N-Sale 2020
Hello Chic's!
It's that time of year again, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is back! If you're a Nordstrom Card holder (no matter what status), you can finally shop today. If you don't own a card, don't worry, you can shop on August 19th. Heads up, the sale will end for everyone on the 30th. If you're unfamiliar with the sale, Nordstrom puts it on every year as a "pre-fall" gift to it's cardholders. What makes this sale so special? Well, depending on your card status, some cardholders get to shop earlier than others. They do this to increase exclusivity and promote Nordstrom stores. Everyone will eventually get to shop the sale but you might miss out on some of the items. Today, I've put together 3 categories: What To Buy, What I Bought, and What Not To Buy. I didn't want to overwhelm you with tons of products/categories so I hope this is a simplier way for you to shop!
The 411
I don't think the N-Sale is all that and a bag of chips. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with it and I know most of you might too. For starters, the amount of influencers promoting the sale can be a bit nauseating and pretty annoying. Also, some of the deals and even the items aren't that great (I'll explain more later). Lastly, it can be a bit frustrating watching some of your favorite items sell out before you even get a chance to shop. The whole "exclusivity" can be a bit...well, exclusive. As a business woman, this is a brilliant concept, but as a consumer it can really stink!
I will say this though...from a person shopper's perspective, Nordstrom does a fantastic job prepping consumers for the upcoming season. It's the perfect time to get a few pre-fall items to fill the gaps in your wardrobe and a great way to save on these items before the season even starts. Nordstrom has always offered quality brands/items so I'm happy to take by business to them knowing the quality service I will receive.
What To Buy
With the different shopping days and thousands of items, the N-Sale can be very overwhelming. It's hard to decipher what's worth your hard earned money, while also trying to stick with stylish pieces for you and your body type. For this category, you'll see that I chose basics, staples, and neutral pieces. Most of these items can be worn year round and are easy to style. As a personal shopper, I wanted to share what I would tell my clients to buy based on what's worth wearing this fall!
What I Bought
This section really should be called "What I WOULD Buy" because almost everything I've wanted is now sold out. So, some of these items might be pieces I wanted to buy for myself, but couldn't. Don't worry though, I'm still linking everything because they might re-stock. Sometimes Nordstrom will update their inventory periodically throughout the sale so keep checking!
These items are very specific to my style and also my closet needs. I chose to make this a category because I'm always curious to see what other people end up getting, so I thought you might be too. Obviously, my taste is a little more bold than most but that's just the shopaholic in me. Also, you'll see some of the same items that I listed above. Just like everyone else, my wardrobe needs key staple pieces to propel me into Fall 2020.
What Not To Buy
Let me start by saying, JUST BECAUSE IT'S ON SALE DOESN'T MEAN IT'S A GOOD SALE. Many retailers will create an illusion to make a sale seem better than it really is. It's a great sales tactic but it's important for consumers to recognize it too. I have been on both sides of this so I know I can tell you all of that with confidence.
Honestly, this category was so fun for me to put together. I love telling y'all my reasoning behind why I don't buy certain things. To me, it's interesting to know someone's thought process and it's fun for me to share mine. Also, it's important to me that I preach the importance of strategic shopping. So many of us have impulse bought during a "sale" and I feel like it's my duty to share my knowledge about this topic.
If you've been following along for a while, you know how much I promote the Barefoot Dreams blankets around the holidays. However, I'm promoting the ones that Nordstrom *Rack* sells. The differences between the two are the patterns and sizes. Nordstrom sells a blanket size rather than a throw size. They also carry the leopard print patterns which are 3x more expensive than the ones at Nordstrom Rack. To me, that's just not worth it. You can find the Nordstrom Rack blankets for only $50 a piece during the holidays. The Nordstrom blankets are regularly $180 and on sale right now for $118, so either way, that's $100 too much. My advice is to wait a few months then hit up your local NR and grab one for $50.
I'm not going to go into detail about every item I've listed because most of it is self explanatory. But I do want to say, YES leopard print is still in. However, I would encourage you to lean towards more subtle, neutral versions. The bold black and brown seems a little harsh to be in a solid form on one single item. If you're wanting a classic look, I would stay away from pieces like these.
Lastly, I've listed some in this category based on the price, discount, or value. It should be obvious which ones these are. If you don't listen to anything I say, listen to this...10-15% off is not that great of a deal, especially when it comes to the N-Sale. You should be strategically looking for deals that benefit you in some way. For example, Spanx leggings are NEVER on sale so you should take advantage of that deal over an item that will go on sale again in the future. Just your best judgement!
Happy Shopping!
So now that I've given you the 411 about the 2020 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, it's time to go shopping! My final tips are...
Be strategic
If you see something you love, buy it. It might not be there tomorrow.
Have fun & enjoy your new clothes!
XOXO,
The Chic Next Door