I am currently attending school in pursuit of a beauty college instructor license, and on my first day I received the dreadful news, “teachers in training must wear black.”

I wanted to scream no, please don’t make me! I loathe wearing black. It’s so boring and plain! I would much rather wear vibrant colors. As teachers in training, we have to be examples for the students, so I decided to comply with the dress code rules. Suddenly realized I had a challenge on my hands. How could I wear black without looking boring? Thankfully black is such an easy to color to find. The first part of my plan was to take a trip to my local Goodwill.

Technically wearing all black should include black from head to toe, but since I’m a fashion rebel I bend the rules just a bit. :) I love to add a pop of color to my outfits by wearing statement jewelry.

You can also add more color to black clothing by wearing fun-colored shoes or an awesome pair of heels. I stumbled upon these Betsey Johnson shoes, and I just had to have them. They were a little pricey for a thrift store, but totally worth it.

On the days that I’m in full compliance and wearing black from head-to-toe, I like to add in color to my outerwear. I found this gorgeous, and oh-so-warm orange scarf that looks great with my favorite pair of rain boots.

Texture can also be a great way to spice up your wardrobe. This faux leather jacket looks great and has a super comfy cotton blend. In the cold Chicago weather, the secret to staying warm is layering clothing. For this look, I layered the jacket over a mini dress, leggings and boots.