Not at all. This being my second NAS on the Forum, this year I am clicking the "Hide" button every day. Last year an Australian who has now left the Forum PMd me that she just didn't understand the frenzy, it seemed so wasteful and so environmentally unfriendly. I was most interested in the discussions last year about how the prices would drop again so soon after the "Sale of the Year".
Of course it is easier being in the opposite hemisphere with a poor exchange rate to US$. But your "Fall" clothing is quite suitable for our winter that we are currently in the middle of. So if I felt like participating, I could find something probably. I just feel I have heaps of good choices at reasonable prices here- several genuine outlet stores of nationally known brands near me, or great little sale back rooms. And I am NOT trying to increase the size of my wardrobe!
So, you ladies enjoy, I'll keep clicking "Hide".

bj1111, that's too funny! I ordered SO MANY things from NAS last year, and returned almost all of it. I kept a trench coat and a sweater, and that's it.

lisap, we're on the same page. "I shouldn't buy more stuff...but I LIKE stuff!"

CJ, that is smart shopping!

bonnie, it's definitely a great way to see what trends are trickling into retail for the season!

citygirldc, I'm always excited for fall shopping. What will I ever do if I move somewhere without clear seasons?!

Gaylene, you are wise!

Janet, you seem to be the opposite kind of shopper as Suz. Instead of turning the shopping brain on and off, you're really good at finding gems here and there along the way.

The Cat, it seems like we don't have heat waves here anymore, we just have HEAT all summer... 10-12 weeks with temps consistently over 90º (32 C). I'm not a hot-weather lover and get tired of it very quickly.

SaraL, I will take any excuse to think about fall! I don't think I could handle living where you do!

JenniNZ, you have been so good about responsibly managing your wardrobe! Until I lived in Seattle for a few years, I never lived in a place with a Nordstrom, so I'd never heard of the sale before! It's definitely not a country-wide frenzy, though it might appear so here. As my own wardrobe gets smaller, I'm discovering that I have more specific needs every season. It lessens the temptation to expand when you have to replace workhorses!

Jenn, you and Fashintern are too kind -- I don't think of my approach as "strategy" so much as intuitive fallback tendency...also, I may not be as good at it as I suppose. When I look at actual purchases this year... I made 3 in January (all boots).

1 in February ( a dress on sale, Angie pick).

Two sale tops from J. Crew in March.

And a bunch more stuff in May (sandals) and June (summer clothes.)

For a total of 20 items so far. Hmmmm.

<runs blushing from room>

For me, NAS is more about my connection to Seattle, and doesn't entice me to shop everywhere. I loved shopping the sale when I lived there, and I still love it, even the years that I only refresh my Natori bras, restock my lingerie wash, and pick up some chinos for my husband. Thinking through the big ticket purchases does help me reassess my fall/winter wardrobe, and even if I don't buy any of those items, I usually feel like I have a good plan for when fall/winter merchandise does appear.

Love the NAS. Good times with my online shopping pals! It is an Event on the YLF forum. It is part of the culture here.

Yes, I do a lot of prep work before going into the sale. I figure out my general “fall/winter look”.

I feel better now, Suz. My pattern looks similar, with a few items each month Jan-Mar, big bump for summer clothes in April, hardly anything in May and June, for a total of 18 items so far. I’ll be interested to see how the second half of the year plays out, because I get really busy in October-December, and I’m not sure if that will equate to no shopping or stress shopping.

Kathie, this is so true! "Thinking through the big ticket purchases does help me reassess my fall/winter wardrobe..."

smittie, I so enjoy seeing your thought processes each season!

There is definitely a feeling of “buy!buy!buy!” but this is part and parcel of having a wardrobe hobby.
All you can do is have a bit of balance.

Hmm, my birthday is in early March, and I do tend to do quite a bit of shopping in the month leading up to it (both summer stuff and winter clearance). I wonder -- if I had a summer birthday, might I have more of an eye on the retail scene? I kind of suspect not? I tend to buy for the house, and for activities, in the summer. I do so much landscape and garden planning, and our house is still new to us (two years in it), so there's always something we're looking to add or upgrade. This year I redid one of the porches (freshly sanded and refinished) with a new doormat, hanging baskets, a little bistro dining set, and wind chimes! Then there's things like camp chairs and a high-quality cooler -- items we've never had before, but which come in handy when you car camp (we never used to do that before we had a kid!). So it's not like I don't shop this time of year, but my focus is very different. Clothes take a back seat for a few months.

Winter is my dominant season, and Angie is SO right about the best stuff being some of the first stuff out.

So, yes, and it's exciting to see what the rends for the new season are. I agree, too, other retailers are already rolling out the fall pieces and the back to school stuff!

I also confess I save up for NAS as some of the footwear brands I love never go on sale except during NAS.

JenniNZ it’s definitely not a country-wide frenzy...or even a city-wide one. I’ve lived in Seattle for 20 years and have never shopped the NAS. (Well, I think I ordered a couple pairs of jeans recommended by a blogger a couple years ago, but I didn’t keep them.) I actually don’t shop at Nordstrom much and I think what they offer is mostly a miss for my style. *ducks in fear of being run off the forum* BUT, I am finding people’s decision making processes really interesting to peek into, and enjoy the vicarious thrill when forum members find a keeper!

smittie, I love what you said there. You're so right. (And it's true of other hobbies, too, just in different ways.)

LP, that makes total sense.

Thistle, the "back to school" thing is definitely part of it for me, too. School usually starts early here (this year is an exception because of some district-wide construction) so at this time of year, we're usually only a few weeks out from that, and I'm spending more time than usual in stores.

I'm not a sale shopper in general, but I do get caught up in NAS for the simple reason that I love fall, it's my dominant season, and I get swept away in thoughts of fall outfits. My first NAS was a disaster, I bought and returned a lot of stuff because I reacted emotionally to the frenzy. Now I am very controlled. I use NAS to look for splurge items, in general, that I might not want to pay full price for. It's also to get a jump on Fall needs. Last year I bought the Longchamps leather tote, a splurge, but very useful and an upgrade from my nylon. The JP fleece blazer is a workhorse, as I knew it would be. Exactly my style. The EF sweater coat is one of the more unusual pieces in my wardrobe and it's fun, different, elegant and versatile. This year I only want two pieces, if they are available. I desperately need a new fall/winter coat. The Pendleton ticks all the boxes - hood, weather resistant, zip/snaps, good pockets. I'd like to try since I can't asses fit, but when Angie and Anna both rave about quality, I take it seriously. The RM Merilee blazer I own in tweed and it's a wardrobe workhorse. I know that herringbone blazer is meant to be mine. Unfortunately every other nordstrom shopper erroneously feels it was meant for her. It's not dearest girls, please return my blazer so I can buy it on friday. It won't look half as good on you as it will on me!! I promise, you'll find much better for you, but that's definitely the piece for me. Anyway, I am already resigned to stalker mode. Other than those pieces, I'm not looking. That's how I'm trying to get the best from NAS without sliding down the dark side!!

I'm ALWAYS in shopping mode; just ask my UPS guy, lol. I live in a temperate climate so never buy super warm winter coats, tall boots, or heavy sweaters. Did that keep my from shopping at NAS? No. I will ALWAYS buy their lingerie wash then. And got DH undershorts since Nordies is one of the few places that sells them in numbered sizes vs. SML. And other things I may or may not return.

Their regular stock still gets marked down during NAS; I just ordered a pair of oxfords. And of course other new stuff comes in for me to put on my Wish List.

I love seeing what is coming up and like Donna I’m always in the mood for shopping. As Smittie says, I too have a wardrobe hobby!

SarahD8, I find the decision-making process interesting too, and it's fun to see the same items on different bodies.

gryffin, as someone who's consciously trying to upgrade her wardrobe, to higher quality, I think NAS is a great opportunity to spend a little less on a higher-end piece. You do have to be careful, though!

DonnaF, you make me laugh, but I'm totally going to order some lingerie wash, too. There's a reasonable chance that that I may be relocating to a more mild climate in the next year or two, so I should probably be careful with the winter items this year.

Jane, it's always fun to see seasonal updates, isn't it?