Dressing the part

[yatto]

Some advice from a constant necktie wearer: don't buy neckties new! There are so many hidden gems at thrift stores, often for a dollar or two each. Have a nice collection of them that can range from casual to snappy to teaching-appropriate to formal, and make sure you like them enough to be excited about wearing them. It's a nice feeling putting them in the morning, a signal to yourself that you're ready to get out there and face your day. Like a superhero outfit! 

Warning: it might become an addiction. (Please help me.)

Edited September 1, 2013 by yatto

[TakeruK]

Since the summer started months ago, I've been wearing khaki-like shorts, which I hope still look "professional" enough while keeping cool! It would really depend on what level of "formal" you want to portray and what others in your department wear though. For me, shorts like these: http://www.haggar.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=3977790&cp=4011449 fit my needs in terms of "formal-ness" and comfort. If you time it right, you can get really cheap stuff from haggar.com -- I think I ended up paying around $10 per pair of shorts!

 

For wrinkles, you could consider investing in a garment steamer! It's pretty good at getting most of the wrinkles out and it is much faster than ironing. For example, something like this: http://www.amazon.com/PS-200-Perfect-Commercial-Garment-Steamer/dp/B0000AR6Y0 If you really want sharp creases or stiff collars though, you would need an iron still. We got ours for around $40 with a sale at department stores like Macy's or Sears. Some stores might not have everything in stock, but they offer the option of buying online with in-store pickup instead of paying for shipping. I don't use it for my clothes (hanging up my polos immediately after removing them from the dryer gets rid of wrinkles well enough for me) but my wife uses it for her work outfits, which aren't always iron-friendly either.