The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has officially begun. It’s my favourite sale of the year and a particularly big event in Seattle, which is home to Nordstrom’s headquarters and flagship store. The sale offers hot off the press new merchandise for Fall and Winter at reduced prices for a period of two weeks. This sale kicks off the new retail season and is NOT an end of season sale. Prices go back up on August 4. 

I’ve spent a week preselecting the sale with my clients. They cover a range of body types, lifestyles and style personas, and we found many good items across an assortment of price points. Don’t be put off by the appearance of the items in the online photos, because they often look better in person. Be sure to check all the colour options and availability across petite and plus sizes.

I’m kicking off with dresses because for the first time ever, clients came home with plenty of Fall frocks thanks to sleeves and extra hem length. All of these top picks were winners on one or more of my clients. Surprisingly, most regular sized merchandize worked well on petite clients this year, and regular sized merchandise often includes a size 14 and 16.

Note that sizes do come back into stock over the course of the two weeks so keep checking the items for your size.

Dresses

• Theory 'Keiran' Leather Accent Dress: Although short, this dress is fabulous over black leggings with a high and wide waistband to prevent lumps and bumps on the midsection. Comfy, sleek and a little edgy. Fab on pear shaped gals. Runs small.
• Eileen Fisher Ballet Neck Handkerchief Hem Jersey Dress (Regular & Petite): Arty, comfy and plenty of length. Does not cling on the midsection. Fab with a pair of tall or short boots. Runs large.
• Taylor Dresses Pintuck Detail Ponte Sheath Dress: A fashionable and sleek dress. Severe, strict and very black, but killer and elegant nonetheless. It's surprisingly forgiving on the midsection. Works well on a curvy hourglass.
• Adrianna Papell Crackle Print Sheath Dress (Regular & Petite): Sleek, simple, slimming and professional. Forgiving on the midsection. Excellent for the office with or without a jacket. The petite is short, so order the regular for extra length.
• Diane von Furstenberg 'New Jeanne 2' Print Silk Wrap Dress (Online Only): DVF wraps with collars and extra length work particularly well on curvy clients. The fabric is heavenly. You might need to size up.
• Classiques Entier Ponte Knit V-Neck Sheath Dress: A V-neck sheath is hard to find, and this one is stellar on a larger bust and shorter neck. Excellent on a curvy hourglass. Covered, forgiving on the tummy, and professional. Tailored but not overly tight. Gorgeous colours. I vote burgundy or teal.
• Nic + Zoe 'Twirl' Pattern Knit Dress: A fun and flirty woolly, but non-itchy, Fall frock. Add brown knee-high boots and you're done. Excellent on pear shaped gals.
• Laundry By Shelli Segal Matte Jersey Shirtdress (Regular & Petite): A graphic and straight shirtdress that's good on an inverted triangle. Can be worn as a tunic.
• Marc New York By Andrew Marc Colorblock Sheath Dress: A modern classic and chic sheath with visually slimming colour blocked panels. Excellent on both an hourglass and rectangle.
• Tory Burch Print Jersey Crepe Sheath Dress: This dress was one of my favourites at the sale because the fabric is extra luxurious. The neckline looks high but it works for a shorter neck and larger bust because it creates a slight cowl when worn on the body. The ruched panel on the midsection is flattering, as is the sleeve and hem length.
• Eliza J Front Zip Houndstooth Jacquard Fit & Flare Dress (Regular & Petite): A fun fit-and-flare with delicious side entry pockets. Great fabric too. Fab on petite hourglass and pear shapes.
• Classiques Entier Structured Ponte Knit Sheath Dress: This dress surprised me the most at the sale because it has little hanger appeal, but looks like a million bucks on the body. The baby peplum is extremely flattering on the midsection. There are architectural pleats on the back of the sleeves that look extra chic. All colours are fab.
• Vince Camuto Lace Hem Sheath Dress: A fab sheath for a straighter body type. The lace trim is beautiful, modest, and breaks up the column of black. This would have been mine if I was looking for a black sleeveless sheath dress. It's knitted and comfy.
• Nicole Miller Ruched Ponte Sheath Dress: Fab on a broad shouldered gal. Great back pleat ruching.
• Taylor Dresses Floral Print Scuba Sheath Dress (Regular & Petite): Machine washable and super lightweight. Tailored but not body con. The mesh insets on the neckline are a fun touch.
• Taylor Dresses Print Scuba Sheath Dress (Plus Size) (Online Only): Machine washable and super lightweight. Tailored but not body-con. The mesh insets on the neckline are a fun touch. Here in plus sizes.
• Adrianna Papell Placed & Print Lace Sheath Dress (Regular & Petite): A lace pattern topped with lace trim makes for an interesting combination. A super sheath for the office. Forgiving on the midsection.
• Betsey Johnson Jacquard Knit Sheath Dress: This was another frock favourite because the fabric is thick and super soft. I love that the print was more cream than black. The neckline looked great on everyone too. Tailored but not body con.
• Vince Camuto Long Sleeve Jacquard Sheath Dress: A beautiful dress on an inverted triangle with a narrower hip. It's quite forgiving on the midsection, but not overly so. Fab weighty fabric. Fresh brown pattern with leather trim.
• Sejour Leather & Ponte Knit Fit & Flare Dress (Plus Size): A flirty fit-and-flare with a hard edge. The back of the bodice is knitted which provides extra comfort. Layer a shirt or tee under for cooler weather. Looks fun with an unzipped bomber jacket too.

Activewear

• Zella 'Live In' Cross Dye Capris: A great workout bottom for Summer. Thick, supportive and breathable. I vote blue.
• Zella 'Live In' Reversible Capris: These are reversible and fit in a similar way.
• Zella 'Live In' Leggings (Plus Size): Here's the longer version in plus sizes, which work as well under tunics as they do for working out.
• Zella 'Live In' Leggings (Cross Dye): These are the longer version of the shorter pair for cooler weather.
• Zella 'Live In' Eclipse Space Dye Capris: These were the favourites because the fabric is thicker and the pattern quite flattering. The grey cross dye is a nice change from black.
• Zella 'Live In' Eclipse Space Dye Capris (Plus Size): Here in plus sizes.
• Zella 'City' Shorts (Online Only): If tight activewear is not your thing, consider a pair of baggy city shorts for workout wear. They are fab to lounge in at home too.
• Zella 'City' Shorts (Plus Size): Here in plus sizes.
• Zella 'Pretty' Hoodie (Plus Size): A beautifully made activewear jacket in a substantial fabric. Shaped and longer in length with thumb holes. Warm and flattering.
• Zella 'Pretty' Hoodie: Here in regular sizes.
• Zella 'Easy' Hooded Top: This top runs small so size up a size. It's got a great V-neck and slimming front panels that are forgiving on the midsection.
• Zella 'Easy' Hooded Top (Plus Size): Here in plus sizes.
• Zella 'Essential' Jacket: This little jacket is fab on petites because it's shorter than the other styles. Tight and sleek.

Feel free to ask further questions about size, colour and fit in the comments section, and let’s get you sorted.

Also at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2014

• Tops
• Bottoms
• Jackets and Coats
• Footwear and Handbags

With the photography series “Revolutions“, photographer Yvette Meltzer has turned laundry into art. About the pictures she took of clothes rising and falling in laundromat dryers, she says: “It wasn’t until I went to the computer to upload the photos that I saw the images that emerged in many of the dryer photos and I was mesmerized. Therein, I saw faces and forms of both people and animals.”

Refinery29 has an interesting article (with example photos) about The Zarafication of Fashion Photography.

Here’s a peek at some of the artworks on display in the “Don’t Stop Now: Fashion Photography Next” exhibition that is currently showing in Amsterdam.

Have you read this interesting New York Times article about how more and more people are hiring a professional photographer to shoot profile shots for their Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts?

Fab Links from Our Members

Amiable just discovered the blog Unfancy, and really likes Caroline’s small, remixable capsules.

Banoff and Joy both enjoyed this Wall Street Journal article on Five Ways to Avoid Shopping Mistakes. Realizing that everyone makes these mistakes, made Joy feel better, and reinforces the thought that one should really love an item… or leave it for someone else. 

MsMary reports that Barbra Streisand built a shopping mall in her basement to store her awesome stuff. And then Jonathan Tolin wrote a hilarious play about it.

Annagybe is very taken with Rodebjer, a Swedish, new-to-her label that she learnt about over at The Man Repeller.

As some YLF forum members are currently on SYC (shop your closet) or participating in No-Buy July, La Belle Demimondaine thought this post on overestimating willpower was a timely read.

Vildy is fed up with carrying a purse as they seem to affect her posture, and crossbodies cause discomfort by pressing against her neck. So she is thinking about trying a hip fanny pack, and this pinboard provides great inspiration.

Real Simple has 20 Tips to Make Your Wardrobe Last. Joy liked hints such as wearing wool athletic socks to prevent foot odour in sneakers.

Angie enjoyed reading the story behind singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat’s song and powerful video about unfair beauty ideals.

For a few years now it has been hard to find wardrobe items in dark brown. The neutral fell off the fashion radar and for six years it’s been all about black and shades of grey. Ink blue returned two years ago and is gaining momentum, but still not much brown. 

Well, I’ve just spent a week shopping the preselections of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale with clients for Fall and Winter 2014 and I’m happy to say that dark brown is back. It was well represented in clothing, outerwear and footwear. There was even dark brown underwear and sleepwear. And of course, handbags in all shades of brown. 

This is great news for lovers of dark brown. Although I’m not drawn to it for my own style, the assortment of brown merchandise went down well with most of my clients. It looked particularly sensational on those who wear earth tones well. We built beautiful Fall and Winter capsules around dark brown by combining it with dusty pinks, mauves, burgundy, denim blue, cream and olive. The browns looked very fresh against the usual sea of black and grey. 

It’s been a LONG time since we’ve had black, grey, ink blue and brown all making a fashionable statement in the same season. I love it. This level of variety should be available every season. Aside from being a great option in itself, dark brown looks great combined with other dark neutrals like black, ink or grey. Mixing it up is what 2014 fashion is all about.

A wildcard is an item that is atypical to your style persona, but that speaks to you in some way. I suggest adding at least one wildcard to your seasonal wardrobe, just for fun. Sometimes your wildcards unexpectedly become wardrobe workhorses, steering you in a new style direction. That’s even more fun. 

I’d love to know about the wildcards that made it into your wardrobe for Spring and Summer 2014, and how they have worked for your style so far. I’ll go first. 

1. Flared Love Story Jeans: I don’t have a boho aspect to my style, nor do I typically wear wide leg pants or jeans because I generally find them fussy and impractical for our climate. Yet, I fell in love with a pair of flared jeans. They instantly felt elegant with pointy toe pumps. I have especially enjoyed wearing these jeans out at night for a change of pace. They’ve become my “dressy jeans”, and filled a subtle wardrobe hole. 
2. Big White Sneakers: Loving the Sporty Luxe Trend has been a huge surprise in itself because I’m dressy and very un-sporty. If you asked me last year whether I’d be sporting big white sneakers with jeans, long shorts and dresses, my answer would probably have been, “no way”. But we can never say never when if comes to fashion. I love my white sneakers, and sport them with tucked away laces, sans socks and in outfits where I would have previously worn Converse sneakers. They are a brilliantly comfortable substitute for the Chucks that no longer work for my fussy feet. 
3. Upscale Backpack: This is my wildest card of all. Me, sporting a white upscale backpack, after saying that I would never do so again after having had my fill of backpacks in the ‘90s. I had to eat my words and thank my good mate Laurel for inspiring me with her own ultra refined and gorgeously made white backpack. It’s fun, super comfortable, pretty, modern and very 2014. This little darling has become a wardrobe workhorse, and is Greg’s favourite bag in my current collection.

I’ll add that I’ve enjoyed Spring and Summer shopping this year as much as I normally enjoy Fall shopping. This is also unusual.   

Over to you. Tell me about your wildcards for the season and how they’re working for you. Perhaps you have your eye on a wildcard, and by all means share that too.

Shopbop

J Brand 722 Love Story Jeans

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Nordstrom

MILLY 'Riley' Backpack

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Zappos

Propet Washable Walker Medicare/HCPCS Code = A5500 Diabetic Shoe

$69.95

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