I spent most of last week helping Nordstrom card holding clients pre-select items for their wardrobes from this years Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (NAS). That’s when Nordstrom launches brand new Autumn and Winter collections at discounted prices for two weeks only. Prices go back up at the end of July.
This is a NAS of unexpected winners and losers. The boot selection is disappointing, but the flat and low heeled daintier footwear styles are excellent. There are too many belted coats, and not enough jackets. Belts, jewellery, totes, jeans, pyjamas and underwear selections are very good, but the athleisure and active selection is poor. There is a great selection of non-wool knitwear, which went down marvelously with clients who are allergic to wool.
Colour palettes took me by surprise. Lots of black, grey, muted tones, pastels, and earth colours, which is great if those are colours you wear. If they aren’t, you have to look harder. Navy, brights, and jewel tones are few and far between.
Many of the items are only available online and not in brick and mortar stores. So as clients, our forum members, and I receive our online orders, I’ll share another set of top picks. In the meantime, you can chew on these items that emerged as winners among my clientele. Remember to browse all the colour and size options.
I talked about the items I’ve committed to and have on order in the forum.
Onto the top picks at the sale so far.
Clothing
- AVEC LES FILLES Water Resistant Twill Hooded Longline Coat: The best fully lined water-resistant coat at the sale. IMPECCABLE quality. Incredible fabric, fit, design and silhouette. Chic! It's beltless, but has toggles at the waist that create waist definition. The back has two sets of snaps that you can close or open as you please. It's very long, but could be shortened if that's in your budget. Comes in olive and a rose.
- RAILS Zoey Star Intarsia Cotton Blend Sweater: Gorgeous fabric, quality, and fluid fit. Not wool, and feels sensational against the skin. There is a navy leopard option too. Might need to size down.
- Boss Catara Virgin Wool & Cashmere Coat: A chic, clean, simple, modern classic, and crisp top coat in a lovely shade of toffee. IMPECCABLE quality and very lightweight. Runs narrow, especially in the sleeves. Might need to size up.
- Reiss Katia Wool Blend Felt Coat: The best black wool coat at the sale. Hangs beautifully and is very well made. It has an interesting collar and side entry pockets. Versatile knee-length.
- Chelsea28 Floral Print Pleated Long Sleeve Dress: The best dress at the NAS. Fits and drapes beautifully if you like to wear V-necks and enjoy empire cuts. Dressy in a relaxed way. Cinnamon and not red in person. Best on a small or regular size bust. A maxi length on petites. POCKETS!
- Splendid Lacey Relaxed V-Neck T-Shirt: Best boxy V-neck tee for petites at the sale. Drapes well and looks amazing untucked. Very good on apple shaped body types. Comes in grey and white.
- Halogen Pleated Long Sleeve Asymmetric Blazer Dress: This is sold as a dress, but is AWESOME worn as a buttoned-up dressy jacket over jeans or pants. Pop a black camisole underneath and Bob's you Uncle. My client wore it over dark wide cropped jeans and looked sensational! The buttons can be repositioned to fit your figure better too. It's not Hugo Boss quality, but a fun piece nonetheless.
- GOOD AMERICAN Good Waist High Waist Crop Palazzo Jeans: Best black jeans at the sale. They worked on a range of body types, and aren't too high in the rise. Excellent fit. Flattering. Size up.
- Thread & Supply Crop Puffer Vest: Best vest at the sale. $30. A cheeky and stinking cute cropped body warmer that clients were popping over sweaters, mesh tops, knitted tops, tees and dresses. Comes in black.
- AllSaints Frieda Twill Cargo Joggers: Best utility pants at the sale. They fit a range of body types and were as good on petites as they were on taller people. They feel heavy on the hanger, but light on the body. Nice shade of olive and easy to wear.
- Halogen Open Front Longline Cardigan: Best long cardigan at the NAS. $55. Very substantial fabric and drapes well. Can be worn indoors, and isn't heavy like a sweater coat. Lovely cuffed sleeves, and fab pockets. Comes in grey and taupe. Worked well on petites.
- Nordstrom Crop Cotton Poplin Button-Up Shirt: Best cropped boxy shirt at the NAS. A little short for long torsos. Not see-through. Lovely quality.
- OPEN EDIT Ruched Cap Sleeve Sweater: This top is a HUGE pleasant surprise. It's not cropped unless you're very tall with a long torso. It has ample coverage and is a genius cut. The ruching cascades over the mid-section in a forgiving way. My apple shaped clients loved it. Size up. Runs small.
- KUT from the Kloth Matilda Crop Faux Suede Trucker Jacket: Best faux suede jacket at the sale. $73. Machine washable, lightweight, and very comfy. Lovely quality. Comes in a cool brown.
- PAIGE Anessa High Waist Ankle Wide Leg Jeans: Best jeans at the sale. They fit a range of body types and fit really well. Flattering. As good on petites as on taller people. Rise not too high or low. Wash not too distressed. Wide legs look streamlined.
- Veronica Beard Orchid Plaid Dickey Jacket: Best tailored blazer at the sale. IMPECCABLE. For a grey plaid, it has quite a bit of navy and red in the pattern. The collar trim is navy, not black. Works well unbuttoned and has trousers to match. Great with jeans too.
- L'AGENCE Angelina Tweed Jacket: Best tweed jacket at the sale IF you like bright pink. The other bright in the pattern is orange, not brown. Beautifully made and tailored. For broader shoulders, size up. This darling is mine.
- Vince Camuto Crewneck Sweater: This non-wool sweater is super comfy and fun. It has a great shape, and looks better UN-TUCKED, worn out, boxy and casual. You can cuff the sleeves if they're a little long. Comes in pearl grey.
- Nordstrom Straight Leg Pants: Best modern classic trousers at the sale. $90. They are super comfy, soft yet substantial, and a good clean fit on a range of body types. Size up for a curvier figure. Long inseams so good on Team Tall. Comes in toffee and black. I have the toffee.
- FRAME Le Palazzo High Waist Crop Wide Leg Jeans: These jeans work well on those with a long rise. Nice versatile and even dark wash, and fab dramatic wide legs. Dressy jeans.
- En Saison Berenger Long Sleeve Wrap Cotton Shirtdress: GORGEOUS dress on an hourglass figure. The midsection is very defined so you have to be okay with how tight that part is. Stunning pleats and draping. Comes in a narrow blue and white stripe too.
- Treasure&Bond Speckled Pima Cotton Blend Sweater: Non-wool earthy speckled sweater with a great rounded high-low hem. Feels great against the skin. Looks best UN-TUCKED and worn out. Might need to size down. Comes in olive and grey.
- Nordstrom Crewneck Cashmere Sweater: Modern classic, versatile, and simple cashmere sweater that can be dressed up or down. Very nice fit. Comes in seafoam and oatmeal.
- Nic + Zoe Supersoft Shibori Sweater: Fabulous non-wool casual patterned pullover with a statement wide welt. Looks great semi-tucked too. Feels super soft, cosy, and lightweight. Size down.
- Vince Baja Crochet Sweater: Best open weave sweater at the sale. Rich, casual, and elegant in a relaxed way. The V-neck isn't too low, and it doesn't spread out in person like it does on the model. It's a narrow V-neck. No need to wear a camisole. Comes in navy.
Pictures below. You can see the items alongside the descriptions on the collection page.
Footwear and Accessories
- Vince Rockville Bootie (Women): Best versatile black boots at the sale. Super soft and comfy, with a surprisingly spacious toe box. Fun round heel. Can be dressed up or down. Might need to size down. Comes in brown and grey suede.
- MONICA VINADER Alta Capture Chain Link Bracelet: Best bracelet at the sale. The links are removable so it can be sized as desired. The designer offers a lifetime guarantee on her designs so if the metal tarnishes, she'll replace the item free of charge. You can add charms to this darling too.
- Mansur Gavriel Square Toe Mary Jane Flat (Women): Best refined flat Mary Janes at the sale. Super soft leather with hard and supportive soles so you can pound the pavement. Comfy and pretty on the foot. Quite roomy so I added an insole to create a better fit. Comes in red and black. Made in Portugal. These are mine in gold, and I've worn them twice already.
- Nordstrom Cashmere Scarf: Best cashmere scarf at the sale. Chic, versatile, cosy, gorgeous quality, a good size, and can be worn as a wrap. Comes in grey and black. I got the pink.
- SARTO By Franco Sarto Gianna Slingback Loafer (Women): Best chunky '90s slingbacks at the sale. Lots of room in the toe box, pretty soft foot bed, and quite comfortable. Comes in gold, black, white, and a colour block.
- AllSaints Leather Belt: Great casual belt with a dressy integrity. Unique rose gold hardware. The cream is darker in person. Comes in black. I got the white.
- Vionic Newport Loafer: Best refined loafer with arch support at the sale. Fits a range of feet. Size down because it runs big. The footbeds come out so you can insert orthotics. Comes in blue and black. I got these in white.
- Paul Green Ursula Ballet Flat (Women): Best ballet fiat at the sale. The taupe version has a subtle metallic sheen. Excellent fit on a low and regular volume foot. Unique round heel. Supportive thick sole so you don't feel too close to the ground. Comes in black, red, and animal print. I would have bought them in white.
- Dolce Vita Ashlyn Mary Jane Flat (Women): Best chunkier flat Mary Janes at the sale. Roomy toe box and narrow heel fit. Soft and cushioning. Good strong hard soles so your feet don't feel too close to the ground. Comes in silver.
- BC North/South Recycled Polyester Tote: Great canvas work tote or travel bag that holds a laptop, iPad, and everything else. Lightweight, machine washable, converts into a crossbody, and isn't black. More structured than it looks.
- Rebecca Minkoff Amour Leather Tote: Great dressy leather work tote that's big enough for a laptop. Streamlined, professional, zips closed, and comes in black.
- Nordstrom Dauphine Kitten Heel Knee High Boot (Women): These on trend tall olive boots gently scrunch on the lower leg and look super cute. If they don't scrunch because they fit snugly against your calves, they look great too. Quite comfy, and roomy on the foot. Comes in black.
- Nordstrom Ruiz Loafer (Women): A rich and comfortable loafer with a super little low heel. Good arch support, and quite roomy in the toe box. Good narrow fit on the heels.
- ARGENTO VIVO STERLING SILVER Paper Clip Chain Adjustable Slide Bracelet: A very delicate bracelet that you can add to your stack of arm candy, with or without a watch. The adjustable slide is a practical and visually nice feature.
- JENNY BIRD Sylvie Necklace: This necklace looks refined and pretty filling the gap of a scooped neck top or dress. Layers well with other necklaces too.
Pictures below. You can see the items alongside the descriptions on the collection page.
