Alright, so here it is – I worked at Nordstrom while living in Raleigh, North Carolina. I was obsessed with being the top seller every single month – I studied all the brands back and fourth and made sure I knew the answer to every single questions that I got asked.

When it comes to the Anniversary Sale, I find it extremely helpful to have all of this information. Before working there, this sale was overwhelming and EVERYWHERE. Everyone was talking about it, blogging about it, and shopping it – but yet I found it so hard to dig through and find those “killer” deals that everyone was talking about.

Knowing all the little quirks and insider knowledge of brands is extremely beneficial when weeding through – not to mention NOT everything on sale is a good deal.

With all of that being said, I am going to highlight TEN items – a mix of items that I will be purchasing this year and items that I have purchased in past years that I would say are good “deals” per say. I’ll share the reason behind why I picked these items/brands out of the thousands you have to choose from.

I’m also going to provide a few “tips” and “tricks” that I find useful when navigating through this craziness.

*all items are link (click on picture or name of item)

shoes

MIA Colten Chelsea Boot (purchasing)

originally: $99.95
now: $59.90

MIA is a good quality brand – I have one other pair of shoes from them and they have held up well. It is a decent price point even before the sale – the MIA shoes that I have now I have had for 5+ years and I think I paid $80 for them!

Snakeskin – as much as we all love this trend right now, that is exactly what it is a trend. I don’t want to pay a bunch of money for a pair of shoes that may go out of style in a couple of years. So, I had been scrolling for some snakeskin shoes and landed here!

BP Maya Mule (purchasing)

originally: $79.95
now: $44.90

Here’s the deal with these – I would NEVER buy these at full price. Why? Because BP’s quality is not worth $80. Their target audience is “teens/young adult” but their quality leans more towards “teen/tween”. Meaning, they make items that are meant to be worn a handful of times – for one or two seasons at most and then it starts losing its “oomph”.

So, the reason why I decided to get these is because for $45 I can wear these shoes everywhere. If I want to wear them out to a bar, I don’t have to worry about someone spilling on them or ruining them. If these shoes last me a couple years I’ll be happy.

pants

SPANX Faux Leather Leggings (purchasing)

originally: $98
now: $64.90

Alright, these SPANX get so much hype and this is one item that stands behind the hype. I held off on getting a pair of these for years because I didn’t think I needed to spend $100 on a pair of pants – but I was wrong. As a teacher, these are a DREAM.

Zella Restore Soft Pocket Leggings (already own)

originally: $65
now: $42.90

I became hooked on Zella products when I worked at Nordstrom – and I still have every single item that I bought 3 years ago. Sometimes I struggle to purchase “expensive” athletic items just because there are so many options out there. However, if I know they will with stand the test of time it is easier for me to go with the more expensive option. I will say I rarely buy Zella unless it is on sale BUT now is the time to try it!

tops/dresses

BP Sleepy Lounge Tee (already own)

originally: $19
now: $11.90

As I said before, BP has a specific place in my closet. Here’s the deal – a basic tee for $12 is great in my book. I have pretty much every single color of this lounge tee and I wear them ALL THE TIME. I can wear them with leggings to work out or run errands – or I can wear it under a cardigan for school. I like these tees because I don’t like my shirts tight – this lounge tee is the perfect balance of loose and fit at the same time.

Again, I personally wouldn’t spend $20 on this tee – not only because it is BP but also because its literally a basic t-shirt. So, if you’re in need of some simple t-shirts this is a good choice!

Caslon Bishop Sleeve Sweater (purchasing)

originally: $59
now: $34.90

I am OBSESSED with this bishop sleeve sweater – I plan on getting it in the red color and the camo color. I will be honest, when I worked at Nordstrom I didn’t buy much Caslon – it wasn’t because of the quality but I just didn’t feel as though it was my style. However, I feel like they have really stepped up their game and created staple pieces that can be worn in a variety of ways.

I love the simpleness of the sweater with the added sassy sleeves.

Sam Edelman Floral Long Sleeve Tiered Midi Dress (purchasing)

originally: $168
now: $99.90

FAV PIECE OF THE ENTIRE SALE. Sam Edelman makes incredible pieces but I don’t usually spend that kind of money on my clothes unless it is a piece that I absolutely love and can see myself wearing A LOT.

This dress is beautiful and a steal for the quality. Not to mention, you could easily wear this in the spring, fall and/or winter. Sam Edelman tends to run a tad bit small but I plan on ordering my normal size due to the style of the dress (cinched waist).

cardigans/jackets

Leith Cozy Long Cardigan (already own)

originally: $69
now: $39.90

This is the best cardigan I own – I have the black and cream one. I might purchased the hunter green just because I can’t say no to that color. This is perfect for work – especially for all you teachers out there that have sub zero classrooms.

Not to mention, I love the LEITH brand. 85% of the pieces I have from Nordstrom are Leith – it is a good price point and the quality is fantastic.

Rachel Parcell Teddy Faux Shearling Coat

originally: $199
now: $129.90

If I “splurge” on anything – it will be this coat. When I worked at Nordstrom, Rachel Parcell had this same jacket but in pink – I wanted it SO bad but didn’t think I would wear pink that much for the price.

So, when I saw this color I was OBSESSED.

tips/tricks

• Instead of looking through ALL of the items – make a list of the items you know you NEED. (ex: boots, workout pants, bags, beauty, etc.) and start there.
• Budget yourself – it is easy to spend money on things that you don’t really need or to buy the first item you see regardless of price instead of looking more into it. So, narrow your search. It you are look for tall brown boots – search “tall brown boots” and then organize the results by price. This helps eliminate some of those high ticketed items and lets you see ALL the options.
• Try and inform yourself on brands – for example, I will NEVER buy Top Shop product. I find the quality is less than average and their sizing is WHACK.

I hope this was helpful – I will be sure to share the things that I end up keeping from the sale. Please feel free to reach out with any questions and I will do my best to help!

xo, BRM.

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