Fashion Dilemma

I'm having a bit of a fashion dilemma lately. I need some new clothes that are suitable for student teaching. This is one category of clothes I just can't swing with my current closet. A couple of years ago I was in Public Relations/Marketing/Event Planning so I wore cute dress suits and chic little party outfits. Then I worked part time at a spa and I wore their uniform. I have casual weekend clothes but nothing that really fits in the "dressy-casual but comfortable and must not expose the girls or the crack when crawling on the ground drawing with chalk" test. AND, I refuse to wear the teacher uniform of khakis and holiday sweater. REFUSE.

It's been challenging. Pair the aforementioned test and the fact that I am late twenties and I do not want to look like I shop at Charlotte Rouse OR at Chicos. I want to be somewhere in between. I typically love stores like J.Crew, Ann Taylor, Anthropologie - think classic, feminine but not stuffy or overly trendy. One more criteria: I don't want my new wardrobe to cost the same as my graduate education but I do want it to last longer than 1 season.

PHEW. That's a lot of criteria. Can you help? Where have you found some good quality, timeless, economical pieces?

ALSO, have I been living under a rock or am I finally of the age where it is suitable to shop at Talbots? Have you been in here lately? Or maybe you've seen beauty Julianne Moore in their Spring fashion?

She is gorgeous. The clothes are gorgeous. Can I please have a $1000 shopping spree?