Nordstrom Anniversary Sale On A Twentysomething Budget

It's here! The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, bane and blessing to shoppers everywhere, kicked off yesterday. This time of year, the style blogosphere is chock-full of reviews of the Nordstrom sale. It's easy to get overwhelmed or to feel that it's an elite thing (the sale is open to Nordstrom cardholders a week before the general public) or too expensive, since it's Nordstrom and not Target.


There's definitely some pricey pieces, but I've put together a handful of my favorite items that are affordable for any budget and versatile enough to be well worth it. With tired feet and drained patience, I emerged with some really amazing finds that I can't wait to share with you!

First up: two floral shift dresses. I didn't expect to like this Billabong floral shift dress at first. I tend to like dresses that are a little more fitted, and I wasn't sure how the lace-up would sit. But I ended up really liking it! I got it in the black, but it also comes in an indigo with a pink floral pattern. It's really cute with sandals now, and I'm planning to add a cute denim jacket and black booties as it gets into fall. And the best part is that it's super light and comfortable but has "fall" colors - perfect for transitioning into fall, especially for those of us in warmer climates! Same goes for this O'Neill dress with bell sleeves. The longer sleeves mean that it looks perfect for fall, and I love the detailing of the layers on the sleeves and the crinkles on the bodice. The best part? Both of these dresses are less than $40 but are definitely higher quality than a comparable dress at a box store.


I was on a bit of a floral kick today, as you can tell. This O'Neill wrap top is right up my alley. I love the pretty pink of the flowers, and the cream background is a nice neutral that doesn't wash out my vampire-pale Northern Italian skin. The wrap belt cinches just right, not too high or too low, which can be a challenge for shorter torsos. It's really versatile, too; looks great with any color pant (I tried it with light jeans, dark jeans, and olive green pants).


I love grabbing basics during the sale, too, and I'm seriously in love with the Hue line of leggings. They're as comfy as you could want, but they're also made of sturdy enough material that you can throw on a cute tunic top and a long necklace and have a great casual outfit. I wore them on a five-hour plane ride a couple months ago and I've been a true Hue believer ever since.

Also: underwear and pajamas. Stock up during the sale - they're cheaper than you'll ever find them. I'm a big fan of PJ Salvage pajamas; they range from fairly basic prints to some really unique, cute patterns (one of my favorite sets from a previous season has pastel macarons on it).

I'm really excited about this next one - I'll be doing a post just for styling it soon. This Billabong wrap dress is probably my favorite find of the day. The black-and-white pattern is neutral but still has plenty of personality, the material is really flowy and comfortable, and best of all, the length actually works great! It's designed to be a midi dress, but for shorter women like me, it's closer to a maxi.


*All of these picks run pretty true to size.

Outside of the clothing departments, I like to use the sale to stock up in the beauty department. The Aveda gift set this year is a STEAL. It's a hair care set including full sizes of their signature shampoo and conditioner, two sizes of thickening tonic spray, and a conveniently sized hairspray. I'm not kidding when I say the Shampure shampoo/conditioner is my absolute favorite that I've ever tried: it's got natural ingredients, leaves my hair shiny, and smells really good. It's easy to skimp on hair products when you're trying to save money, but this is the perfect way to treat your hair without emptying your wallet. Normally, the shampoo/conditioner alone would be almost $30; this whole set is $39.

There are also a ton of palettes and coordinated makeup sets, which, if you're like me and the thought of figuring out your own makeup look terrifies you more than spiders and politicians put together, are an actual godsend. The Bobbi Brown palette includes a dozen eyeshadow colors, two blushes, a highlighter, and a bronzer. It's definitely pricier than drugstore brands, but this palette 1) is high-quality product that actually stays on all day and blends nicely, and 2) lasts. I bought last year's version at the anniversary sale last summer, and it literally lasted me almost the whole year.