I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. As always, my opinions and sentiments are my own and I express them freely, regardless of sponsorship because I partner with brands I love.
I can’t believe this year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is upon us — it’s historically been one of my favorite retail sales of the year and if you’ve been around here for a minute, you already know that!
Now, Nordstrom carries so many size inclusive brands and pieces which make the retailer a great shopping destination. They used to have only a couple of occasions where you could find a deal on items (Half Yearly Sale and Anniversary Sale) but they’ve become much more competitive in today’s landscape with price matching and regular markdowns in addition to their well-established sale periods.
I’ve covered the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for several years and you can find past coverage here and here. The second link that I just shared is my 2021 coverage, which has the most comprehensive info for you in terms of what to expect — check it out!
My website and this post contain affiliate links. This allows me to make a small commission (at no cost to you) for helping you shop. I appreciate each and every time you use my links to make a purchase, as it shows my value to retailers and brands and allows me to make a little extra spending money.
Dates to shop
Shopping dates and times are changing! Check out the chart below for the date(s) that you’ll have access to shop. I’m an Influencer level cardmember, so I will be shopping beginning on Thursday, July 13. The sale opens to everyone on July 17 and prices go back up on August 7, 2023.
What makes the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale unique?
- Items go on sale ahead of the season, rather than toward the end. They’ll go on sale again around November or December but you’ll pay full price between August and then.
- Your access to the sale depends on your status (read: spend) on a Nordstrom debit (discontinued) or credit card.
- There are thousands of items included in the sale, but not every single item will be a great deal. You’ll get items at discounts between 20 and 50ish% off.
How I recommend preparing to shop the sale
- Audit your wardrobe. Really look at EVERYTHING you have and identify any items which no longer fit your lifestyle, your body, or are just too tattered to wear.
- Make a list of the items or categories where there are gaps
- Did you get a new job? Go back to the office? Gain or lose weight and need good jeans that FIT well?
- Look at the preview of the sale here and on Nordstrom’s site. Create an account and heart items to add them to your wishlist. This will help you budget and plan so you do not black out when you get the chance to shop (I did this one year and it was overwhelming – take it from me!)
- Prioritize items on your wishlist and plan to shop.
My sale picks
Use these category look books as inspiration and a place to start. The sale has taken me hours to preview and pluck items from. If you don’t see an item on one of my collages or my LTK, it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend it. I likely didn’t see it, it slipped through the cracks, or I feel that you can get an item of equal value in your wardrobe for less price somewhere else. Always feel free to comment here or contact me if you have any questions on items!
I’ve talked about this a bit on Instagram, but, I have used this sale to very carefully curate my closet in past years and many of the items that I wear and love have come from this sale. My wardrobe is in a really great spot as of late, so I’m not confident that I’ll be purchasing anything this year, besides my favorite pair of pajamas.
Tops
Layers
Bottoms
Dresses
Jackets
Plus
Accessories and Jewelry
Shoes
Beauty
Check out my LTK for an easy way to shop posts and picks — I’ve also been adding more detailed info on fits and sizing in some of the posts there.
Here’s a look at what I bought last year (2022):
My husband loves tagging along on NSale in-store shopping day because we go and try a new food spot for lunch or dinner somewhere in the mall. He was extra excited last year because I encouraged him to think about whether there were things he needs in his wardrobe so we could purchase them now (and, he did get some great Open Edit shirts!)
What I tried on last year (2022):
I went over to the plus size clothing section first and was terribly disappointed. There were only a few racks (maybe 3-4?) of Anniversary Sale clothing and a very small table of denim available in my size in-store. Nonetheless, I picked through the racks and table to find some items that caught my eye to try on. Unfortunately, I only ended up taking one of those items with me, but it fills a major gap in my wardrobe, as I am in need of more professional blouses for under blazers as I interview and network.
I’m going to try this sweater in a size up and see if it makes a difference for me. I will likely return but my idea was to wear with black denim (as pictured) or with a cute black accordion skirt. Linking some styling options in the shop the post below.
