nordstrom anniversary sale: my haul

Trina Turk coat | Halogen urban sketch tee | Pure Amici cardigan
Franco Sarto boots | Freida Rothman earrings | C.O. Bigelow rose salve | Deborah Lippmann Polishes

Well friends, my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale haul this year was…um, injurious. Mostly to my UPS driver, who undoubtedly has some serious back issues after lugging this stack of boxes up my stairs. (And there are more scheduled to arrive tomorrow. This is why I shouldn’t shop after wine.)

Since the Sale officially opens tomorrow morning (technically, that’s tonight at 12:01 AM Pacific for you night owls/diehards), I thought now was the perfect time to give you my rundown of the best (and worst) of my haul this year!

Sweaters are always high on my list, and this year, there were a few I couldn’t help but love. I was fully prepared to send this Vince cream shawl cardigan back – I mean, how many chunky cardigans does a girl need? The answer is, apparently, one more than I had before, because there was no way I could part with it once I tried it on. We are going to be the best of friends this fall. I’m also a huge fan of this super lightweight Pure Amici cashmere cardigan, which is the most lovely shade of deep red and will be a perfect antidote to all of the black I wear all winter. It was a tough call, frankly, between this one and this much less expensive burgundy bouclé version, which is also quite good. But in the end, I preferred the length and the color (and yes, the cozy cashmere-ness) of this one. And though I ignored this Nordstrom x Caro Issa sweater in my online browsing, when I saw it in person, my heart skipped a beat. Seriously thick, luxe cashmere in the most beautifully variegated denim heather…I ordered it the second I got home.

Coats…oh, friends. There are so many good coats in the Sale, and so few cold days in California. This green Trina Turk coat is absolutely flawless in person, with maybe the prettiest, most flattering and feminine silhouette I’ve seen on anything in ages. And that malachite color is incredible on just about every skin tone. Alas, it didn’t come home with me, because something else happened. Specifically, this DVF wrap coat. True story: 2 years ago, DVF launched an almost-identical version of this coat. I coveted it something fierce, but couldn’t stomach the $750 pricetag. While I was vacillating, it sold out, and I gnashed my teeth in envy all that winter as I watched Julianna Margulies wear it all season long on The Good Wife. But I walked into Nordstrom yesterday and there it was, reincarnated! In possibly even a better red than the original version, and at a much better $390 price. Hello, lover.

On the lighter side of things, I was surprised by how cute this Rebecca Taylor jacket was in person, after the meh photos of it online. Cozy and luxe, it’s a no-brainer for you office-dwellers, as it’ll make that all-black wardrobe of yours instantly more interesting. (I’d add a black silk tee and these Eileen Fisher skinny trousers if it were me.)

Speaking of pants, I flipped my lid when I saw DL1961’s Florence jeans were in the Sale! They’re my true-love skinnies (I love them even more than my Paiges), so I was over the moon to see them in the Sale. I almost bought two pairs. But other than that and the EF trousers…I didn’t find any other pants I couldn’t live without.

Now, about shoes. Can you believe almost all of my faves were under $100? Me neither. I had my heart set on some extremely cute moss green Lucky boots and those charcoal Dolce Vita boots, but alas both sold out before I could nab them, which I’ll admit was a crushing blow. But I’m consoling myself with these sleek little Franco Sartos in a yummy cognac color, which are very nearly perfect, and will even be acceptable with skirts, which I almost never say about ankle boots. I also grabbed these floral Tory Burch sneaks - I loved the print, and considered getting it in the dress version, but neither of the styles were quite right in my book. Plus, let’s be honest: I’m a jeans and sweaters girl these days. I also nabbed the Nike Flyknits in black and white, but am seriously considering exchanging for the teal color. I am, as a rule, staunchly opposed to flashy sneaks, but these ones really stole my heart.

DVF wrap coat |Alexis Bittar necklace| Vince cardigan | kate spade scarf | DL1961 jeans

I had a lot of fun with the jewelry this year as well. Nadri always has a slew of pieces that are a steal, and gorgeous for the price point. But this year, I was falling pretty hard for the styles from Freida Rothman. To be honest, I’m still torn between the two earrings I nabbed. This one is more versatile, but the turquoise is awfully lovely in person, and might be just the dose of color my jewelry wardrobe was needing. Opinions? And I surprised myself by falling for this blingy little Alexis Bittar necklace. I still might chicken out on this one, but it’s awfully pretty (and more delicate) in person. I also quite loved this little Sugarbean lariat necklace, which is one of those styles you might not glance at if it weren’t on the Sale, but I’m telling you, once it’s in your jewelry box, you won’t be able to stop wearing it. Just different enough to be interesting…much like yours truly.

Then, of course, there were the stock-ups. A few of these easy Pleione split-neck tops, which come in a rainbow of prints and solids and are so damn versatile, I can’t stand it. And this Halogen tee is super boring in the solids, but that urban sketch print is completely adorable, and $15, so why are we even still discussing this? And I always stock up on my beloved Clarins SPF – it was the first thing in my cart. And this set of Deborah Lippmann polishes is tough to beat for practicality. I’ve heard fantastic things about Dr. Gross’ skincare line, so this seemed like a good opportunity to give it a try. And really, who can’t use a stockpile of Rose Salve?

Now, about the misses…there were definitely some pieces I was bummed about this year. That IRO jacket, for example – I had high hopes, but on me, it was a little bulky and shapeless, and sheds like crazy. Ditto for the Helmut Lang, which was nowhere near as flattering as its shorter counterpart. The Vince shearling I was so excited about is lovely, but maybe a little on the thin side. Not necessarily a bad thing, as shearlings can be crazy bulky, but I think I’d hold out for a more timeless style at this price point. And the chevron-print Trina Turk coat I could not wait to see is actually really fun in person, but maybe a little too faux-fur-inspired to be as practical as I was hoping for. But…I have to admit, I still kind of love it.

I always try to pick up a scarf or two in the Sale, but nothing was really calling to me. The Kate Spade prints were cute, but they weren’t as soft and cozy as I wanted them to be. And I had high hopes for great sunnies, but unless you’re ISO aviators, the pickings were slim.

These zip-up Hunter boots were a breeze to slip into, but the color options could have been more exciting – and I couldn’t help thinking they felt a little less solid than Hunter’s usual quality. And those Nadri triangle stud earrings I was dying to try didn’t line up quite as perfectly on my ears as they do in the photos online. Le sigh….

So, friends: that’s the big haul! What about you? What did you end up loving (or hating)? Dish in the comments – I’m dying to hear!