Artsy clothing brands?

[Artsystuff]

I'm starting my PGCE in Art and Design later this year, I'm in my late 30s which I'm super conscious about. I honestly live like a bag lady at home with my kids in leggings and my husbands T-shirts. If I head out I'm usually wearing Joules Breton tops and jeans or leggings.

I have zero fashion sense but oh I have always wanted to be put together but also artsy...I like Gudrun Sjoden for artsy clothes but I don't think I'd be brave enough for too much colour and I don't like things too baggy as I think it just makes me look even bigger.

I'm stuck between loving smart looking casual wear like I love Joules stuff but I don't know any other brands besides that and seasalt that I like, and want something more arty. I can never find a nice fuzzy colourful cardigan or the right coat that still seems smart, that I could wear over black even. I honestly haven't a clue. I'm a size 16/18 with but trying hard to shift the weight before I start. I would so so so appreciate some links to anything you could recommend!!

Also don’t feel like you have to lose weight before you start! There’s no one way to be an ‘art teacher’- I’m sure you are a creative and individual person so try to believe in that rather than thinking you have to look a certain way to fit in. I always notice that fashion designers often wear a very neutral type of uniform almost, which is probably just easy to throw on every morning so they can focus their creativity elsewhere. Deffo wear colour if it makes you happy but also don’t be afraid to just wear what makes you feel comfortable (obviously within parameters of what your school would allow you to wear to work!) I’ve been looking at what my ‘colour season’ is recently which is a fun way to think about what colours can look particularly nice on you and might help narrow options down if it feels to overwhelming knowing where to start?

APC
Toast
YMC
Arket
Cos
Uniqlo
Margaret Howell

APC
Toast
YMC
Arket
Cos
Uniqlo
Margaret Howell

APC
Toast
YMC
Arket
Cos
Uniqlo
Margaret Howell

Plumo

I went to art school and work in the creative industry. Don’t make the mistake of going too wacky unless that’s your style. I wouldn’t be seen dead in Irregular Choice shoes because in my opinion they're really fugly 😂

I’d suggest getting a couple of basics you really like then building up from there - you can’t just go and buy a creative look from scratch.

You probably won't find staff dress codes on a school's public site.

When it comes to buying clothes to wear for work (irrespective of how strict the dress code ends up being), you need to make sure that you can bend and stretch in an outfit without accidentally exposing too much.

Could you reach up to write at the top of the whiteboard in it? Or bend down to pick up something off of the floor? Crouch down next to a table whilst helping a pupil? Go from a full day of teaching straight into 2 - 3 hours of parents eve appointments in it?

Bear in mind that rules and expectations can vary greatly from school to school, so a capsule wardrobe may be the way forward whilst on placement. Classroom temperatures can be a law unto themselves too. Some are freezing, some are like a sauna, and some go from one to the other within the space of a lesson (my classroom is definitely the latter so for me items that are easy to layer on and off are essential).

Don't underestimate the importance of comfy shoes either, as you'll spend a lot of time on your feet.