In the lives of many students, fashion is widely regarded as a vessel for self-expression and identity. Whether through Victoria Secret models or just mannequins in a typical clothing store, fashion and clothing are staples of everyday life. For some teachers, their clothing is not at the forefront of their mind, nor an important part of their day. For others, they view clothing as a great way to express themselves in their workplace.
Some teachers were much humbler about their wardrobes, such as History Teacher Courtney Hesch, who expressed surprise and confusion at being interviewed for this article. “I guess if you don’t change your style in 20 years, it comes back around,” she speculated.
Although Hesch states she does get compliments from students, she believes that “the freshmen are just trying to suck up to [her].” Most of her compliments are “something ridiculous,” she says, and then goes on to give an example: “Oh, on fire today!”
Hesch’s outfits are not pre-planned, but rather spontaneously chosen. For the school day, she usually elects to wear cardigans and more “plain” clothing. Outside of school, she mostly wears ripped jeans and sweatshirts.
According to Hesch, in order to dress like her, one must wear ballerina flats, wedges, plain pants, and a long maternity tank top with a cardigan.
The only time Hesch states she dresses up is for Renaissance Fairs, which she attends with her children and husband. “It’s history come to life,” she says. “It’s the only place I’m going to judge someone for not trying with their outfits,” she continues. In fact, she enjoys Renaissance Fairs so much that she joked, “we should do a Renaissance Day at our school!”
Preferably, Hesch likes to shop at thrift stores, though not for the clothing. It’s the possible historical items that draw her in; the clothes are an afterthought.
Similarly, Psychology Teacher Kathryn Prpich also states that she does not understand why she was chosen for this article. “Perhaps at times we shop at the same places, so maybe we have a similar taste,” she offers as an explanation.
Her favorite places to shop are Aerie, Athleta, Target, Amazon, and Abercrombie and Fitch.
“Comfort above everything,”
is principle when it comes to clothing, she says. When asked if students compliment her outfit, she says that it’s normally when students and her both own the same article of clothing.
She doesn’t usually plan out her outfits, and wears what she feels like, usually depending on the weather. However, she does voice that she generally likes to wear athleisure wear on Fridays and during Spirit Weeks. “I look for any excuse to dress like a gym teacher, it’s less laundry,” said Prpich.
In order to dress like Prpich, a student should wear “black Athleta leggings and a sweatshirt, preferably oversized.” Essentially, follow her motto of comfort!
On the other hand, Photography and Digital Art Teacher Jaclyn Bono is more confident in her style. She believes she has a good sense of style, and states that she “tr[ies] to use popular, trending items, and research looks.”
Students seem to agree and compliment her frequently. “I had to look up what [your outfit is eating] meant. That’s how I knew I was getting older,” joked Bono.
When talking about picking out her outfits, Bono explains,
One such person who’s had a lot of influence on her style is an Instagram user by the name of @mommaneedssomegrace_, who is a former teacher. Bono enjoys the clothing she posts, and how she orients her outfits.
To source her clothing, Bono usually shops online at sites such as Amazon and Shein, alongside making a lot of her own Jewelry. She gets her materials from Etsy.
When asked, almost all teachers interviewed stated that the teacher they thought had the best sense of fashion was Science Teacher Katherine Pesko.
Pesko believes that she has a good fashion sense, and that getting dressed makes her feel better. She feels as though she has a good blend of both young and age-appropriate clothing, while still staying professional. Normally, she gets her clothes from online shopping, such as Amazon. If she wants to get more expensive pieces, she really enjoys Anthropologie.
Her outfits are always pre-planned the night before. She tends to wear mostly the same clothes inside and outside of school and tries to keep a versatile wardrobe in order to avoid having distinctly “work and fun clothes.”
She gets a lot of her inspiration from Instagram influencers, as well as Ms. Batty, who sometimes sends her reels about fashion. She often follows a lot of working moms, in order to see how they balance a versatile and professional wardrobe.
“A proper accessory is what really makes the outfit pop, as well as a shoe, mostly the subtle details,” in Pesko’s opinion.
At Pesko’s wedding, her shoes cost $500, more than double the cost of her wedding dress. However, she believed the little details on the heel totally made the outfit pop even more.
Pesko’s advice to make an outfit is to “start with what you’re comfortable with, and scale it up a little bit, [you] never want to be so out of your comfort zone.”
Many of the teachers at Waterford High School have interesting, different fashion tastes that allow them to both look and teach amazingly.
