This weekend, I noticed that my attempts to shop slower, cull my closet, and change my shopping habits might actually be taking hold. I’ve run the numbers before and noticed that I buy less than I used to. But this weekend, I really felt that I’ve changed.
Why? Because upon realizing that early access to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale started on Friday for card holders I felt …. nothing. (The sale opens to the general public July 19.)
In past years, I relished flipping through the catalog and planning what I might want to buy. I went to the store, tried on things, and blogged about it. After all, fall is my favorite fashion season, and the sale features fall staples and trends. This year, though, I didn’t even realize it was happening until the night before. (It helps that Nordstrom has stopped mailing me their catalogs.) And when I did realize it, I didn’t think of what I might buy. Instead, I thought, Crap, half the year is over already? Fall is around the corner?!
I did end up walking through the sale at the San Francisco store on Friday evening because I happened to be meeting up with a friend downtown. We were on our way to the Nordstrom Cafe to catch up, as the food is actually quite decent. (It sure beats the food court in the basement of the mall.) We walked through many of the departments just to look around. It all felt very meh to me.
My friend wasn’t impressed either. Perhaps part of our reaction has to do with aging. Our tastes have changed and while we didn’t chase trends much before, now we really don’t care about them. Not only did much of the clothes seem too trendy to me, but a lot of it was synthetic fabric or blends. I pay much more attention to quality and fiber content now.
With those two parameters, many things don’t make the cut. (Yes, there are pricey, better-made designer goods on sale too, but those things aren’t in my price range.) In my friend’s case, she also felt that becoming a mother (and thus having less leisure time) and using a clothing subscription service killed any interest she used to have in browsing in a store.
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The only thing I bought that evening was the Stila beauty set because it contains the waterproof liquid eyeliner I wear. The eyeliner by itself retails for $22, and the set is priced at $20. But even that was kind of a bummer this year because the eyeliner was paired with a glittery eye shadow that is, quite frankly, horrible. (In past years, the set included a mini size of their Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick, something I actually used.)
I did order a few things over the weekend, but I stuck to the wardrobe gap wish list that I made earlier this year. Sweaters figured highly on that list, so I ordered this wool sweater by Eileen Fisher, one of the handful of ethical brands at Nordstrom.
I also bought ankle boots in a few sizes because I’m constantly looking for a pair that fits me well. (My current ones have good arch support but are too tight in the toe box). Two styles by Blondo are on sale: Valli and the Villa, which has a slightly shorter heel. Blondo makes some of their boots in wide widths. Hoping that improves my chances of finding a pair that works for me, but I could very well end up returning everything.
By the way, if it seems like every influencer hypes up the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, there’s a reason for that. While the sale is a good one with many items marked down by 30%, bloggers have an incentive to push it. Adweek published an article last year about how the sale has “become the Super Bowl of fashion influencers.” From a business perspective, the sale can be a money-maker for bloggers who are part of their affiliate program, especially those with large followings. Bloggers earn commission through affiliate links. (I, too, use affiliate links.)
So, keep that in mind. The emotional tug and excitement of any sale is by design. And well, shopping like that can lead to buyers remorse. (Exhibit A: a shirt I bought one year at the Anniversary Sale, wore once, and have been trying to sell on Poshmark since.)
I’m all for saving money. But you’re not saving money when you buy something on a whim that doesn’t actually serve your needs. I used to feel like I had to browse through sales online to make sure I wasn’t going to miss out on anything, but now I realize that’s silly and a waste of my time and money. I’m writing this, coincidentally on Amazon Prime Day, another sale I feel good about not browsing.
It’s interesting how lucrative the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is for bloggers and influencers. Even with me this year, when I mentioned only two items (both that I bought before), and considering that I definitely do not have many readers when compared to far more popular blogs out there, there’s a noticeable uptick in orders made through my links from the Nordstrom sale (though I’ve chosen to stay with getting a few cents per click for as long as that option is available, so I don’t currently get extra Shopstyle commission for orders). The only particularly interesting products I saw this year were in the beauty section, but there’s nothing in that category that I need. (In past years, they usually had a Cole Haan shoe or two made specially for the sale that I’d be interested in, but not this year…)
It is interesting and really speaks to what an “event” it’s become. I wonder how much traffic Nordstrom gets from bloggers and influencers.