Nordstrom carries a lot of high end, crazy expensive items, but they can also be a great source of discount finds for the budget shopper - especially if you can hit up one of their three annual sales.
Their Anniversary Sale launched on Friday (the morning after I wrote up
the Deals and Steals for the week), and while it's actually vaguely underwhelming, there are still a number of good deals to be had, so I rounded up a few of my picks:
Shoes:
Probably the best/most items are in the footwear category, and it's one of the few opportunities to get a heavy discount on kicks from brands like Allen Edmond's and Sperry's. Speaking of, my first pick is
the Allen Edmond's Park Avenue cap-toe oxford, clocking in at $243 from an original price of $345.
Sure, not exactly cheap, but that's over $100 off the MSRP, and the Park Ave is a
fantastic go-to dress shoe. It's easily formal enough to wear with a suit, but versatile enough to rock with some chinos, or maaaaybe jeans (although that's a bit of a stretch). The styling is classic, the shape is a perfect balance of sleek and round, and
the AE recrafting program allows one pair of these to last a lifetime.
My second choice is another pair of go-to Allen Edmond's;
the Strand (a wingtip
brogue):
With the slightly higher starting price, and just a hair cheaper of a sale price, these are a bit better of a deal, and kinda the perfect mate for the Park Avenue's. The brogue details are great for those days where you want to break out of the box just a bit, while still remaining classy and work-appropriate (and these
can be work with a nice pair of dark denim). Personally, I prefer these
in the darker Bourbon color, but the Walnut is pretty highly coveted among the menswear crowds. It might be a bit less versatile, and is definitely a bit bolder, but as I mentioned, still wholly office friendly.
Changing brands, and heading towards the casual side of footwear, you can pick up
Eastland's Stratton 1955 Penny Loafer for just $138 (originally $230):
Eastland falls in around the same range as G.H. Bass, Sperry's and Sebago, but this particular pair comes from their higher-end, 'Made in Maine' line (and we love when companies manufacture in the USA). The black pair, pictured above, is a bit more casual with contrast stitching and sole, while the burgundy option is a little shinier and a little dressier. Either will perfectly round out
a classic prep outfit of chinos, OCBD and blazer (one of my all-time favorite combos). The tag is a bit goofy, but I'm guessing it wouldn't be too hard to remove, and then these are an undeniable winner.
Our last shoe recommendation is probably my favorite:
Sperry Top-Sider Authentic Originals in classic brown for just $60 (regularly $90).
I think I got my pair during the
MR PORTER sale last year for around $50, but beyond that, this is easily the best price I've seen for what has become probably my most-worn pair of shoes (just browse through
my Instagram if you doubt me). Wear them with
no-show loafer socks and these things are unbelievably comfortable, and are a big step up from sneakers for
a more adult casual summer look.
Pants & Jeans:
After leaving the shoe section, the good deals are harder to find. We did manage to pick out a few pairs of pants, like
these Dockers Alpha Chinos:
If you're a regular reader, or follow me on Instagram, you know that Dockers Alphas make up a good chunk of my personal chino selection - due to a perfect slim fit, a durable fabric and construction, and an unusually reasonable price. That price gets even more reasonable here, knocked down from $68 to $40 (and remember, free shipping, as always from Nordstrom). There are four colors to chose from, all of which are definitely viable picks, but these dark blue (but not quite navy) are my favorites (I've got a pair in my shopping cart right now).
The other solid find from the pantaloons department are
these jeans from Naked & Famous:
Another pick that certainly isn't cheap, but still a great deal, these are coming in at $103 (originally $155). I don't
believe they are selvedge, but they regardless promise to be a solid pair of raw denim (Naked & Famous is pretty widely regarded as a go-to entry brand for high end denim). I have to dip my toes in the waters of said high end denim, but when I do, I'm relatively certain it'll be a pair of N&F, and I'll be lucky to find a deal like this.
Socks & Underwear:
Our last section of picks. First up is
the Tommy John V-neck undershirt:
We did
a whole write-up on picking the right undershirt for the job, and the Tommy John V-neck was a solid winner in my book. I was able to pick up the bargain (albeit slightly lower quality) version at a
Nordstrom Rack, but this here is full-fledged top-notch version, regularly pretty expensive at $40 a pop, now much more reasonable at $26. Might still seem like a lot for an undershirt, but I think it's worth it - slim fitting and thin enough to be invisible under a dress shirt, long enough to stay tucked in, and made from a soft and stretchy pima cotton blend.
And finally, while it might be hot as heck now, you know colder months are never far away, so don't forget to consider some cozy steals
like these SmartWool socks:
SmartWool is a
lifesaver come winter (well, toe-saver at least), but can put a dent in your wallet at close to $20 a pair. These are knocked down to $13, and definitely worth stocking up on a few pairs while the sale is on. Check out
the full SmartWool selection for other colors and styles, but I think the above pair in a solid navy are the most versatile.
And that's it for today, folks. By all means, browse the rest of the sale, and keep an eye out for further markdowns and/or added items - while we didn't see a whole lot else that excited us, you may find some hidden gems! Happy shopping.
As always, we'd love to hear about any steals you score in the comments below.
