Final Day of the Anniversary Sale

The NAS ends at midnight tonight, so today is your last chance to purchase items before prices go back up tomorrow morning. I’ve shared my top picks in each category, my own NAS purchases, Greg’s NAS purchases and our forum favourites

There are still many great items in stock. Just for fun, here are some of my favourites that are still available (at time of writing) in each category, across many price points:

Dresses

Jumpsuits

  • Diane von Furstenberg ‘Dezi’ Jumpsuit: Hello Studio 54. This jumpsuit works on a rectangle or hourglass with a long neck, narrow shoulder line, and small or regular size bust. Elegantly ’70s. The sleeve shape is unique and the blousoned defined waist provides ample structure. Colour is a little darker in person. The pocket linings grin a little, so you might consider having them altered.

Skirts

Trousers

Jeans

Knitwear

  • Theory 'Jodi' Cotton & Cashmere Short Sleeve Sweater: A chunky funnel neck cropped pullover that's slightly shaped. Best on a long neck and smaller bust. Beautiful quality. Runs small.
  • Autumn Cashmere Fair Isle Sweater: An adorable cropped Fair Isle in a chunky knit. Lovely quality. It must blouson a little at the welt so don't pull it straight down. Excellent with skirts, high-waisted pants and culottes. Runs very small.
  • Vince Textured Crewneck Sweater: Pretty ink blue with a touch of hard edge. The side zipper looks best a little unzipped to create garment interest. Non-scratchy. Runs big.
  • Lafayette 148 New York Drape Neck Layer Wool Jersey Top: My favourite drape top at the NAS. The photo does not do it justice. This looked marvelous on all my clients. The architectural drape is stunning and the fabric is refined and dressy. I LOVE its flattering asymmetry. Adds pizzazz to a black pencil skirt or pair of work trousers. Runs big.
  • Halogen Asymmetrical Hem Tunic Sweater (Online Only): A fab handkerchief hem pullover with extra length both in the front and back. Arty Chic. Great jewel tones.
  • Lafayette 148 New York Silk & Wool Long Sleeve Cardigan: The photo does not do this amazing cardigan justice. It has a satin lining and an inner drawstring that gives it waist definition. Fluidly shaped. It comes with a matching olive satin camisole which creates a twinset effect. Good with the olive Irving trousers from Lafayette too. A very chic tonal combination.
  • Chelsea28 Pleated Hem Sweater: A super little sweater that's all about the fun back pleat detailing. Best with a black camisole. Looks best in the blue because of the low contrast between the black and the navy. Super with black trousers for the office.

Tops

  • Vince Camuto Tie Neck Ruffled Hem Blouse: I loved this blouse over a pair of black bootcut trousers for business casual. Interesting. No need to add pizzazz with a jacket. The dropped peplum is unique and interesting. They've cleverly curved the hemline for structure. Runs big.
  • A.L.C. 'Clay' Print Silk Top: A delicate piece for a long neck, smaller bust and dainty shoulder line. I love the welt, roomy short sleeve, front neck pleat detailing, and spaced floral design. Runs very small.
  • Vince Long Sleeve Colorblock Blouse (Online Only): It's amazing how the strategically positioned colour blocking adds structure to this very voluminous piece. The eye is drawn in at the corners of the contrast blocking and creates waist definition. Soft and comfy. Runs big.
  • Eileen Fisher V-Neck Tunic (Plus Size): Luscious fabric and a brilliant fit. Works well on many body types. Long enough for Team Tall.
  • Sandra Plaid Cotton Flannel Boyfriend Shirt: My favourite plaid shirt at the NAS because it's soft, long and has side entry pockets. It's more like a tunic and comes in four colours. My size 14 client combined this with the Ellen Tracy toggle vest, jeans and boots, and looked like a million bucks.

Coats

  • Helene Berman Stripe Long Line Coat: A gorgeous striped man coat that's lightweight. The horizontal stripes do not widen the silhouette because it's very streamlined despite the boxy cut on the waist. Best suited to straight figures. Excellent on tall gals.
  • London Fog Long Double Breasted Trench Coat (Regular & Petite): The best trench coat at the NAS. An exquisite shade of dark blue with a hint of sheen. LOVE the hardware and piped zippers. The back zipper detailing is fun too. Impeccable quality. Runs big. If you wear a 0 or 2, the XS will be too big.

Jackets

Vests

  • Lafayette 148 New York Faux Leather Pocket Ribbed Collar Sweater Vest: A stunning vest for business casual with trousers and top. Swingy but streamlined, and very elegant. Amazing pleated swoosh from the side. Looks as good in stone.
  • Topshop Belted Biker Vest (Nordstrom Exclusive): Fashionably oversized and my favourite vest at the NAS. I love the moto style in a dressy suiting fabric. Clever. Looks amazing fastened or unfastened. The pinky beige is surprisingly versatile and works well with just about any colour. Not soul sucking. Runs big. I was unfortunately sized out of this piece.
  • T Tahari 'Loey' Mixed Media Faux Shearling Vest: In true Tahari fashion, a beautifully made casual piece with lots of polish. The piping on the side seam zippers is amazing and so is the fit. Warm and tailored. Nice worn open too.
  • KUT from the Kloth 'Veronica' Faux Leather Vest: The most popular vest at the NAS. Fashionable, soft, comfortable, great fit and good price. Must wear it open. It looks good over all sorts of outfits. Also works well over a large bust.

Footwear

Handbags

All The Top Picks

Finally, here are the full collections of my top picks. If you follow the collection links below you can read my notes for each item. I hope you had a good experience at this year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

July Recap: A Big Month

July is a fun month on YLF for those of us who participate in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. As always, I published my top picks in five installments. Also, some additional picks from forum members and my own sale purchases. If you don’t participate, thank you for humouring us. Hopefully it helped that we gave the NAS conversations their own special place in the forum.

Also in July, five ensembles, a recap of my 4 week travel capsule, two outstanding outfit bloggers and other must-reads.

If you subscribe to the newsletter, then it’s probably already in your inbox. If not, please consider signing up. For those who aren’t signed up, here is the online version.

July Newsletter

Fashion News Roundup: Week 31, 2015

Alexander Wang is leaving Balenciaga, Target overhauls its denim line, a first look at Melissa McCarthy’s clothing line, and more news from the style trenches this week.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that the Havaianas rubber flip-flops are inspired by Japanese zōri, the flat, straw-bottomed sandals traditionally worn by geishas. The Havaianas were originally sold as basic footwear for plantation workers in Brazil. Because they cost only $2 back then, the flip-flops became such a staple that they were added to the Brazilian government’s list of basic necessities used to calculate the cost of living, alongside rice and beans.

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

Read More

Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

Read More

Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

Read More

Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

Read More

Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

Read More

Ensemble: Printed Pants, Slogan Tee and Jacket

Banana RepublicThis ensemble was inspired by another Banana Republic outfit (they are looking GREAT this year thanks to a new design team). The outfit formula combines a pair of patterned pants with a graphic tee and topper. The jacket completes the outfit, making it look more structured and pulled together. 

I’ve chosen a black, white, denim and floral colour palette, but feel free to choose any colour spectrum. Here are the components:

Pants: Choose a pair of soft patterned pants in a jogger style. A pair of structured patterned jeans or twill pants are another way to go. Choose them cropped or full length. Feel free to substitute the pants with a printed skirt if pants aren’t your thing, or a pair of shorts for a breezier option. The patterns can be bold like I’ve shown here, or more subtle like a narrow stripe or two-toned small scale geometric. 

Tee: Choose a printed tee in black, grey or white with a slogan, or all-over pattern. The point of the outfit is to pattern mix the top and bottom, which creates the arty charm of the look. All-over patterns like stripes, dots and gingham work well as secondary patterns to combine with the dominant pattern of the pants or skirt. Semi tuck the front of the tee into the bottoms. 

Topper: The topper completes the look by adding structure, chic and a dressy factor. Choose a modern classic blazer, boxy cropped style, a vest, moto or denim jacket. You’ll cover most of the tee’s slogan with the jacket, which makes the combination of the print-on-print more subtle. 

Footwear: Add heeled or flat footwear that works with the bottoms like ankle strap sandals, slip-on sneakers, wedged sandals, caged sandals, peep-toe booties, pointy toe flats, sliders, flat oxfords, or gladiators. 

Accessories: Finish off the look with a bag that complements the colours of the outfit. Add jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired.

Ensemble: Printed Pants, Slogan Tee & Jacket

Link Love: The Return of the Graphic Tee

After a period of market oversaturation caused by the over-licensing of graphics and an abundance of logo T-shirts at teen retail stores, graphic tees are now back in our good graces.

BoF reports that “graphic T-shirts are among the hardest working items for cult brands and retailers. Retailers, distributors and brands at the trend-sensitive edge are seeing a resurgence of interest in T-shirts, specifically for smaller and hard-to-find labels.”

On the hunt for a fun graphic tee? Lord & Taylor, ASOS, and Uniqlo have some interesting options.

If you’re looking for inspiration on how to wear your graphic T-shirts, have a look at this roundup on WhoWhatWear, or on Pinterest. Not surprisingly, I myself am most drawn to the looks that have a dressy element to them, like this bold Sporty Luxe suit, or this Summer-y plaid skirt outfit.

Fab Links from Our Members

Here’s an interesting article on copycat shopping. While YLF forum members share their finds, and embrace being “clothing twins”, HiggsMistress wonders if you would find it creepy or flattering when family or close friends copy your clothes.

Angie directs us to Sally’s post in which she discusses your body through the lens of style. “Our body is naked sometimes, and naked is its natural state. But you go about most of your life clothed, so learning about your body through dressing it can be both enlightening and beneficial.” Conversing with your body through dressing and clothing can make you feel a lot happier with the image of it.

Roxanna lets us know that Jane Birkin is asking to have her name removed from her iconic Hermes bag because of animal treatment practices.

Deb wishes she could forward this article about four women bonding over the beauty in their baldness to a little girl she once knew who was dealing with the same condition and faced the same insecurities and fears.

Skylurker found the results of this survey investigating the evolving shopping habits of British consumers very interesting.

After seeing the trailer for the movie Trainwreck, Deborah nearly fell over when she discovered the tough magazine editor was actually Tilda Swinton. She felt she recognized the actress, but it was as though she was looking at “every woman”, and this article elaborates on why that is.