Fashion Advice

[ciao_yall]

This is a line I like for tops. I am (ahem) generously endowed and these tops are designed to fit well.

https://www.bravissimo.com/us/collections/shirts-and-tops/

When waistbands got lower the tops became too short for me, but now that waistbands are coming back up, and maybe they have redesigned the shirts, I may try them again when I'm back on real clothing.

[mamselle]

That's very individual to you and your institution.  What do people wear who are similar to you in age and field?  It also depends on your priorities for figure flattery and any other issues.

For example, I need to wear certain shoes because of foot problems, which means I mostly need to wear pants rather than skirts.  When I was new to teaching, I bought leather oxford shoes that met my requirements, and I found some flattering cotton twill trousers and bought many of them.  I also bought flattering button-front shirts.  That was basically my uniform.  For variety, I could partially unbutton the shirt and wear a cami underneath.  However, I know many women are fine with skirts and/or find that button-front shirts don't work with their figure.

I really like the idea of keeping it simple like this. I do tend to have trouble finding button up shirts that do not gap in the chest area but I'm assuming it's just a matter of finding the right type shirt.

Or drape/tie a gorgeous silk or satin scarf in such a way as to cover the buttons without overemphasizing your "bosoms."

M.

[Vkw10]

I only wear a bit of eyeliner and mascara, and people have told me they didn't realize I even wear any makeup. My go-to lip application is chapstick.

I'm most comfortable wearing a blouse, blazer, jeans, and what I would consider to be "nice" shoes (stylish leather ankle boots). I'll wear slacks and a button-down or sweater for variety, but it feels stiff to me to wear slacks. I'm also not terribly comfortable in skirts or dresses.

I'm at a new school this year and, of course, dressed up when I interviewed (blouse, suit jacket, suit pants) but I wouldn't dress like that for teaching and meetings. I'm a decade younger than the next-youngest woman and her style feels quite different than mine. She looks professional, but her style of flowing clothes and lots of draping of fabrics (shawls and scarves) wouldn't be my pick. Because I'm in a STEM field that can be more casual, I will probably stick with my jeans except for, say, the first day of class, when I tend to dress up.

I think darker jeans look quite nice and am hoping I can find a way to incorporate jeans into my wardrobe on occasion. But overall the department appears to be a little more formal than that. I'm in the same position as you though. I'm the youngest in the department and what works for them does not really work for me. I'm not sure what the "rules" are when you are a younger faculty member trying to dress like the other faculty but they have different styles, body types, and are 20-35 years older.

Look at the general type of dress. If the department dress is conservative corporate, but is mostly older than you, you strike a balance between conservative corporate and modern chic corporate. You don't want to dress like someone 20 years older. You want to dress like they would if they were your age. For example, if most people wear suits and dress shoes, with lots of neutral colors, a blazer over slacks/skirt/skirt/dress with ankle boots would work but jeans and sneakers wouldn't.

[ergative]

That's very individual to you and your institution.  What do people wear who are similar to you in age and field?  It also depends on your priorities for figure flattery and any other issues.

For example, I need to wear certain shoes because of foot problems, which means I mostly need to wear pants rather than skirts.  When I was new to teaching, I bought leather oxford shoes that met my requirements, and I found some flattering cotton twill trousers and bought many of them.  I also bought flattering button-front shirts.  That was basically my uniform.  For variety, I could partially unbutton the shirt and wear a cami underneath.  However, I know many women are fine with skirts and/or find that button-front shirts don't work with their figure.

Or leave the button-up shirt unbuttoned beyond the area where it would gap, but put a solid-colored tank or tee underneath. Modesty, plus the formality that buttons automatically confer.
I really like the idea of keeping it simple like this. I do tend to have trouble finding button up shirts that do not gap in the chest area but I'm assuming it's just a matter of finding the right type shirt.

Or drape/tie a gorgeous silk or satin scarf in such a way as to cover the buttons without overemphasizing your "bosoms."

M.