are very welcome for linking to your post. It was really a wonderfully relevant post!
Great look for a schoolmarm. The Valerie Stevens line was one of my go-to favs at Robinsons-May, a department store chain in the west. Wonderful options for career gals. I even still have a couple of pieces that I can’t bear to part with.
Rena
http://www.finewhateverblog.com
Thanks, Rena! Hahaha! We used to have Pioneer Day, and I was the schoolmarm! I still have many cashmere sweaters from Valerie Stevens. They look brand new! I was hoping when the May Company bought Ayres (which then became Macy’s) would have something similar. I guess that would be their Charter Club line, but I don’t think it’s the same quality!
I wore a lot more pants than skirts while teaching but I think I would have more of a balance nowadays if I were to teach now. One year, our team of 3rd grade teachers got along so well we made ourselves tie dye aprons and the other grades were jealous of us, lol! We would stick pencils and such in the different pockets and looks like a united and fun team!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
It sounds like you had lots of fun as a teacher! My friends and I could complete each others’ sentences! We “lived” at the end of the hall and really liked being far from the office!
What a gorgeous outfit, Marsha! That amethyst skirt is beautiful, and looks lovely with the twin set.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Thanks, Michelle! It’s one of my favorite color combinations!
I don’t remember having so many days off school as they have now. Love this teacher/workwear look! Your skirt is so pretty!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Thanks, Jill! I don’t think we had as many days off when I was a kid either. But, I also didn’t have to go to school 180 days in a school year either. I don’t know how many we actually went back then. There’s just something about starting after Labor Day and ending before Memorial Day that makes a school year better!
That purple plum shade is beautiful on you! It’s a shade I love to wear in fall too since it has such gorgeous rich tones. It looks gorgeous with lavender!
Thanks so much, Laura! It is one of my favorite colors of all time…obviously, since this sweater is probably 20 years old if not older!
Thanks for playing along. We definitely start school later but we also don’t end until the very end of June, that way we have our best weather off and families usually travel, camp and beach in July up until mid of August. I love your teacher nod outfit, such a pretty skirt but it’s sparkle is nicely balanced with the black top. Hope you have a great week ahead.
bosbodaciousblog.blogspot.ca
Thanks, Bo! I think once you are used to a schedule, you quickly work around it re: vacations and families!
I think you look fabulous, Marsha. Perfect for the first day of ‘back to school’. Not having kids myself, I can’t really comment! Although I do like it when the kids go back to school, because it means life in general is quieter…I mean, like grocery shopping for instance, there are no loud kids hanging around lol.
Hugs
Suzy xx
Thanks, Suzy! I do agree life is so much quieter and less busy when the kids are in school! I really noticed it after we moved and were out and about a bit more!