Cheryl Shops

The icon on my Nordstrom app has changed to yellow, which means it's time to mentally prepare yourself for the inevitable letdown that is the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I'm kidding—mostly. The best items are known to sell out in the first few days when only the highest-spending customers are able to shop, which has been a source of frustration for me (and many others) for several years now. BUT I have shifted my strategy and as a result, shopping the sale feels way more satisfying now. Instead of going after the most coveted items like it's a contact sport, I use it as an opportunity to restock a lot of my go-to beauty products and wardrobe essentials, like underwear and socks. True, it's not the sexiest approach, but it does scratch that sale itch. Here are some of my favorite items to stock up on. 

The first thought I had while starting to write this post was, "Wait, how is it already time for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale?!" Is it me or is this year flying by? The second thought I had was that this year's selection was a bit...underwhelming. People have been complaining about the decline in offerings for years now—most commonly that there's not enough quality merch, and the good stuff tends to sell out in the first day or two, when only high-spending cardholders are allowed to shop—and I was honestly a bit worried, given that Nordstrom has a new owner. It's true, the sale has changed over the years: It used to be where I'd jump on statement pieces like coats, boots, and sweaters for the upcoming season, but it's evolved into more of a way to replenish your basics at good prices. That has definitely become my strategy—more on that below—but after a thorough examination of literally everything that's on sale this year, I got pretty excited for the 2025 event. First, here are my top picks for this year's Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

It's that time of year again: the time when influencers take a stand about not covering the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale...then a few days later, cave in and share their picks. I, on the other hand, will proudly cover it from the get-go, because, let's face it, I always end up shopping this sale—proudly. First, some key dates to know:

• Icon cardmembers can shop starting today, 7/9
• Ambassador cardmembers can shop starting tomorrow, 7/10
• Influencer cardmembers (that's me!) can shop starting Wednesday, 7/11
• Everyone else can shop starting Monday, 7/15 through Sunday, August 4th. 

Nordstrom seems to have fixed their pandemic-era stock issues, or at least they did last year—I ended up buying most of what I featured—so I'm following the same format this year. First up: my shortlist Nordstrom Anniversary Sale picks for 2024. 

 

Ok, I really got burned last year with my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale picks—after hours of poring over everything on the website, making collages, and writing careful assessments, nearly everything I featured sold out on the first day, before I was even allowed to shop. (I guess that means I have good taste?)  I was so irritated that I vowed never to cover the sale again...until the catalogue arrived and I thought, Ok, I'm giving this one last shot, but doing things a little differently this time. Instead of diving deep into every category, I picked my top 8 items that I am actually hoping to buy. And since the NSale is usually a good time to stock up on tried-and-true wardrobe classics and beauty essentials, I'm sharing my top 10 items that I actually own and highly recommend. Icons, Ambassadors, and Influencers (e.g. Nordstrom cardholders) get to shop now through the 16th of July, and the sale opens up to the public on July 17th. Let's hope everything stays in stock until then!

Every year, I ask myself whether I should be covering the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. It feels like Groundhog Day in a way—many of the same items are included year after year, so much so that I always reference the previous year's post to make sure I'm not repeating the same recommendations. It also feels that every year, there are more of Nordstrom's private-label brands present and fewer designer brands. And now, this year, it looks like the discounts aren't as deep on certain items (thanks, inflation!). Can we catch a break? In a word, yes. As much as we all love to complain about how the sale isn't as good as it used to be, there are still some great deals to be had—I know because I went through literally every product that's included in this year's sale (except for kids and men's stuff, sorry). Here are my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale picks for 2022. 

Lots of people have been pooping on the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this year, and I can kind of see why. As blogger/influencers, we often feel a lot of pressure to cover it, although I do so because there are actually some amazing deals to be had, as I mentioned in my post last week. I do agree, however, that the sale selection has gotten "safer" over the last few years, with an emphasis on more classic, tried-and-true basics versus more adventurous, fashion-y pieces. But I'd argue that those are exactly what you should be buying during the sale—I've found it's a great time to stock up on wardrobe workhorses, specifically in three major categories: jeans, leggings, and sweaters. Here are 10 must-haves that are currently part of the Nordstrom sale (and still available). 

I've often referred to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale as Christmas in July; for years, it's been an ingenious way to stock up on fall clothes & shoes early, at a rare pre-season discount. In the last few years, influencers and bloggers have really hyped up the event, and yes, I am totally guilty of that, but in my case at least, it's coming from a genuine place. So while I'm being honest, last year's Nordstrom Anniversary Sale kind of sucked. Due to the pandemic, it happened a month later than normal; due to conservative planning on Nordstrom's part, they sold out of a lot of the best items on the first day, before most of its customers were able to shop. For my part, I bought one pair of slippers—I had to do curbside pickup because my local Nordstrom was still closed to customers—that I ended up returning because the sole was so flimsy. Major fail. But I am feeling much more optimistic about this year's sale. The highest tier of Nordy Club members began shopping on Monday and, as of the time I'm writing this post, all of the items I wanted to feature are still in stock, which is a good sign. No, there aren't as many designer pieces as in years past (this seems to be a year-over-year trend). But there are some great finds, plus Nordstrom has pumped up its home offerings so much that I had to create a new category this year—I guess I'm not the only one investing in my home lately! So without further ado, here are my Anniversary Sale clothing, shoes & accessories, beauty, and home picks for this year. 

Today's the day that Insiders are finally allowed to shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and while many of my sale picks from last week are now sold out, the good news is that almost all of my favorites from past years are still in stock. I wear (and love) all of these pieces and highly recommend them—read on for my Anniversary Sale best buys!

Retailers have been hit rather hard by Covid—layoffs, store closures, bankruptcy filings—and even Nordstrom's famous Anniversary Sale got postponed by nearly a month. Things are definitely different this year; in lieu of the catalog, which always gets me super pumped by showcasing the best items, Nordstrom offered an online preview, which, while less sexy than a beautifully art-directed catalog, is actually more practical. There are fewer designer brands participating this year, but I was able to load up my wish list with a lot of great finds—some of which, due to Nordstrom's staggered access days, are already sold out, thanks to the highest tier of Nordy Club members, who began shopping Monday. (Godspeed to Nordstrom's community managers, who have been responding to a lot of angry comments on their Instagram.) I am crossing my fingers that my favorites are still in stock by the time I'm able to shop next Thursday—here are my clothing, shoes & accessories, and beauty Anniversary Sale picks for 2020. 

I bought this long cardigan during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale and took it to Sweden, thinking I'd need it at night. But since we were in Europe during a heat wave, I didn't get the opportunity to wear it until our very last night. Thankfully, there have been plenty of opportunities to layer it on since we've been back in San Francisco; I pretty much lived in it last weekend in Carmel, but I wanted to show it in a more transitional way too. Thankfully, it goes with nearly everything. Here's how I wore this long cardigan to dinner last Saturday night.

Happy Friday, and happy first day of non-cardholder access to the Nordstrom Anniversary sale! I just went to the store tonight to pick up a cardigan I ordered (it's still in stock, and you'll be seeing it here shortly) and the racks already look super picked over, so clearly the cardholders went to town in the last week. I actually had to redo this post several times, because the items I wanted to feature kept selling out. That said, there's still a lot of great stuff left from some of my favorite brands (and restocks are bound to happen), so I've picked everything from a statement sweater to this season's version of my favorite coat from last year's sale, plus a can't-miss beauty score. Here's what's in my cart for the second round.

Like nearly every other fashion blogger on the planet, I always look forward to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale in July. In spite of the fact that I'm a very good Nordstrom customer, I didn't get a sale catalog in the mail this year. But that's ok, because it's online and catalogs are bad for the environment anyway. (Nor did I get to shop the sale extra-early like a bunch of other bloggers, but that's ok too.) I will say, I am not super excited about what I've seen so far—like last year, the sale is a little heavy on Nordstrom private-label brands like Halogen—but I did manage to scope out some good finds. Nordstrom Cardmembers, you get to shop starting TODAY, Friday, July 12th; everyone else has to wait until the following Friday (which is kind of reason alone to sign up for a Nordstrom card). Here are my picks from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. (And yes, I know this is only six items—another another round of picks is coming soon!)

There are many amazing things that happen in July: Independence Day, Bastille Day...and the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, or, as I like to call it, Christmas in July. Most of the bloggers you follow are probably losing their minds over it, and that's because it's one of the only sales in which seasonal product gets marked down at the beginning of the season, rather than at the end. In other words, it's the perfect opportunity to score fall staples like coats, boots, and jeans at sale prices. If you are a Nordstrom cardmember, you get to shop the sale starting Thursday, July 12; otherwise, it opens to the public on the 20th. Here are my top 10 sale picks, and keep scrolling all the way to the end for your chance to win a $500 Nordstrom gift card! Let's do this!

In praise of Nordstrom
I could probably talk for hours about why I love Nordstrom. They're famous for their customer service--deservedly so--and for their something-for-everyone merchandising. I think they have the best beauty gift-with-purchases, the best store credit-card rewards, and even the best bathrooms. But what Nordstrom really deserves praise for is the Anniversary Sale, which comes every July (and in fact just started last weekend). Most stores carry full-price merchandise at the start of the season and, as time goes on, they gradually mark it down until, at the end of the season, when merchandise can go up to 80% off, they're basically trying to get rid of it at cost. Retail math is a complicated labyrinth of markdowns and markups. Nordstrom, however, smartly avoids the pricing dance with their Anniversay Sale, which is, in effect, a rare pre-season sale. Fall merchandise gets marked down roughly 30%, which allows you, the customer, to stock up on fall items ahead of time, rather than waiting until the end of the season to score stuff on sale. Nordstrom benefits too by selling more units at prices at which they still make a handsome profit, ensuring that they'll have fewer big markdowns at the end of the season, and thus maximizing their profit. So, you spend less on more clothes that you can wear for the entire season, and Nordstrom makes a lot of money up front. See? Everyone wins!

I have my eye on this straight-from-the-runway sequined Nannette Lepore shift dress, pictured above. Um, and this 3.1 Philip Lim wool coat. Hurry--styles are selling out already (the wide-leg Habitual jeans I was drooling over are long gone), and prices go up August 6th. And it's a long, long way to go until the next round of sales. Now if only Nordstrom would open a Manhattan store...