It's a date, Lady. xo

Shevia- Reading and thrift stores have always been my great loves. I think that being an introvert plays a hand in why I feel a certain way about higher end stores.

Laura- Thank you for your input. I feel just the opposite about smaller boutiques. I like the one on one interaction.

Desmo-Yes, one Macy's I went into had the plus size intermixed with the maternity wear. Kind of like the target stores. No offense to the the wonderful soon to be mothers. But I am not pregnant and I have no intentions of becoming so in the future. I am plus size there is a difference.

Adelfa, Viva, Jackiec, Rambeling Ann, ABC- I am getting more excited or confident about my visit to Nordstrom. I will most assuredly give and update on my experience. I will be going after church on Sunday to the downtown Chicago location. Day Vies- I work 3 blocks from the old Marshall Field's in Chicago. I did visit the store upon occasion.

Diana- I am just completely turned off by my experience with Macy's and I will not be revisiting that store. But, on the other had I am glad your experience went over so well.

Angie- Thank you for your response. The next time you are in the Chi I would love an Angie and YLF meet up experience.

Ladywone--I stepped into my first Nordstrom in April. It was the Michigan Avenue store in Chicago, of all places to dip my toes into the water! AND, get this--I was with my 80-year-old blind father and 14-year-old sloppily dressed son--not exactly typical high-end department store customers! I went there hoping to find slip-on sneakers, and the SA could not have been more kind and helpful. She didn't hover, but when I was ready to try on, she offered water and comfortable seating to all three of us. She listened carefully to what I was looking for and brought out a dozen pairs for me to try. I did buy one pair, which I love.

Then we wandered up to the cafe for supper and had one of the best roast chicken dinners ever, at perhaps the best price in Chicago.

Would love to join if there's a Chicago YLF meet up sometime.

Windchime- Thank you for sharing your experince I will be going to the same one on Michigan Sunday afternoon. I think I will try out the cafe as well for an early dinner. I love downtown Chicago in the summer. And again I will report back either late Sunday or Monday morning for sure.

Oh, one more thing about women's/plus size departments in stores that are new to me -- I fully expect the clothes to be larger versions of the styles and offerings in the Misses department. If I see rows of black shapeless sparkly clothes I'm out of there.
Here's my Nordstrom's endorsement story. I was looking for a gala dress and decided to try Nordstrom's. I am 2 different sizes on top and bottom 16/18 on top and size 12 on the bottom (when not pregnant ) I found a ton of dresses in Misses that were pretty but didn't give me enough room on top. Misses topped out at size 16. One of the SA's told me there were larger versions of some dresses upstairs in Women's. So that's where I went. I found the perfect dress (altered for free!) on clearance in the women's department for less than $75 and keep in mind I was going to a GALA.
So yes part of the fun of shopping is spending far less than you anticipated, but I also enjoy getting the most value for my money. I'm not sure where else you can get free alterations.

Thank you Day Vies you have been such a true help. I am a petite (short) 18 with massive shoulders and feet compliments of my father. I am no stranger to alterations but for free yes, thank you for the tip.

Jealous bc the Nordies near me are nowhere NEAR the size of the Chicago store you are about to visit (sigh)

When Nordstom was new to this area and I was younger (and poorer), I thought it was only for "rich people." Now it's my favorite department store. The price points are varied enough that I think many budgets can be satisfied, and the service really is very good.

I have come to merely tolerate Macy's because it really is not what it used to be. It's cramped, crowded, the dressing rooms are stuffed with left-behind merchandise, and it's hard to find a SA when you need one. Lord & Taylor is a little better. Bloomingdales seems better too, but I rarely get to one because the closest one is in DC, and I don't go down there to shop very often.

Department stores in general have grown more cramped and confusing, and less enjoyable. Nordstrom is more like the department stores *used* to be decades ago -- I'm talking about some of the regional/local stores like Hecht Co. and Hutzler's here in Maryland.

Ladyone;

My current wardrobe is probably 80% from Nordstrom, but 90% purchased online even though I have two Nordstrom stores that are somewhat convenient to me. I make my returns (80% return rate?) at the stores. Most of what I've bought was 40% off, but some was 30% off, and a few items were 25% off, and a rare few were full price purchased on double point days. I'm not exactly an upscale buyer! I sold a SA that I wasn't interested in a particular $138 vest (gilet) unless it went on sale, and she told me she would contact me when it did. The next time I saw her and told her that online it was marked down to $55, she said that when she was off one weekend, they were taken away to be sold at the Rack and had never gone on sale in store. Believe it or not, I actually found that vest in the Rack last week (at $55) and would have never thought to look there had she not told me.

Nordstrom is the single place where I feel that I've always been treated well. I don't think I've been treated poorly at Macys, but the SAs are nearly non-existent. I think I've been treated fairly well at Talbots. The issue I think I'm facing is ageism; I don't fit the demographic of many stores even if the clothes might fit. Maybe they think I will chase away their desired customers? The one place I will no longer enter is Sephora, at least a particular one in the 'burbs. I went there shortly after it opened and was the only customer in the store. Nonetheless, the SAs purposely avoided me like the plague even after I chased one down. She couldn't wait to escape me.

Nordstrom.com has a Plus Size tab, just as it has a Petite tab. It will give you a good sense of what is in the brick'n'mortar stores, maybe even a more complete selection, although the stores sometimes have additional colors. Or not. I have also found that what is marked down online will not necessarily be marked down in the store, but they will give you the lower price if you ask.