Minnie LeForce in one of her vintage Victorian dresses and red cowboy boots she received for her 50th birthday. (Joseph Fuqua II photo) | ZOOM |

        Minnie LeForce hung up her eraser last week and closed the door on her 30-year teaching career after 24 years in the first grade.

        The former Morrow Elementary School teacher rides a dirt bike and often came to class wearing high-tops. She enjoys camping, scuba diving, motorcycling and dealing in antiques to stock Ambassador's Antiques, a Lebanon shop she bought with her mother four years ago.

        As a retirement treat, a friend took her to the Maisonette. “I wore high heels I got at a garage sale for $1 and a tuxedo jacket I got at a Junior League sale at the Dayton Fairgrounds for $15. The tip alone was more than my outfit,” she says.

        Her quirky way with clothes will be missed by fellow teachers, including Pam Morris, who nominated her. “Minnie dresses unlike any teacher you've ever heard of,” Ms. Morris says. “Even though she's in her early 50s, you'd think she was in her 20s. She is fond of wearing her favorite black Converse gym shoes with many different outfits.” Describe your fashion philosophy: Never look predictable. I put things together that wouldn't usually go together, like a tailored pantsuit with high-tops. You need to find your own personal look. It doesn't mean you have to spend a lot. You should let your own personality show, not Tommy Hilfiger's or Liz Claiborne's.

        You can be found shopping at: I love the stores in Yellow Springs. But I love thrift stores, the Salvation Army by the Dayton Mall and the Goodwill Store in Lebanon. I think people should be proud of being resourceful. And occasionally, I will shop at “real” stores like Marshall's.

        Your signature look: It would have to be my shoes, my Converse or Doc Marten's. I buy them everywhere but never spend more than $10. I even have a pair of Converse with spangles on them. I've bought them as cheaply as $3. Some of the teachers roll their eyes, but the children love them.

        You splurge on: A pair of dirt bike boots, up to the knees for protection, with steel toes. I'd worn a pair I got at a second-hand store for about a year and a half. But I finally splurged and bought new ones for $110. They were on sale, of course. I never pay full price for anything.

        You wouldn't be caught dead in: Fur of any kind. Wearing fur is against my morals. And what we teachers call A-B-C clothes, jumpers with school decorations, like apples, on them.

        Send nominations to Joy Kraft at jkraft@enquirer.com. Include their name, age, daytime phone and why they should be featured.

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