I'm chuckling at all the tales of "confusion" and "CHAOS" and "crazy, inscrutable mass social movement"s, and clueless SAs, and tryons in dirty lumber mill bathrooms! Lol!

For my part, 2015 I didn't pay too much attention but followed along with the Vince lemming dress threads.

2016, I *think* I'm getting the Mackage leather jacket and La Canadienne boots. I returned the Triny Turk wool coat and the TNF puffer because I really would prefer a swing coat and the puffer was the wrong colour on me.

Oh, I love these stories. Thanks for indulging me! I remember so many of your stories and moments of triumph (and angst).

Smittie, no! After showing us how well you layered with those pieces, you're taking them back? I'm heartbroken. But not really, because I know you'll look amazing in the Mackage jacket. That's real Montreal style. And the boots I am still tempted by, myself. I should see if they still have some in stock.

Author Linda, I love your choices and what an amazing story. I identify with some of your successes and failures, both to the items and the reasons. It takes a while after life change and significant weight loss to figure out a new direction.

Colette,

You‘ve been one the most enthusiastic and successful NAS participants of all in the past two sales. I love many of your choices. And your reviews have helped us all so much here. It’s amazing how much we learn even from the “failures.” Maybe especially from those.

Coco — i LOVE those shoes! So brave of you to risk the ordering. It’s hard to know in advance. I hope you bring them out again to play soon.

Mochi, I absolutely recall your getting into the fray a few years ago. You have found some good pieces and also learned a lot about what styles work for you. Didn’t you get a leather jacket at one sale?

Aquamarine, you have that Tory Burch? I’ll bet it is gorgeous on you. What a lovely dress. If I’d had a need for it I would have kept it. Can’t wait to hear what you wind up with this year.

NAS is hit or miss for me in terms of whether I find anything I like, but most of the things I've kept have turned out to be winners.

2012: my first NAS! I didn't know about it prior to YLF as there is no Nordstrom within easy public transit in Boston, so I rarely went there. I bought my Frye Veronica boots that I still wear, and that I had been wanting for some time.

2013: don't think I bought anything this year. I think I tried a couple of pairs of boots but was unimpressed.

2014: got the Halogen floral lemming sweater and my KUT faux leather front jacket (the find below is taupe but mine is black), both of which I still love.

2015: I kept nothing but socks and a lingerie bag this year.

2016: I haven't decided for sure, but I'm most likely keeping the RL anorak (weird fake lining and all), the Pikolinos Andorra booties, the Topshop blouse, and the Caslon jacket. Plus my favorite workhorse sports bra. I did not expect that I would keep so many items - this is definitely my best purchase:return ratio for a NAS. I also would have ordered and kept the RL trench but found it cheaper elsewhere. Most of these items are things that I had been looking for anyway and with the exception of the topshop blouse are fairly classic items. That's a theme with me and NAS. I usually look for workhorse and classic items rather than trendy ones as at this point I still have no idea what trends I want to try come fall.

ETA: I still do the bulk of my NAS shopping online. I have never been to a preselection, although I have walked through the regular NAS sale in the store a time or two. (Including a quick walkthrough with Angie and co in Seattle! But I didn't buy anything... )

I haven't read all the comments and have never bought anything from NHS. ..but the top and skirt from your 2013 visit are going strong down under and I wore them 2 days ago!

Oh, this is fun. I have easy access to actual Nordstrom stores, but shop mostly online anyway. It's just easier for me.

2012 was my first year - Sam Edelman petty booties, Blondo tall black boots, Halogen plaid skirt. I may have passed the skirt on, but still love the two footwear choices.

2013 - returned one Classics Entier tweed jacket that did not come in petites but I gave it a try anyway. Ended up with a different tweed jacket by Halogen, a black leather/ponte dress, caramel heeled booties, a knit bomber jacket, and a caramel leather skirt. Still wear all of them.

2014 - returned a 2 piece Topshop dress and some track pants; kept Eileen Fisher silk pants, a burgundy floral print dress, a navy ponte/ leather dress, a black leather shimmer coated jacket. Still wear all.

2015 - returned 2 dresses; kept a green lace dress, an Equipment plaid silk dress, Cole Haan sneaker oxfords, tall caramel boots, Topshop navy topper, a poncho, couple pair of Hue leggings, and navy ankle strap pumps. Still wear all.

2016 - started out with just some layering cami-tanks and sports bras. Now have the items below either in my closet or on the way, arriving today and tommorow. Karen Kane sweater and the plaid leggings are definitely keepers. The Nic and Zoe dress I had to resize, hoping it works because I really loved the material.

Yeah, I do really well at this sale.

Ooh, Linda, I want to know more about the plaid leggings!

I really never get that hipped up about any sales. I like to hunt for my little treasures. So I just wait for the NAS things to go to the rack and buy them at an even more reduced price. Everyone is always having a sale. You know the one day sale at Macy's that is every week. LOL

OMG, Linda, did you HAVE to post those leggings and the Nic&Zoe dress? I find both incredibly tempting and I don't even like leggings!! Holy moly.

You have done very well this year and other years in the sale. It sounds like you've got some workhorse items.

Diana, waving at my sports bra twin!!! I've mostly gone the route of filling wardrobe holes and stocking up on undies and classic backbone items, too, but the "frills" and wild cards I have bought at the sale have been among my most successful purchases, it seems.

One story I didn't relate was how I bought and returned the Aquatalia sweeties (or similar) in 2013, only to regret not keeping. I snapped them up in 2014, and they were total workhorses that year and last year, to the point where they are almost worn out, and I was really hoping I could replace them this year -- but no such luck!

Suz and Diana - the leggings are so great (except when trying them on in the summer heat). Honestly my first thought was these feel like wool without the itch. They are going to be soooo cozy in the winter. Nice and stretchy, soft, fairly thick but not bulky. They have little slash pockets on the front, so fashioned to look like pants but on me at least will be worn with a long top (like the Karen Kane pictured). They are pull on style with an elastic waist. What else would be helpful to you?

The NAS posts turn my mind toward F/W planning in July - which is neither a good nor a bad thing.
F/W sound like science fiction, until this NAS business and it suddenly feels real.
Pulled out my Winter trousers yesterday out of the closet to assess fit : the YLF NAS effect.

Not having seen them, and reminding myself that I never actually like leggings on my own body, is what would help.

I'm seriously going to look those up.

Linder, I think you're right (certainly you're right about the constant sales!!). But I am finding it more helpful than I had expected to shop early for the season.

This is the first year I shopped the sale, and I bought just a few things--brands I'm already familiar with. I want to give Nordstrom a closer look and familiarize myself with what they have to offer. Is there a Nordstrom in Philly? I'll be going there in August, and if my DDs decide they want to browse stores, I may put it on my list if it's convenient for our schedule. We'll only be there for the weekend, though, so our time will be limited.

You all have a much better memory than me. I can't remember when I actually started shopping NAS but I do think it was after I joined YLF. I scrolled through my finds and included what I think were NAS purchases. I have gone from *buying all the stuff* to trying to focus on good quality basics or maybe a higher end piece here and there.
I just received most of my boxes in the mail today so I will be having a try on session at home tonight. My favorite purchases from the past would have to be the Vince sweater in ink and Aquatalia boots in my finds. Those KUT ponte pants and Via Spiga booties have also been workhorses.

BC, there's a big Nordstrom at the King of Prussia mall, which is in the Philly metro area. And there's a new Nordstrom Rack downtown. The mall is huge, so the shopping is fine.

Thanks, Linda! I guess my big question is about sizing... I have this gut reaction to size up on all leggings because I don't like things to be super tight but this can make things be saggy. On the other hand, with the plaid pattern, I wouldn't want them to be TOO stretched out either so that it would distort the pattern.

True fit says Medium for me (I am a size 10 on the bottom) but my other Hue leggings are a Large. Hmm... maybe I should just order both sizes.

Thanks, Linda. I'll see if we can work some mall shopping into our plans.

Diana - I usually wear an 8 for pants (but as you know, sizes vary from store to store) and I got a medium, which is my usual Hue size. I think the fit on these is a bit bigger than most of my other Hue leggings, though. Safer to try both sizes, but very probable that medium will work for you.

So glad to see this enabling going on....

AviaMariah, you have one of my most envied NAS closets!! Many our our picks are the same. I didn't end up getting most of the items you got, or I got and returned, but the one I kept (the Aquatalias) would have to be my most worn NAS purchase ever.

BC, you chose some items in beautiful colours that look delicious on you.

Skylurker, it's amazing to think that the effect even crosses oceans. I do think there is something good in getting us planning ahead. Because it stays hot here until the middle of September, I tend to have my NAS fun, and then not think of autumn clothing at all again until probably the end of September or beginning of October. Because of NAS (and previous years, of course!) I have enough to wear in the bridge season and I can start thinking about the Loooooooooooong Canadian winter ahead of me then.

OK, i just ordered both sizes of the plaid leggings. And now I really need to stop. At least until the next great thing I missed shows up in this thread.

Hahah, I know -- super tempting, Diana.

Anne, I am SO touched to learn that those items are still working well for you. I loved that top. LOVED it. And I knew the colours would glow on you. Which they do. And your weather means you can get so much more wear from both skirt and top. I wore the sweater a lot but the skirt not very often, due to having such a casual lifestyle. For working in an office it makes more sense.

Thanks, Suz! Can you tell I'm trying to brighten up my wardrobe a bit?

It's such a blur. Noteworthy was the pre-YLF year I un-retired, built a whole office wear capsule, and then went into academia. Aargh, what a waste of money! Or last year's wildcard that wasn't. Shoes and bags are historical successes, though. High hopes for this year.

Crossing fingers for you, Cerinda!

How fun! I don't remember everything I bought at NAS but since I have my YLF blog I could pull some representative outfits from the archives.
1. 2011. My first year at YLF and NAS and I joined because of Angie's NAS list. This was my "signature outfit" and I built my demure bombshell style persona around this outfit. I still have this outfit up as my avatar, maybe it's time for a change 5 years later?!
2. 2012. Didn't get much, just a Zella jacket and pants. Still have these.
3-4. 2012. Didn't keep these, but couldn't resist copying the silly model pose!
5. 2013. Oxblood leather L148 jacket and shell and Halogen tweed skirt. Still have all these but not sure I wear the jacket enough to justify the cost!
6-11. 2014. This was definitely my year at NAS! Also was the year of plaid and lace! Went hog wild. I still have all of these too.
12-13. 2015. The year of the lemming dress!

14-16. 2016. Exploring my UWP side. The year of puffy jackets and casual black and silver.

This thread is fascinating, not just because it's about NAS but it seems a lot of people find workhorses,

This was my first year, I have had a Nordstrom card for a few years but never paid much attention to NAS until I joined YLF a few months ago.

2016 - I was a bit burned out from spring/summer shopping, but never want to ignore a good sale, so I ordered a sweater and skirt, both which were quickly returned because I didn't like the quality of the sweater or the style of the skirt. Not a big deal, I'm still going through a major wardrobe transformation. Bought 5 pairs of black booties intending to keep one. I have returned 3 and kept 2 to continue mulling. I have been in a store since I ordered and saw how they were set up for NAS and I might try placing an order and going into the store to try it all on next year....I think it might be less delivery/return hassle to do that assuming that a year from now I have a much better idea of what I want.

Angie your story about your first NAS reminded me of a local Boston institution that closed quite a few years ago. It was called Filene's Basement and is a great story. (There was also a regular Filene's, a much loved department store, one of the many regional US dept stores that no longer exists). FB was one of the first discount stores in this area, they started off with a marked down price, then dropped it every week. You could see all the weekly markdowns on the price tag and once you got used to the system you could predict how and when the price would continue to drop. DH scored some gorgeous expensive suits when he was in grad school and walked by it every day in downtown Boston.

Anyway, routine shopping at FB was always an adventure, because they had no dressing rooms, were usually packed with people, and some of the clothing was folded into piles that got messed up quickly. My grandmother supposedly was great at using her elbows as wedges to push through the crowds (so my Mom tells me). A guy I used to work with LOVED to tell the story of witnessing a bra-less woman whipping tops on and off right there for all to see. They sold wedding dresses once a year, it was a super madhouse that made the local news every year. Brides and their attendants would tear down the doors and run in... "people grabbing ,fighting, pushing, and screaming" just like your description of your first NAS Angie!

Chris, that is hilarious. I remember shopping at Filene's Basement. My husband's mother was crazy for the place and he used to shop there all the time as a young man. Even after he moved to Canada, he would make treks down there to buy stuff and I went with him a few times shortly after we got together. I scored a really great blue leather bomber there in the early 90s, as well as some lovely silk shirts and a few other items.

Natalie, I love your retrospective. You have bought some beautiful, beautiful things at NAS. Do you think you are changing your palette more from autumnal browns toward black and grey overall?

Suz thanks for the story...love that you shopped in FB!

That's a great overview Suz. What great pieces you have bought! Two years ago I was new around here and greatly in need of a wardrobe update. I was too new to understand what all the NAS madness was about....Ha Ha! Last year I scored some Aquatalia Boots and probably more that I don't remember. This year I feel I have plenty of clothes & no budget so I and am looking just to buy what I need. I am also a bit underwhelmed by the sale this year...except the shoes and I just don't need anymore shoes. So this year I simply bought one Chantelle bra!

Jeanie, a bra is a good purchase at this sale. I have bought one, also! And Aquatalia boots are also winners in my books!