Monday, September 30, 2013

recap: september

dash_sept

[wearing]
my conversion wearing mostly neutrals is pretty obvious this month.  my big goal is to keep things visually interesting with textures and patterns rather than saturated colors.
september outfit recap
[going]
we took a big trip to vegas earlier this month which was a fantastic break from work and i got to see my sister and her family for her birthday two years in a row.  (recap post here)

[buying]
in looking back on my spending history for the last few years (i've only kept track on the blog for about a year, but have a spreadsheet of all the clothes i've bought since the end of grad school) i've noticed that i oscillate between being way under my budget one month and then being a wee bit over the next month. last month was a way under month, so this month was destined to be a bit of a disaster.

bookhou triangle tote (bookhou on etsy): $88 shipped. (seen in this post)
marc by marc jacobs wallet: $185.  oh, brother.  this is a monthly budget-ruining purchase, but i've got no regrets about it.  i was definitely overdue for a grownup wallet.  (seen in this post)
zara marled tee: $20.  i bought this in vegas because i didn't bring enough comfy tees with me and the zipper makes it a smidge different than all the other ones i have.  (seen in this post)
rachel rachel roy white dress (macy's) i bought these next three macy's items with a giftcard and assorted discounts, so my total ended up being $29.  my goal for shopping with the giftcard was to buy a few things that pushed me out of my comfort zone.  i usually am pretty good about thinking about possible outfits before i buy something, but that sometimes stops me from buying more interesting things.  (seen in this post)
rachel rachel roy black laser-cut top (macy's) (seen in this post)
vince camuto ren sandals (macy's): i posted these sandals as part of my fall wishlist, but they're more for next summer at this point.
old navy diva skinny ankle pants (old navy): $11.  (seen in this post)
phillip lim for target medium black satchel: $45  (seen in this post)
phillip lim for target leopard print dress: $30  (seen in this post)
phillip lim for faux leather zipper dress: $50 (seen in this post)

total: $458.  oh boy.
(link up with franish over yonder.)

Friday, September 27, 2013

what's in dotty's bag

september outfit
i haven't done one of these in awhile and two new purses in the last month has led to some nicely clean space at the bottom of my bags!

september outfit
[carrying] left to right-ish
phillip lim for target medium satchel with a vintage scarf
an almond&coconut kind bar.  these taste like samoa girl scout cookies, but are socially acceptable to eat as breakfast.
a simply balanced pomegranate fruit strip from target.  mmm...snacks.
marc by marc jacobs wallet.  i posted about this a few weeks ago as part of my fall wishlist because i finally bit the bullet and bought the perfect wallet instead of picking up a random one at target because my previous one from target started to fall apart.
sunnies case with my raybans inside.
a silly bracelet that i can't actually do any work whilst wearing.
headphones.  since i've decided to blatantly ignore the company policy against headphones.  i sit next to a loudtalker and do some very tedious work, so it's gotta happen.  also, they play light rock on the radio all day long.  and it's the same light rock songs every single day just in a random order.
aluminum business card case from muji.
leopard loafers in a shoe bag.
kleenex, lip goo, oil-absorbing sheets.
polka dot umbrellie.
iphone.

p.s.
have a good weekend!  i am pretty excited about friday finally showing up this week.  it's been a doozy.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

dotty, spots, and brie

september outfit
[wearing]
jacket: michael michael kors (similar)
dress: phillip lim x target (exactly)
bag:  phillip lim x target
flats: old navy (exactly)

[three things]
1. i wore this out to dinner the other night to a fancy cheese market.  oh em gee, cheeeeeese!  i already knew that i like me some cheese, but we had this baked brie with figs that was just amazing.

2. this dress is assymetrical ruched on one side, so i kept tugging at it to even it out, but there's extra fabric on one side to keep it even for me.  doh.  hopefully i'll get used to this eventually.

3. jacket weather!  i bought this pretty three years ago after eyeing it at nordstrom rack for weeks.  i almost bought a cream-colored one instead, but methinks black was the right decision.

september outfit

[previously on] leather moto jacket
september outfit

september outfit

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

dotty, standardization, and leather jacket season

september outfit, white dress with leather jacket, rachel roy dress, snakeskin pumps, what to wear to work, dotty style, ootd
[wearing]
dress: rachel rachel roy (exactly)
jacket: michael michael kors (similar)
bag: bookhou
heels: target (exactly)
necklace: light in the box
sunnies: ray-ban (exactly)

[three things]
1. i think this dress was destined to be paired with a leather moto jacket.

2. i just posted about this dress last wednesday and it's definitely been on constant repeat since then.  i've been building up a collection of what i call "every week dresses".  they're all neutrals and work appropriate lengths, so it makes things much less frustrating on monday morning if there are five dresses hanging front and center just waiting to be worn.  so far the collection is this stripey dress, this marled knit dress, this gray&white dress, this black trapeze dress, and this crackle-print dress.  i thought this would make things kinda boring, but i think i might be finally stumbling across my style.  say what?  yeah, i said it.  so maybe i'll stop buying random pieces that i only keep for a few months before donating.  dude, that would be awesome!

3. having two shiny new bags to choose from is pretty fun.  this one is super good at carrying umbrellas, extra shoes, and all the snacks i need for a typical work day.

september outfit by dottybot, on Flickr

september outfit by dottybot, on Flickr

september outfit by dottybot, on Flickr

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

dotty, pants day, and bright shoes

september outfit
[wearing]
tee: zara (similar)
pants: old navy (exactly)
flats: old navy (exactly)
necklace: light in the box
bag: phillip lim for target

creative: i've been all about neutrals lately, so all my novelty flats haven't been getting out much.  instead of just wearing gray or black flats, i went with these highlighter yellow ones to mix things up.  and if i drop a open highlighter on my shoe it won't leave a mark!  bonus!
young: these pants are cut like skinny jeans, but they have upgraded pockets to make them un-jean-like.  i really hope that this skinny dress pants trend sticks around for awhile, so i can stock up.
professional: this is a job-site day outfit, so it's a bit more casual since i will inevitably get really dusty.  i'm still following all the dress code rules, but this tee is definitely not conference-room-meeting material.

september outfit

september outfit

find a bunch more posts like this one over yonder.

Monday, September 23, 2013

dotty, fall weekends, and lassssers

september outfit, dash dot dotty, fall weekend jeans outfit
[wearing]
jacket: zara (similar)
laser-cut top: rachel rachel roy (exactly)
jeans: gap (similar)
bag: p-lim@target
scarf: vintage
flats: zara (similar)

[three things]
1. this weekend felt like fall and yeah, that's awesome.

2. after far too many years at a digital technology-based architecture school, i've got a bit of a soft spot for things that are lasercut.  that's how this top and i became friends.

3. instead of grabbing a cardigan i went with these fancy sleeves.  five years ago i was very cardigan-dependent, but jackets tend to look so much more polished.  


september outfit, dash dot dotty, fall weekend jeans outfit

september outfit, dash dot dotty, fall weekend jeans outfit

Friday, September 20, 2013

dotty, a lotta lim, and such

september outfit, phillip lim for target dress, faux leather trim dress, leather at work, phillip lim black dress, what to wear to work
[wearing]
dress: phillip lim for target (similar)
bag: phillip lim for target (similar)
scarf: vintage (similar)
flats: zara
sunnies: ray-ban

[three things]
1. a giant box of phillip lim for target stuff arrived and i was super excited to lug it up the three flights of stairs to unwrap everything!  i didn't buy much in august (budget recap over here), but september is turning out to be a very different story!

2. we've been catching up on watching suits lately, so i want to trade in my whole closet for a rack of donna dresses.  this dress definitely fits in the awesome work dresses category.

3. i have this little green suitcase full of vintage scarves that i collected during the height of my thrifting when we lived in nevada.  this purse was just meant to have a scarf tied to it, so finally the suitcase is going to get opened more than once a year!

p.s.
if you get a chance, check out thirty two cents' fashionably employed linkup sometime.  it's just getting off the ground, but has got some great workday inspiration blogs to check out.

september outfit, phillip lim for target dress, faux leather trim dress, leather at work, phillip lim black dress, what to wear to work

september outfit, phillip lim for target dress, faux leather trim dress, leather at work, phillip lim black dress, what to wear to work

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

dotty, a new dress, and ankle boots

fall white dress
[wearing]
dress: rachel rachel roy (exactly)
boots: target (similar)
bag: banana republic (similar)
necklaces: light in the box and ebay

[three things]
1. i tried this dress on while we were in vegas and was not sold on the fit, but i really liked the pocket detail.  i ended up ordering a size up online when we got home to add another piece to my ever-growing slouchy dress collection.
2. i posted about how i need to buy more pants for work just last week and yet i keep just buying more dresses.  pants shopping is just not nearly as much fun!
3. apparently i can't be trusted to take my own photos in our back alley anymore since i set up the camera to focus on the green railing instead of me.  oh well.  this dress is going to get worn a ton this fall, so it will have many more chances to be in focus.

fall white dress

fall white dress

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

dotty, wearing tees to work, and loud prints

leopard print skirt, how to wear animal print to work, creative young professional, what to wear to work, work outfit ideas, dash dot dotty, an outfit blog, gray wedges, target style
[wearing]
tee: old navy (exactly)
skirt: target (exactly)
necklace: stella and dot
wedges: elie tahari (similar)
clutch: target (similar)

creative: i dressed up this tee for work by tucking it in and adding a big necklace.
young: animal print and a tee?  yeah, that could definitely turn out much more casual than this.
professional: neutrals!  even though this outfit is predominantly animal print, the neutral palette keeps things from getting too cray-cray.

find more posts like this one over hurrrr.

leopard print skirt

Monday, September 16, 2013

dotty, a typical day, and a bunch of grayscale photos of one

a day in the life
left: early morning shoe decisions
right: switching things up by getting a blueberry scone at starbucks.  the chocolate croissant is infinitely more yummy.

a day in the life
left: checking on some mullion caps on a crazytown skylight at a jobsite.
right: the inside of my hardhat.

a day in the life
left: samples on the table for comparison at a tile coordination meeting.
right: a little morning kesha on my drive back to the office.

a day in the life
left: half-eaten co-worker fun lunch (turkey burger with waldorf salad on wheat).
right: giant suburban rooftop frosty.

a day in the life
left: verifying column sizes on as-built drawings from the 80's.
right: organizing my site photos with some help from my homie.

a day in the life
left: post-work carwash for leroy (i work seven to four to avoid traffic).
right: slight wardrobe change to add a comfy scarf and suede ankle boots before heading out for the night.

a day in the life
left: the ridiculous strawberry-passion fruit daquiri i (very enthusiastically) ordered with our thai noodle dinner.
right: a gallery full of hipster designers for an architecture magazine exhibit opening.

a day in the life
left: an exhibit opening that involves flipping through a bunch of different architecture-related zines?  sign me up!
right: striped blankets and striped pajamas for some daily show catchup and sleepies.

Friday, September 13, 2013

wishlist: fall

fall wishlist collage w labels
sources:
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine.

[three things]
1. i am definitely all about the neutrals lately and am sticking with it for fall and winter this year.  my on-site time is going to increase exponentially until january, so a few new pairs of pants would be a good move instead of stocking up on dresses that i won't be able to wear very often. skinny pants with slouchy tops is a combination i love with leather jackets in the fall anyway, so i think things will work out well.

2. thaaat bag!  okay, not that bag, but the target version that is coming out on sunday.  i think i'm ready to settle down with a solid black work tote.

3. shopstyle (the site i use for all my affiliate links) is launching a new product review feature and it is actually super helpful for when you're trying to judge sizing, quality, fit, etc. when buying clothes online.  in order to get the ball rolling, they're running a contest with a big grand prize. entering is super easy since all you have to do is write a review.  bam!  

Thursday, September 12, 2013

dotty, curlz, and dusty pants

september outfit
[wearing]
jacket: zara (similar)
tee: zara (similar)
pants: theory (similar)
flats: zara (similar)
sunnies: rayban
bag: bookhouathome on etsy
necklaces: light in the box and ebay

[three things]
1. even though i've added a lot of zara pieces to my closet this summer, i think this is the most zara'd out i have been so far.
2. thank you to everyone that left me curly hair suggestions in the comments on this post last week!  i bought a gaggle of tiny versions of curly-specific products to try out.  since i just got my hair trimmed and it's relatively undamaged, i'm going to give my curls a chance and not straighten my hair for awhile.  i've been opting to staighten it most of the time lately since my curls can be very unpredictable.  i'm hoping to find a curly hair routine for short hair that results in awesome hair most of the time.  that's right...i'll settle for mostly since i know that my curls and humidity are not friends.
3. i bought yet another comfy gray tee while we were in vegas shopping at zara.  and then i wore it to work immediately.  it actually worked out really well since i had to climb up several construction ladders and crawl through some wooden rails, so i took off my jacket and managed to not damage any of my clothes.  i did get made fun of though for complaining that my pants got dusty.  #whyamialwaystheonlygirl

september outfit

september outfit

[previously on] striped zara jacket
september outfit

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

dotty, triangles, and dresses with flats

september outfit, cos dress, ootd, patterned shift dress, neutrals, triangles bag, what to wear to work, work dress with flats, cap toe old navy flats
[wearing]
dress: cos (similar)
bag: bookhouathome on etsy (exactly)
belt: j.crew (similar)
flats: old navy (exactly)
necklace: h&m

[three things]
1. my new triangle-print tote bag arrived in the mail!  yay!  it's a bit casual for work, but i am smitten nonetheless and it's going to go everywhere with me for awhile.
2. i thought i always had to wear this dress with heels to avoid looking short or something, but i am so over it.  post-vacation early mornings in the office is no place for heels.  and these flats have shiny toe caps, so they are pretty fancy anyway.
3. i got home a smidge too late from work for decent outfit photos.  i guess that's what i get for taking a lil bit of vacation and getting behind on reading my work email.

september outfit, cos dress, ootd, patterned shift dress, neutrals, triangles bag, what to wear to work, work dress with flats, cap toe old navy flats

september outfit, cos dress, ootd, patterned shift dress, neutrals, triangles bag, what to wear to work, work dress with flats, cap toe old navy flats

september outfit

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

dotty, las vegas, and early morning tram rides

september outfit, gray and white dress, white bib dress, cos slouchy dress, jersey dress, layered necklaces, what to wear on vacation
[wearing]
dress: cos
flats: old navy (exactly)
necklaces: light in the box+ebay (similar)
clutch: marc jacobs for target

[three things]
1. las vegas boulevard is a rather strange place at seven in the morning.  there's still all sorts of loud music playing, but there's nobody around to listen to it...just some runners, leftover partiers, and tourists unable to switch timezones.  (we're in that third group even though i still feel like a local since i know where all the parking garage entrances are.)
2. i bought two slouchy dresses from cos when we were traveling in may (the other one is over here), and they have both turned out to be awesome purchases.  i tend to pair this one with a skinny belt and a big necklace, but there will be good winter layering opportunities too!
3. i have lost my entire ability to wear heels for more than like twenty minutes.  vegas involves a lot of walking and i didn't want to carry a big bag with extra shoes, so i stuck with flats for most of the trip.


september outfit

september outfit