A Review of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale -- Go for the Sale, stay for the shoes!!!

Every year in July it feels like Christmas has come early! Shopaholics rejoice! It is the Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale!

I love shopping at Nordstrom! Whether it is for myself or for a client you can always find me at Nordys! Their customer service is second to none, their cardholders get tons of perks and their quality cannot be beat! Recently, Nordstom has been really stepping it up to retain those customer! They are now price matching/adjusting in their stores and online. Also, they are running more frequent sales to compete with stores like Macy's, Dillards and Von Maur. That being said, it is probably obvious that the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has to be one of my favorite sales of the year.

Now last year's Anniversary Sale was AMAZING -- like knock your socks off -- go multiple times --- AMAZING. Literally the "best of the best" was on sale last year! I had a field day -- my credit card screamed for mercy -- and my husband cried when he got the bill. It was hand's down the best Anniversary Sale I had been to in recent memory. So as you can expect, I had some high expectations for this year's Anniversary Sale.

When I got the catalogue this year I flipped through it hoping to dog ear and circle tons of things that I "just had to have". However, I've got to admit, initially I wasn't impressed. Not to be deterred though (catalogues can be deceiving!), a friend and I made our way to the sale this past Saturday. My plan of attack at Nordstrom is always very simple -- shoes first, followed by upstairs for clothes then back downstairs for accessories and finishing up in the Wonderland that is their cosmetics department. No, this plan of attack did not come from researching shopping patterns or anything as complex as that, it is just simply how I like to shop.

So, we head straight for shoes and pop behind that beautiful gray curtain that signifies that YOU are a cardholder and YOU have EARLY ACCESS (enter maniacal laugh here). This year the shoes are just as lovely as in previous years. There are good deals on Tom's, Frye, Tory Burch, Stuart Weitzman and more. I truly feel that the shoe selection during the sale saved the entire Anniversary Sale this year. Anniversary Sale shoes are, in my opinion, where you can find the best deals. This is always the time of year when I buy Frye boots and this year was no different. I ended up with a beautiful pair of Frye Melissa Tab Knee High Boots (wide calf) in black. They are regularly $417.95 but during the Anniversary Sale they were $279.90. Disclaimer here -- I believe in investing in shoes. I am on my feet all day when I work and so I have to have well made shoes -- the simple fact is I wear out cheap shoes unbelievably fast. So, definitely an investment for a pair of boots that I probably will not get much wear out of until October, however Frye's last forever and can be resoled if the need ever arises. (Contact the company for more information on this service.)

On we go, upstairs now for clothing. Really, overall there wasn't a particular deal that I was overly impressed with. I did, however notice several trends for the fall. One thing is that leather is back again in a big way. Just like last year, you are going to want to dust off that leather jacket (if it doesn't look like it teleported from 1992) or invest in one for the fall. I would suggest Hinge's Hooded Leather Jacket. I recommend sizing up one size for a more comfortable fit. I got last's year's style and it has quickly become a "go to" layering piece for me in the fall on those days when I don't want to wear a "real" jacket.

I would also recommend picking up some pieces in army green and tomato red. I saw a lot of items in these colors and Nordstrom has some especially affordable option from the Caslon and Halogen lines. These are Nordstrom's own fashion lines and I have to admit, for go to wardrobe staples these two lines cannot be beat. They run true to size for the most part, sometimes running a little big in the tops.  I am loving this Caslon Utility Vest and their Long French Terry Cardigan, The Long French Terry Cardigan runs big so watch out! I sized down and it was perfect. Halogen's Tencel Denim Shirt is a great staple for any wardrobe. If you need a winter coat, Caslon's Hooded Utility Coat is a fabulous deal!

While this is not the end all be all of Anniversary Sales it is worth checking out if you are in the area. The shoe selection is great and there are some nice fall pieces if you are willing to spend some time looking. Also, the cosmetics department is offering some stellar deals. There are several Palattes from Chanel and Mac that are a super deals and if you are in to microdermabrasion a personal favorite of mine, the PMD is over $50 off! My personal favorite find in skincare and cosmetics was the Glamglow Glamazing Set at $69 it takes the sting out of that insane price for a face mask by allowing you to try three products for the price of one!

Access for all to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sales starts July 17th! Happy Shopping!

XOXO -Ann