Wardrobe essentials for the youngish TA

The first two classes I taught began at 8:30 am. Bit of an adjustment, since last I'd taken classes myself that early was in highschool. I wasn't too bothered about putting together a sort of everyday teaching wardrobe before I relocated, but I did get some nice tailored button-down shirts. I remember I took special care the first couple of weeks to plan my outfit before I went to bed. I was living out of a suitcase then, so I didn't have too many items of clothing to confuse me. Then of course, as the semester progressed and it got colder, both my students and I ended sporting up pretty much the same look: the fall out of bed and rush to class in fleece-wear and the t-shirt you slept in look. This was a period of waist-length hair and no make-up for me. Not even kohl. I never accessorized. No earrings or nailpolish or scarves. It added to the whole just-out-of-bed look.

In the spring, I was still teaching at 8:30 am, but had sufficiently adjusted to the weather and to the schedule to include scarves in my outfits. They were kinda necessary because I gave up wearing sweaters and the wool coat I wore most often left my neck bare. I still had waist-length hair, but most of it was now a shocking violet-pink. The worst hair-job decision I've ever made. To compensate, I wore a lot of solid blacks, whites and grays that semester.

The next fall, I had black hair and a cute bob. I no longer lived in a matchbox room out of a suitcase, and had an apartment of my own with actual dressers and proper closet space. By this time, I had the basics right, and though my wardrobe didn't really differentiate me from my students most of the time, I felt secure in my clothing choices.

This is the list of my wardrobe essentials. It's quite a feat for someone as sartorially challenged as I, but I really don't think even I can go wrong with these.

1. Solid black tee/top/shirt. Blue, white, purple, gray. In a scoop-neck, crew, V, square-necks. Short and full sleeved. No ruffles. Minimal adornment/detailing of any kind.
2. Button down shirts. Fitted and flowing both. Checks, stripes and plaids are fine but the real must, must have is the one in pure white or ivory that fits like a lycra dream.
3. Dark skinny jeans. Until I jumped into the leggings bandwagon, which was fairly recent, I wore skinny jeans and the same pair of knee-high boots every day of cold weather.
4. Woolen leggings. So comfy. No belts, no muffin-top, no checking to see if your shirt's covering your lowerback. And so warm. Paired with cardies, long fitted tops/camis and anything but UGGs, they actually don't look that bad or that sophomoric.
5. Long camis. To cover your butt while wearing leggings or just as an insulating layer. Must have. I became a fan of layers when I realized how the heat in different parts of uni varied wildly, and wearing several soft, thin layers works way better than wearing a thick sweater or jacket.
6. Black, three-quarter sleeved buttonless cardigan-shrug hybrids. I don't know what they're called these days, but that's the best I can do to describe them. They go with everything sleeveless and are super flattering.
7. Gray and white argyle cardigan. Nothing more scholarly than that. 
8. Solid black cardigan. Versatile, flattering, and really, one can't have enough black.
9. A nice, structured woolen coat. My favorite is bright red, knee-length, and awesome. 
10. Flats. Like the fall-winter boots, I wear my flats every day of warm weather. I buy one at a time and wear them till they're worn out.
11. Woolen and nylon tights. Very sassy. Total must have.
12. I teach in an area with subarctic temperatures for nearly half the year, and so I can't wait to get out of jeans/leggings in the late late spring. From then till fall, I only wear skirts and dresses and linen pants. Semi-formal dresses are great to teach in, and make for great conference-wear too. Mine are mostly solid colors, not too short and have sensible sleeves.
13. Pencil skirts. In the plural. I know, I know, not ideal for rushing from class to class or from conference venue to conference venue, but they'll make you feel powerful and efficient and differentiate you from your students in a jiffy. I wear them to class sometimes even if I feel a little overdressed just for the I'm-your-boss vibe it gives off in the classroom.
14. A structured suit jacket. For conferencing and other formal events.
15. Scarves. Checks and paisley. Not because everyone wears a keffiyeh but because you really need to protect your throat. I do have an A&F keffiyeh type thing, but I have a bunch of colorful silk and wool ones procured by my mother too. They spruce up the usual dark/solid colors I favor and feel soft and nice around my throat.