I’m starting a series of posts dedicated to teachers. I’m not a teacher myself, so I polled my IG followers who are teachers, asking for what they wanted to see in their outfit recommendations. I received a wide range of answers with recurring themes: comfort and stretch, comfortable shoes, dresses with sleeves and coverage, easy to put on without thought, and affordability. So this series will comprise 5-6 posts that hit on different dress codes and preferences: business casual, casual, jeans, and dresses. Some topics will have more than one post. Even if you aren’t a teacher, you may enjoy this series if you work in a more casual environment.
I’m starting the series with a review of a few pairs of pants that I have mixed into the outfits of each post. Except for one pair, all of these pants are from LOFT. Full-price, they’re a little pricey, but if you’re familiar with LOFT, they almost always run sales (40-50% off), so keep an eye out for those! LOFT also offers a special discount for teachers that can be combined with other offers that are available at the time.
Many of the responses I received requested jeans outfits. I’ve also found a few great pairs of jeans that I’ll share in another post!
Affiliate links are included in this post.
Petite-Friendly Pants for Teachers
My Sizing: I’m 4’10”, and my bust, waist, and hip measurements are 32″, 24″, and 36″. My inseam is 25″ (the measurement from the inside of my leg to my ankle bone). The clothes shown are unaltered and show how they fit me right from the store. I list my sizing beside each item to help you compare when shopping online. When referencing my true size, that is often the smallest option available at a brand or petite xxs/00/24. I wear a size 5 shoe.
Sutton Ankle Flare
- 9″Rise
- 26″ Inseam
- Stretchy, true to size, and hold their shape.
The Sutton Ankle Flare is a great pair of pants for any profession. They’re polished and professional and overall comfortable to wear. They have a good amount of stretch, so they hold their shape well and are comfortable to move around in. This cropped flare style looks straight from the front, but when you turn to the side, you can see the flare at the ankle. With a 26″ inseam, this pair comes to the top of my foot. They look best on me with flats that show some skin (like ballet flats) and heels (although almost none of my teacher friends asked for heels), and in the fall and winter, they can be worn with slim boots tucked under the pants. If they’re shorter on you than on me, they can also work with loafers and sneakers, but you need to show a little ankle (an inch or so at least), or the style will make you look shorter.
Pants Petite 00 | Top XXS | Exact Shoes tts | Less Expensive Shoes
Monroe Wide Leg
- 10″ Rise
- 27.5″ Inseam
- Overall, they are true to size but loosen with wear, so you may want to size down to accommodate the stretch. They’re chino and have no stretch.
The Monroe Wide Leg has the same chino style as the Monroe Slim Pants but with a different fit. If you’re familiar with the Monroe Slim Pants (reviewed in this post), they have a large waist gap, and although I love them, they’re a hard fit due to the extra room in the waist. The wide-leg style has a great fit through the waist! They don’t have any stretch but loosen quite a bit with wear, so although they fit true to size, you may want to size down to accommodate the stretch. The 27.5″ inseams works best on me with a pair of flats. I prefer slim flats like ballet flats or a slim sneaker over loafers with this pair.
Pants Petite 00 | Top XXS | Exact Shoes tts | Less Expensive Shoes
Ponte Wide Leg Pants
- 11″ Rise
- 27.5″ Inseam
- Stretchy (yoga pants level of stretch), overall true to size.
The Ponte Wide Leg Pants feel like you’re wearing yoga pants, but they’re polished enough for work. Two things elevate the overall look of these pants: the pintucks down the front, zippered pockets, and the overall thickness. I showed them with a top tucked in so you could see the fit, but the fabric shows the lumps and wrinkles of a tucked-in top, so you’ll want to wear these with a top that’s a little slimmer, that’s cropped at the waist, or you can tuck your top in, but wear a layer on top that covers the wrinkling. This pair works best with slim sneakers or ballet flats like the Monroe Wide Leg pants.
Pants Petite XXS | Top XXS | Exact Shoes tts | Less Expensive Shoes
Ponte Straight Pants
- 10″ Rise
- 26″ Inseam
- Lots of stretch (yoga pants level of stretch)
The Ponte pants also come in a straight style! They have leggings style comfort and a slightly lower rise than the wide-leg pair. I find them to be true to size overall. The straight leg looks great with loafers, flats, and sneakers.
Pants Petite XXS | Top XXS | Exact Shoes tts | Less Expensive Shoes
Quince Ponte Pants
- 9.5″ Rise
- 24″ Inseam
- Full-stretch leggings style pants. True to size.
Finally, a pair of leggings that are elevated enough for work. The Ponte pants from LOFT are elevated enough to wear with any top since they have pintucks down the front and zipper pockets, but these pants are a true pair of leggings, so they look best with a long top. I would wear these with a long, relaxed button-down top, an oversized cardigan, or a blazer. They don’t come in petite, but they have different length options. I’m wearing them in the 24″ inseam here, which works well with all shoe styles. You can find a post about styling leggings for work here.
Pants XS 24″ | Top XXS | Exact Shoes tts | Less Expensive Shoes
Stay tuned for more posts in the teacher outfits series.
-Brooke
