My Picks from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Nordstrom released the lookbook for the Anniversary Sale two weeks ago. Have I looked at it? No. Have I favorited all of the pieces that I want to buy? No. Clearly, I am excited for this sale.

Truthfully, the hype around #NSale has sort of killed the vibe for me. When I was younger, I used to take the day off and camp out at the Pentagon City Mall to get first access to the designer wares. I’d stay up all night just to make sure I wasn’t late. Gosh, remember when you were young enough that sleeping was optional, as opposed to required but just not possible? Ah, youth.

I was going to ignore the sale entirely. Then, I spotted several influencers talking about shopping yesterday and the wave of nostalgia hit me. Grabbing a drink from the E-Bar, taking over a fitting room like you were storming the beaches of Normandy, trying not to look at the balance on the receipt as you sign it, and then walking out of the store so loaded down with bags you with Nordstrom stocked Costco-sized palette carts. Good times.

So here we are, with my best picks from the Anniversary Sale.

Jackets and Suiting. Let’s start with the workwear, because what else are we here for? The selections at the top of the price range are slim pickings. Veronica Beard brought a lifeless tan suit that no one needs, which was a huge disappointment as a VB fan. BOSS brought this horrifying, boxy jacket. And suddenly I’m not shopping for designer suiting anymore.

On the affordable side, Open Edit has a nice suit for $112 for the jacket, but Nordstrom has a similar suit for $118 for the jacket. I ordered both to see which had the better feeling material, since they’re both a poly blend. The Open Edit also comes with a skirt, which I prefer. Also, this fitted, slightly Victorian Wit & Wisdom blazer would smash over a grey sheath dress.

But the highlight of the suiting section for me is that my favorite Spanx ponte suit is in the sale. This is my 18-hour day, on my period, after a bad night of sleep, when I’m feeling like quitting my job suit. It is so comfortable. And comforting. You need it in your wardrobe if you wear suits to work. There will be no regrets. I like it with the flare leg pants because I can wear knee high boots.

Dresses. Moving on from that disappointment, I found this higher price points in this category underwhelming as well. Luckily, there were a few pieces in the middle tier that are worth your time.

This $99 French Connection dress is so cute. With knee high boots and two pairs of black tights for maximum opacity, I would wear this to work on a casual Friday at the Legislature. Also, this pleated dress from Eliza J is the perfect dupe for the VB dress I wore all session.

Also, in the category of dresses that I can wear now, I adored this olive green shirt dress with a drop sleeve. I also bought this chocolate brown dress to wear to an early fall wedding. It’s so chic. And this Hatch dress would have been the perfect thing when I was pregnant.

Tops & Sweaters. Finally, a category that didn’t disappoint. If you need blouses for work, you are awash in options, both basic and beyond. VB has a gorgeous floral blouse that I plan to wear under my black suit. I also love the drama of the floral on this Alice & Olivia blouse. I also liked the print on this Nic + Zoe plus size blouse.

For office basics, I added this side drape Nordstrom top to cart so fast that smoke came off my keyboard. Gorgeous. I also liked this jewel neck Vince blouse. This Reiss cowl neck was also worth a look. This plus-size Spanx blouse is also fab.

The sale also has several work sweaters that I wouldn’t miss. This Vince polo is perfection — a great stand alone sweater. This scarf detail sweater is cool, and this Open Edit peplum cardigan is awesome. I also think this Madewell cardigan is the best “desk cardigan” I have seen in a while.

Also, it might seem weird to suggest a sweater as a date night top, but when the sweater gives full Jennifer Beales, you do.

Pants, Jeans and Skirts. If you need a pair of jeans, there are some good deals in this sale. I put these grey wide leg jeans from Wit & Wisdom in my cart. I adore them. As for other pants, the sale is a snooze. The skirts are similarly lackluster, but I did like this pleated ivory skirt for wearing with sweaters and this satin wrap skirt, which I bought to wear at the holidays.

Coats & Jackets. Historically, this is a strong category for the sale, and this year was no exception. Of all the pieces in this sale, this teal Reiss coat was my #1 choice. I am obsessed. She is gorgeous. I must have her. I also love the chocolate brown trench from Reiss in the sale. I may buy both and refresh my fall-winter coat wardrobe. For casual coats, I loved this suede coat in a gorgeous forest green.

This sale has the best selection of under-$300 coats I’ve seen, perhaps ever. This Nordstrom coat is the MOST BEAUTIFUL coat I have ever seen for under-$250. You cannot do better. This green Andrew Marc coat with leather trim is awesome. I also love this plaid coat for sprucing up a casual outfit. If you like trenches, Lagerfeld has a lovely trench in both black and green. This dark checkered trench is also a great pick. And I love the contrast hood on this one.

For casual jackets, Barbour killed it. This Erma jacket with contrasting trim is great. This rain jacket in a unique shape is also not to be missed.

Shoes. If you need boots, you need to look through this sale. So many wonderful choices including these kitten heel Margaux boots and these Western-inspired Staud boots. I own an older version of these Paige Boots, and they are awesome under pants because they absorb so much shock making them pretty comfortable. And these Blondo flat boots are also incredible.

If you need heels, there are some great choices too. These soft suede pumps from VB are perfect for white pants. I am unsurprised that these burgundy Margaux slingbacks sold out — but I put them on my wishlist in case they come back. The sweet little bow on these pumps is great, and I bought them for holiday wear.

Handbags. I wasn’t overly impressed with the bag selection, but there were a few gems. Madewell’s suede tote is incredible and a good price. This VB suede bag has a gorgeous metal accent that is perfection. This unisex weekender is also really nice.

Beauty. Usually, this is a strong category, so I never skip it. If I were you, I would skim it to see if you can find a product you love in a bigger size for less. I snagged the Kiehl’s body creme. But I thought the best buys were this three pack of sunscreen, this Q10 serum, and this Sigma brush set.

With the exception of coats and shoes, I thought this was a weak sale. Last year, gave me hope the sale would improve, but this year, we’re right back to the doldrums of the early 2020s. It’s too bad for my closet, but good for my wallet. If you found a gem, what was it?

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