Nordstrom Anniversary Sale / Chloe Faye
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale starts this Thursday on July 13 for Nordstrom cardholders, and public access begins July 21. This is a HUGE sale which can be overwhelming if you walk in the store, or log on to the website, without a shopping strategy. I have put together my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale tips and tricks into this blog post in order to help you navigate the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale when the doors open on Thursday.
What is the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale? If you do not shop at Nordstrom, or you are not a cardholder, you might be wondering what this sale is all about. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is an annual event which features fall 2017 merchandise at sale prices. When the sale ends after a few weeks, everything goes up to regular price. This is important to keep in mind because if you love something from the sale, you should buy it before the prices go up after the sale. That being said, make sure what you buy is something you will actually wear when the cool weather hits.
Being careful about what you buy, is why I am giving you my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale tips. Often times, we all get really excited about the sale prices and don’t think our purchases through. It is easy to justify a purchase because it is on sale, but when temperatures cool off two to three months later, we might find ourselves not interested in our sale purchases. This means we wasted money on fall 2017 merchandise we don’t actually wear. Raise your hand if this happened to you! (mine is way up!)
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Tips 1: Shop your closet for fall 2017 NOW
Before the sale starts, shop your closet to see what wore out, what doesn’t fit, and what you don’t want anymore. Send to consignment or charity the items you know you won’t wear this fall.
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Tips 2: Make a list of what you need
After you clean out your closet, what is left? Do you have a go-to dress for last minute party or dinner invites? Do you have a comfortable pair of jeans which also fit well? Do you have basic tee-shirts? Do you have a pair of casual booties? What are the core wardrobe pieces you need, which are missing from your closet? If this thought leaves you overwhelmed, here is my core must-have-for-fall list
- Little Black Dress (perfect for last minute invites)
- Black pumps (see above)
- Cross Body bag
- Top handle satchel
- Skinny jeans
- Boyfriend jeans
- Wide leg jeans (cropped with an interesting hem)
- Long sleeve casual tee’s (look for unusual sleeve details)
- Long sleeve blouses (modest enough for work, but with interesting sleeves to double as a top with jeans on weekends)
- One jacket (do not overbuy outerwear during this sale, you will regret it. Pick one jacket or coat and then wait until September to add to your collection if you need more)
- Booties (mid heel casual booties you can pair with skirts, dresses, and jeans)
- Menswear loafer (look at slides, lug soled loafers, and oxfords-again, just get one or two pairs during the sale)
- Workout clothing (buy everything you need, these are great deals!)
- Underwear (again, buy everything you need, these are great deals!)
- Children’s clothing (buy what your kids need but control your teen or tween, when school starts in August they will see other kids wearing things they want and you will find yourself buying them more things.)
- Men’s (Stock up on polo shirts, button down shirts, anything classic or ideal for work. Men’s styles don’t change very much)
Women’s clothing changes every season. My biggest tip from my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale tips list is to buy things which are basic, classic, closet staples. These are the items you will wear a lot and they will give you the core wardrobe you need for the season. As fall develops, you can easily add to this core wardrobe without breaking the bank, or finding trendy items in your closet you bought during the sale but don’t want to wear.
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Tips 3: Make a budget and stick to it
It is easy to overspend at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Before you start picking out what you want to buy, make your wardrobe core essentials list, then make your budget. Allocate around $99 for booties, and $120 for a jacket or coat. After that, ensure you stick to your budget whether it is $200, $500, or over $1000. STICK TO YOUR BUDGET! The last thing you want to happen is to find you overspent your budget and when the bill arrives in the mail, you have to return some items to pay off your credit card. If you stick to your budget ahead of time, you won’t be forced to return something you have become attached to later.
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Tips 4: Pick out what you like in the catalog
If you are a Nordstrom cardholder, look through the catalog and dog ear pages, or circle items, which interest you. Keep in mind, the catalog only shows a small amount of what is on sale. Over the years, I have noticed the most on trend, and the most popular items, end up in the catalog. If you want any of these items, they are the ones you should put in your online shopping cart first, or reach for first, when you enter the store.
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Tips 5: In store shopping
If you plan to shop in store, be sure to wear comfortable shoes such as slip on sneakers. Your feet will thank you, and they are easy to slip on and off when trying on shoes. Also, bring the socks you plan to wear with the shoes you plan to buy. Bring your bootie socks, athletic socks, and/or trouser socks so you can try them on with the shoes and ensure a perfect fit.
Wear a cross body bag. You don’t want your satchel becoming a nuisance. Wear a comfortable cross body bag so your bag stays put and you can use your free arms for shopping!
Wear clothing you can easily slip on and off. Elastic waist pants, or skirts are easy to get in and out of, along with tee shirts. It can get warm in the early access sections, so stay cool in natural fibers such as cotton. I will be wearing a pair of elastic waist pants with a basic v-neck tee.
Arrive to the store when the doors open. This way you can get to the merchandise before it has been handled by a million people and your sizes will still be in stock. Be ready for vulture-like behavior! Some women get ugly during major sales, keep your composure, stay positive, and don’t lose yourself. If someone pushes you to get to something, or tries to snatch something from your hand (yes this happened to me) keep your nose high, and remain calm. Remember, you are fabulous, people like that are not.
Get a babysitter. Don’t try to do this sale with kids in tow, or a stroller. The vultures will knock into your kids, reach over your stroller (happened to me!), and your kids will be overwhelmed by the people. Let them stay home with a sitter, they will be happier and so will you.
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Tips 6: Online shopping
If you plan to shop the sale online, which I recommend and plan to do first, then you don’t have to worry about crazy vultures at the store. Put on your fuzzy slippers, and log in to your Nordstrom account so you can shop with your card. There are thousands of items on sale, so if you want something from the catalog, type in the item description in the search bar and then add it to your cart right away. After you put the catalog items in your cart you want, then go to the main sale to find the other core closet pieces for fall you need. You can either use the search bar, or be sure to sort and define your search in the general product area. My favorite way to sort is by price. This helps me stay on budget and only see items I can afford.
Still overwhelmed? Don’t worry, I will be posting my favorite items from the sale on Thursday, and I also plan to go to the store and try on items I love so you can see what they look like in person, without actually taking off your fuzzy slippers.
In case you are wondering why every blogger on the planet posts about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, it is because you can snap up so many basics at great prices! Last year, I saved over $1000 for my family during this sale. I want you to enjoy this type of savings too!! All you need is a strategy.
These are my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale tips for 2017. If you have any questions, feel free to email me, DM me on social media, or comment below. I am happy to help! If you want more of a conversation, hook up with me via the Twiirly app and we can strategize this sale for you!
Early access to the sale for cardholders begins July 13, public access begins July 21. Stay tuned for all my coverage of this fabulous sale! Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 😉
