Many things have been cancelled in this crazy and unprecedented year due to COVID, but not Nordstrom’s biggest and most anticipated sale of the year! Although it’s going live later than most years, it’s still happening and there are a few things that are different this year versus past years. I’ll break it all down for you, but first let me explain what this sale is and why it’s worth checking out.
What is the Anniversary Sale all about?
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (or NSale as I’ll continue to refer to it), is one of the biggest and most popular sales of the year because thousands of new arrivals are marked down from a lot of big brands (Free People, Madewell, Steve Madden, Topshop, Ugg, Adidas, and many more!). This is unique because normally things go on sale AFTER a given season, but the NSale puts things on sale BEFORE the season begins, and includes a lot of new arrivals. So, think: cardigans, boots, sweaters, jackets…. all on sale before the fall gets here! It’s a great time to buy these investment and staple pieces now before they go back up to full price.
When is the NSale and Who Can Shop?
Everyone can shop the sale! There is no limit to who can shop, it’s just a matter of when. The sale is open to the public on August 19 and ends on August 30. If you are a Nordy Club cardmember you get Early Access to the sale ahead of the public, and that date depends on your cardmember status. See the timeline and more details in the below graphic. To find out what your status is if you have a card, log in to your Nordstrom account and click on “The Nordy Club” tab on the left-hand side. If you don’t have a Nordstrom card but are interested in getting one, it’s completely free! I do recommend the card if you frequently shop at Nordstrom because you get what they call Nordstrom Notes, which are essentially rewards for every dollar you spend. If you don’t often shop at Nordstrom I don’t think getting the card is worth it, and I definitely don’t recommend going into debt over a department store sale! Just use your best judgement and make the decision that’s right for you. I only got my Nordstrom card a few years ago as I started to shop at the store more frequently. It’s been totally worth it especially for a sale like this, but again, it’s not for everyone! As a cardmember you also get to choose Personal Double Points Days, so you can earn double the points and in turn more free money! I would highly recommend setting your Personal Double Points Day to the day that you shop the sale so that you can earn some money back on a future purchase.
Where Can I Shop the NSale?
The NSale will be available to shop entirely online, and select Nordstrom stores will be open to shop during normal business hours (locate your nearest store here). Due to COVID, Nordstrom has taken extra safety measures to ensure that customers feel safe shopping in stores, so if you’re more of an in-person shopper then that will be an option for you. If you’re not so comfortable shopping in the store, then depending on your location some stores are doing contactless curbside pick-up of online orders.
What’s New About the NSale This Year?
The first thing that’s new this year is the virtual catalog which allows you to preview the sale before it goes live! This is HUGE because you can add your favorite things to a Wish List, that way when you’re ready to shop it’s a lot easier and quicker to add things to your cart. This is so beneficial because things tend to sell out FAST, especially the popular items like boots and sweaters. Another thing that’s new this year is the timeline of when certain cardmembers get access to the sale, and the duration of the sale itself. So, depending on your cardmember status (Icon, Ambassador, Influencer, Insider), you get Early Access to the sale on different dates. In years prior, the Influencer status gave you access on the same day as all cardmembers, but this year the Influencer status gives you 3 extra days to shop the sale ahead of all other cardmembers.
What Should I Buy During the NSale?
This is of course totally up to you, but I’m here to help you navigate the sale and show you what I think are the best sale picks. In previous years I haven’t really shopped things like home and kitchen items, but since we are moving into a brand new apartment this week I’ll definitely be taking a look at those categories too. However, I’ll focus my recommendations on clothing, shoes, and beauty items since those are the ones I’m most familiar with. When it comes to beauty items, there are a lot of bundle deals that I think are worth getting, like Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk Lip Set. These bundle deals will save you more money as opposed to buying the items separately after the sale.
For clothing, there will be A LOT to choose from, and it can be a bit overwhelming (again, this is what I can help you with!). I recommend focusing on the basic, staple closet items; things that you will wear over and over again and can style in multiple different ways. These are the things that are more worth the money in my opinion. So for example, buying basic bodysuits, t-shirts, sweaters, and jeans (nothing too trendy or that will go out of style anytime soon). I also recommend buying the cozy pieces like loungewear and athleisure. You can’t go wrong with a sherpa pullover and a good workout set! These are things you’ll be reaching for all year long, so they’re definitely worth snagging now while they’re on major sale.
There are also a lot of great shoes on sale this year. Many of them are similar to last year with slight modifications to their style. Boots and booties are a super popular item every year during the NSale, so if there’s a pair that you see that you like I would definitely recommend adding it to your Wish List, that way when you’re able to shop the sale you can quickly add it to your cart without having to search for it again.
Style Inspiration with Pieces from Previous Years Sales
As I’ve already mentioned, investing in a really good pair of shoes or jacket that you’ll wear countless times throughout the season are definitely worth it during this sale. Getting basic, staple items like t-shirts, sweaters, and jeans are also a great buy. I personally try to stick to buying pieces that I know I can get a lot of wear out of and that won’t go out of style anytime soon.
With that being said, I’m going to show you guys some pieces that I purchased in previous years sales. These all are either included in the sale again this year or a very similar version of them is. They can all be worn multiple different ways to create different looks and are pieces that I grab for the most throughout the year. Whether you’re shopping the sale or not, I hope this at least gives you some style inspiration for the upcoming fall season!
Similar items included in this year’s sale:
Cardigan | Cami (exact Cami here)| Jeans | Leopard Slides
Similar items included in this year’s sale:
Cardigan | Cami (exact Cami here)| Jeans | Leopard Slides
Similar items included in this year’s sale:
Cardigan | Cami (exact Cami here) | Skirt | Leopard Slides
Similar items included in this year’s sale:
T-Shirt | Joggers | Sneakers
The images in the below graphic show the exact items that are included in this year’s sale. Click on any of the images below to directly shop each item!
I just checked for you guys, and the below items are still in stock! Some in different colors than shown below. Happy Shopping, friends!
XO, Sandy