last sunday, my dil and i headed to Atlanta for a mini-girls getaway. let me tell you; we had fun with a capital F. sunday evening; one of my kiddos and his significant other joined us for cocktails at Le Colonial. what a beautiful restaurant that took me right back to my Vietnam Days. it was part elegant, part exotic with seamless service and top-notch food. i highly recommend going. monday morning, kelly and i packed our bags and made our way to Nordstrom and the famed Anniversary Sale. the two of us made this same trek two years ago and found this year’s in-store sale disappointing. the store selection was slim, and finding our sizes proved to be a challenge. but i’m happy to share Nordstrom Dressing Room Diaries 2021.
but guess what? we still managed to put a dent in our credit cards. kelly introduced me to a new candle brand called Boy Smells. don’t you just love that name? it’s just as cute as Sweaty Betty. and i convinced her to snag a NuFace Facial Toner. kelly thought i should totally splurge on a pair of Gucci sunglasses, especially since i’d saved my Nordy Notes to offset the price. don’t you just love shopping with gal pals? they always give the best advice! don’t forget to stop by kelly’s blog Djalali Cooks. if you want delicious recipes, this site has it all.
the first outfit is a Frame satin blouse paired with Frame le sylvie crop straight denim. during the Anniversary Sale, i like to shop for the luxury brands i love, like Frame. i highly recommend their denim which feels like butter. kelly is wearing AG ex-boyfriend slim denim.
next, we’re both in dresses. i’m wearing the Frame crisscross ruched dress, and kelly is wearing a striped t-shirt dress with pockets!
Frame le sylvie crop straight denim and L’Agence belt print blouse and rib stripe cardigan.
Eileen Fisher funnel neck top and Rag and Bone low rise ankle denim.
love, love, love my new square sunglasses!
what’s up with the dressing room mirror? hopefully, you can see the Eileen Fisher ensemble. crop wool lantern pants and funnel neck sweater. kelly is wearing a gorgeous Frame sleeveless pleated top and Frame denim.
i was on the fence with these cropped lantern pants, but our sales associate encouraged me to try them on for size. kelly loved them on me. should i keep them? they’re growing on me. this is a prime example of why you have to try new things and step out of your style box from time to time. it’s what keeps you and your wardrobe modern, fresh and relevant.
a moto jacket or faux moto jacket always makes my top ten list of must-have wardrobe staples. this leather biker jacket is from All Saints and fits like a glove. size up if you want to wear a sweater underneath. affordable options here and here.
how adorable is this jewel-encrusted sweatshirt? the denim is Rag and Bone low-rise slim boyfriend jeans.
a sleeveless pima cotton dress from Vince.
this notch collar merino wool cardigan is a dream to wear. and i mean a dream. it’s from Vince, one of my favorite designers. i think i want to be buried in it.
a feminine and flirty top that won’t break the bank. i also liked this top which i will have to order online.
love this shade of green for fall; the v-neck wool and cashmere sweater is from Vince, the denim from Frame.
look who else shopped the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale? it was lovely to meet tania from 50 Is Not Old. she writes a wonderful blog, so please stop by and say hello. tania was shopping with her sister, and the four of us had lunch together. what a treat! i can’t tell you how much kelly i enjoyed getting to know tania and lisa. these two ladies are treasures, that’s for certain. what fun to finally meet tania in person. we follow each other on social media and chat behind the scenes but live miles apart, so it’s truly a special treat to have our paths cross in person.
all right, gang, that’s a wrap of Nordstrom Dressing Room Diaries 2021. slim pickings, that’s for sure, and many items i wanted to order today are sold out. i will re-group and share a few new picks with you tomorrow. here are a few of my favorite beauty products on sale.
it’s Wednesday, time to go put a smile on someone’s face, including yours.
is the Founder and CEO of Style at a Certain Age. She writes Sundays-Fridays on all topics ranging from fashion, health, wellness, home design and more.
She’s 65, 5’8, and size 8.
Hi Beth
I love seeing what you tried on in the dressing room at Nordstrom! Thanks for sharing. I like the lantern pants and the gray Vince sweater jacket is luscious. Great post!
Joanie
it was slim pickings but we did our best! there’s so much more merchandise available online. now we’ll just have to see what’s still available to order. oh, Nordstrom. thanks for stopping by!
Hi Beth: I was up at 530 this morning and got my order in. I got the last pair of wide calf, size 10 wide riding boots in a brown colour. I noticed there was only one pair left of the black (before 6AM!!) so I snagged them too! I also got a few other basics – some nice layering pieces, some olive jeans and couple blouses to try. Last year was my first Nordstrom sale and I had just lost 50lbs so I went a bit crazy….not quite as crazy this year!
So lovely to see you and Tania met up! I follow you both….oh how I would love to have been at that lunch!
good for you! i was up at 6 am and missed out on a dress and top that i hoped to snag. boo! but i’m so happy to hear you scored the riding boots you wanted!
You asked us, otherwise wouldn’t say too much, but I do not care for the lantern or baggy pants. I am use to seeing you in tailored classic pieces and you always look so smashing. I think the lantern pants look sloppy and make a person look larger than they are. Just my opinion. Love, love, the sunglasses on you!
Other nice pieces from Fame and Vince! Glad you had fun!
i will point out that most women fear clothes that make them appear larger. i’m not one of them. once upon a time we were told we had to look slim at all costs. but if we hold onto that style rule tightly we’ll miss half the fashion fun. and, yes, i love tailored outfits but i also love boho chic, oversized dresses, and funky pants like these. it’s refreshing to step out of my style box now and again.
Funny because I loved the lantern pants on you. The Pilates is paying off. It was quite apparent there is a slim body underneath. Hope you bought them.
i liked the lantern pants too! i was surprised!
right?! they’re surprisingly cute. and totally comfy. eileen fisher knows what’s up.
Thanks for the preview! LOVE Kelly’s haircut!!
i agree. she looks fantastic in that haircut!
I have to say for the first time I did not like any of them except the green fall color sweater.
Thank you for sharing
well, that’s what dressing room diaries are all about. trying something new. sometimes you find something you love, sometimes not.
Thank you for your frank appraisal of the Nordstrom Anniversary sale 2021. I am very in sync with your taste and style. I really feel you aim to curate with an editor’s eye. With all the marketing “noise” out there, you have a clear, strong point of view. That’s what I appreciate about your work.
i so appreciate your thoughtful comment. thank you!
Your hair looks very elegant with a little wave and off your face!! Kelly’s hair looks great, also.
thank you! it’s a nice change of pace especially for summer. doesn’t kelly look great?!
Yes, yes, yes you should keep the lantern pants AND the top, too! You make both look good! Realize the look is not for everyone. I respect that. You and Kelly together in one post is wonderful! I too recommend her Djalali Cooks blog 🙂 Great post today. Thanks! ~
the pants are definitely growing on me. honestly, i passed them by until the sales associate encouraged me to try them. and i’m happy she did! always love to hear from you.
I like the lantern pants, also the wool cardigan coat and especially Tania’s blouse.
thanks for sharing!
Beth you look fabulous in jeans! I love the casual looks you’ve modeled today. That jewel encrusted sweatshirt is calling me! And that green V-neck sweater!! And I’m so glad Kelly convinced you to get those fabulous sunglasses!! 🕶️💓
i loved that jewel-encrusted sweatshirt! it has fun written all over it. i hope you get it!
and sooooo happy i decided to splurge on these sunglasses.
Your Vietnam Days? Need to know more, with photos if possible!
i lived in Vietnam for three years in the early 2000s
Please write a post about that experience. And love the restaurant – I’ve been a couple of times when visiting San Francisco. In 2000, spent time in HCM and Hanoi area as my husband and I adopted two Vietnamese children (both 20 years old and in college now!) Thanks for a consistently thoughtful blog!
Great Anniversary sale. It was interesting to see that I am not the only one having trouble with always finding my size in stock. Your sunglasses were the best find
thank goodness for accessories. one size fits all!
I’m so glad you gals had a good time ! I have two delightful d.i.l.’s
Aren’t we blessed?
Yep,that’s just dressing room drama,isn’t it? Hits & misses. More fun w/a pal.
I know this is your Nordstrom post but, oh boy, is Talbots ever having a great sale ! FYI…if there’s a price reduction within 2 weeks of placing your order Talbots will give you a price adjustment. Just call them to request one.
Have a blessed Wednesday!
truly blessed to call kelly my daughter! love Talbots Red Hangar sale thanks for sharing.
You found some good items, I especially liked the jeans both of you tried on. I made a “wish list” on the first day we could preview the sale but many items are already sold out, just a day into the sale. This seems like mismanagement on Nordstrom’s part. They will disappoint their best customers if they don’t stock adequate quantities.
that’s the challenging part of this sale – items sell out and sell out quickly. although we might just live to shop another day.
good luck!
The sunglasses, the green vee neck sweater, the grey cardigan and Kelly’s stripped dress. I like the blue skirt she was wearing too. I have a pair of the lantern pants in sage and love them with my pink top. Nice post. Good to see Tania.
I liked the grey cardigan sweater coat the best. Thought the rest of the items were meh. I have found this to be true for the last several years of the Nordy sale. Maybe the truth is that I have plenty of great items in my closet already. The sunglasses were the smart purchase.
Keep the cropped lantern pants! They are super duper cool. They look great on you.
they are super comfy that’s for sure!
There is nothing there color-wise to pique my interest. Low-rise pants of any kind are not good for me, either. This gives me a sense of foreboding. I thought style would be more joyful and feminine as we move out of the pandemic. This is neither. Sad. 🙁
it shouldn’t. typically, fall and winter clothes are less colorful or feminine than summer. gotta look at the glass half full. at least i try to.
Oh my! I was excited to see my two favorite bloggers together. You have both helped my style so much.
Loved the sweater coat, green v-neck and embellished green/tan sweatshirt. All the rest, as another lady said, was meh. Kelly is so cute – why doesn’t she ever smile??
kelly is the best DIL! how blessed am i?
What were your Vietnam days? I’m enjoying your site.
my family lived there from 2003 to 2007
Looks like you had a good time! To respond to your question, I love Eileen Fisher lantern pants and own several pairs. In my opinion, the jersey lantern pants are more comfortable, less bulky and fall better than the wool versions. To be completely honest, the tunic version of the sweater you’re wearing with a scoop neck (currently in the NSale) is more flattering than the funnel
neck you show. I don’t know what the EF current obsession with funnel neck tops is, but this style is friendly to very few women.
thanks for sharing, susan! the pants are definitely comfy and add a bit of fun to my wardrobe.
It was so fun meeting you and Kelly. And, it is fun to see your picks from the “slim pickings” that we had to choose from. Those lantern pants did look great on you, that makes me wish that I had tried them on too. Hope to see you again soon!!!
just loved spending time with you and your sister. ’til next time!
I shopped the sale at 2 Nordstroms in Dallas NorthPark Mall and Stonebriar. Disappointing is an understatement. Very slim choices at each regardless of price point. I bought nothing in the stores but managed to score a few Vince and Frame items online. Like others, I am taking that as a sign I already own plenty of lovely things.
Since you asked, not a fan of the lantern pants.
it’s about a 50/50 split on the pants. but i will mention they are quite comfortable. the stores were gypped as far
as merchandise. but as we know online shopping is overtaking brick and mortars which is very sad to me. at least you
found one or two things online. i’d say that was success!
Hi Beth,
I enjoyed the fashion show!
Yes, did like the lantern pants on you.
They looked so comfortable too.
Cathy
i have to say the comfort level is the pants is amazing. thanks for stopping by.
I thank you for sharing this post and all the cute clothes you tried on.
You and Tania are my absolute favorite bloggers. I never miss reading both of your blogs daily.