Nordstrom Anniversary Sale – What, When, Why & How!

Obviously if you are reading this you know every blogger out there is waiting for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale to begin! Many of those level 4 cardholders will actually have their first look today and despite the way it may seem around here, I am not at that level.  I am super excited to be in Dallas and near a Nordstrom this year for the first time ever to experience shopping the early access period in an actual store.  So why do I love to shop this sale?  Read along to see the what, when, why & how!  Absolutely 100% my opinion and not sponsored by Nordstrom (a girl can dream though)!

What is the Nsale?

Unlike most sales providing discounts on the current or ending season, the Nordstrom anniversary sale offers discounted prices on brand new styles for fall and winter!  If you love designer clothing the discounts are usually largest on these items.  Typically I shop middle of the road and see 30-50% off.

When Can You Shop?

Dates you need to know!  If you are a cardholder, July 14th is the first day to shop the sale.  The sale opens to everyone July 21st and will run through August 7th.  I promise you, these items will sell out.  Even if you are lucky enough to find the item restocked in the fall, if you wait for it to be marked down the chances of actually snagging before it sells out are slim.  Every year I have purchased at least one item my friends and readers continue to comment on.  With free shipping and returns it makes it easy to pull the trigger to try an item out.  Now, all that being said, be sure you keep a budget in mind and are strong enough to make decisions and return everything above your budget!  You can apply for a card here and start shopping once you are approved!

Why Shop the Nsale?

For me, how many times do you have a chance to get a jump on the new season?  As that first cool spell arrives you will be all ready to show off your new look!  The fall like merchandise is perfect for stocking up on fall birthday and Christmas gifts too and really has relieved some of my shopping angst as I am normally a big procrastinator.  The past two years I have taken care of Christmas for my mom, Jordan and a few friends during this sale.  The customer service at Nordstrom is next to none!  As if free shipping and returns is not enough, you have a really long time to ponder over your purchase and not worry about missing a return deadline.   This also means if you are purchasing as a gift your special someone will not have any trouble exchanging.

How to Plan Your Shopping?

Make a gift list – who will you already be planning to purchase for this fall?  Pieces from Kendra Scott and Kate Spade always make great gifts and there will also be so many gift sets available in the beauty section.  Last year I scored a great discount on Perfect Hair Day products.  Pajamas always make a great gift and you can bet if the baby blardigan is back and on sale I will be grabbing one for my mom.  The candles, I hear, are super and would make a great gift for those hard to buy people on your list!

Take inventory!  Browse your closet and see if there is something you are needing to upgrade.  Typically I use the Nsale to invest in quality pieces and not necessarily trendy items.  Designer jeans, cardigans, and the shoes are usually my biggest weakness.

Create a budget!  The first year I shopped the sale I was a total blind shopper.  I went ape shit crazy y’all.  Like seriously I would come home and see the boxes and think what the heck did I do? Then began the task of narrowing down what I could really afford to keep and I’m pretty sure I may have shed a tear or two as I mailed back a few packages and still I totally busted my budget.

Be realistic and logical.  The only downside to the sale is there are no online reviews to read just yet.  This is when the blogging community really does help you out.  If there is a blogger you know who ALWAYS makes clothing choices you love and they work for your body, I can promise she will be blowing the hell out of insta-stories and following up with a blog post.  Pay attention!  I am totally guilty of ordering adorable, precious items I absolutely know will probably not fit my body type!  Don’t be me! Stick with the brands you typically know and love.

Brands I have shopped during this sale include:  Paige Jeans, DL1961 Jeans, Hudson Jeans, Vince Camuto(booties), Halogen, Hinge (shoes), Pleione, Lush, Sam Edelman (booties), Ugg (boots), Dolce Vita, Kendra Scott, Kate Spade

I will be sharing my favorites along the way and have created a tab under the SHOP tab in the navigation bar to hold all Nordstrom Anniversary Sale picks.  Be sure to stop back by and check them out!

Here are just a few of the items I’ve picked up in the past!

These Halogen shoes were from two years ago and they have walked miles since then with so much love along the way!  Last year they introduced a similar style with the same pattern and I could kick myself for not purchasing for a backup.

Hinge sandals and DL 1961 jeans were a splurge last year.  These sandals are actually still in stock in a few colors and sizes at the price I paid during the anniversary sale.

And Vince Camuto booties were tops during the last Nsale and all year long.  These were my most worn pair all last fall and I had to force myself not to order in another color when they came back in stock!  My flatter heeled booties are in need of replacement in a neutral color this year so they are definitely on my list.  My top in this picture also came from the sale and I almost always grab at least one Pleione top during this time as they are perfect for a casual outfit but also work great under jackets and such for the office.

Do you shop the sale?  What are your favorites to snag?