Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale Summer 2016
It’s arguably one of the better sales of the year. No codes to wrangle. No extra % coming off once something hits your cart. The price you see is the price you pay, and since it’s Nordstrom, everything ships and returns for free. Everything. Plus, Nordstrom is the rare department store that has curated some really nice, upper scale brands, and balances those more expensive items with their solid quality, house-brand goods.
So what’s the catch? When they do a sale, it’s always huge. As in inventory. As in, there are thousands upon thousands of items to browse. That’s a lot of scrolling and clicking. And we went through all of it. As always, the picks below are limited to those with at least a decent size selection at post time.
Allen Edmonds Cornwallis in Walnut or Brown – $274.90 ($395)
Nordstrom is famous for their price-matching, and it looks like they’re doing that here with the Allen Edmonds Cornwallis which recently went on sale direct through AE, as part of a “CEO’s Favorites” promotion. Full review of the Cornwallis can be found here.
Allen Edmonds Strand – $274.90 ($395)
And the Strand is getting the price cut as well, since along with the Cornwallis, AE’s CEO picked those out as his favorite dress oxfords. Strands, even with all their brouging flash, are a little more classic than the Cornwallis, but neither should fall out of style any time soon… if ever.
Nordstrom Classic Fit Wool Blazer – $236.98 ($395)
A textured wool, navy blazer, from Nordstrom’s Men’s Shop house line. Patch pockets up front keep it casual, lapels look like they’ve got a timeless width, and sleeve cuff buttons sure appear to be non-functioning for easy tailoring.
Nordstrom Smartcare Trim Fit Twill Dress Shirt – $39.90 ($69.50)
About as good as it gets in terms of bang-for-the-buck in the dress shirt world. Crisp twill fabric, collars that are great for going with a tie or tieless, and a smartcare finish that requires little ironing but doesn’t feel stiff or scratchy. Trim fit is slimmed down but not tight. The free shipping and free returns is a nice bonus too.
Randolph Engineering Corsair Sunglasses – $114.49 ($229)
More modern than their standard aviators (which aren’t that different from the cheaper aviators from American Optical). Silver frames with green gradient lenses. Made in the USA. Also available in a bronze/tan color scheme. 58mm, so better for fellas with medium to larger sized heads.
J.W. Nordstrom Trim Fit Solid or Check Dress Shirts – $65.90 ($98.50)
From their top “John W. Nordstrom” in-house brand. Appears that these lean more towards a true spread instead of a semi spread? Might be tough to wear without a tie if that’s the case. Non-iron fabric.
Jack Spade Tech Oxford Slim Brief – $238.80 ($398)
Water resistant nylon exterior with leather accents. Fits most 15″ laptops. Modern without looking too tech-y. Or is it techie?
The Tie Bar Braided Zigzag Belt – $14.98 ($25)
Yes, The Tie Bar does more than just ties. Been making small accessories for a while now. And unlike ordering direct through TTB, Nordstrom ships and returns for free. These have a nice, not-so-normal zig-zag pattern to em’. Perfect for summer.
7 for All Mankind Luxe Perf. Jeans in Slim or Relax. Fit – $118.90 ($198)
A couple of tips came in about this blend from 7 For All Mankind after the recent stretch jeans review. 92% cotton, 6% polyester, 2% spandex blend seems closer to the Bonobos Jetsetter jean than the BR traveler, but still, they’re claiming a nice bit of stretch with these. Spendy.
Calibrate Trim Fit Non-Iron Check Stretch Dress Shirt – $45.90 ($69.50)
A bold gingham check in an easy to wear navy. Put a grey knit silk or cotton tie on top and wear with a summer suit.
Sperry Gold Cup – AO 2 Boat Shoe – $95.98 ($168)
From Sperry’s upgraded line of boat shoes. Hand finished leathers and 18K gold plated details. Wait, really? With the gold? Interesting. Suede and leather uppers. Classic boat shoe shape.
Cole Haan Leather and Canvas Duffel Bag – $215.98 ($360)
Will it get dirty? Sure. Most likely. Is it still really damn pretty? You bet. Tons of leather up top at the zipper. Ecru-shade canvas gives it a “golden age of travel” look. Not the biggest thing though. Dimensions are 18″W x 14″H x 9″D, so just over 2200 cubic inches.
Made in Italy Monte Rosso Double Monks – $236.98 ($395)
Ooh. That brown suede. Those are something. The brand name doesn’t seem to ring a bell though?
Fossil Mercer Leather Work Bag – $160.80 ($268)
An entry level, soft sided, black leather briefcase. And unlike a lot of Fossil stuff, it does appear that they’ve kept their branding to a minimum on this one. Pretty sure the only logo is on the inside?
Todd Snyder Trim Fit Windowpane Linen Sport Coat – $356.98 ($595)
All linen with a bold pattern that should do great up against light colored pants in warm weather. Just partially lined too. Not cheap, but Todd Snyder makes great stuff. Made in Canada too.
Suede Bucks by Nordstrom – $59.96 ($99) | Calibrate – $77.98 ($130)
Calibrate is also a Nordstrom house brand, so, the quality should be decent for the price on both of these. Looks like the Nordy pair are a little more traditional in shape through the toe box? The Calibrate look a bit slimmer, and they also come in blue.
Miansai M24 Leather Strap Watch – $144.05 ($215)
Minimalist, modern, and then some. Just one hand on this watch that slowly circles the dial to give a “more fluid sense of time” … kay. Kinda a cool design though. 39mm so on the smaller side. Seiko Quartz movement.
Oak Street Bootmakers Plain Toe Trench Boot – $255.60 ($426)
Classic, tough, and American made. Horween Chromexcel leather. Limited sizes at post time, and word from Nordstrom is that these run a bit small and you’ll want to order a size up.
Oak Street Bootmakers Plain Toe Trench Boot in BROWN – $238.80 ($398)
Still Horween Chromexcel, still made in the USA. But in a basic brown shade and for some odd reason, less cash out of your pocket.
Jack Spade Silk/Wool Sport Coat in Light or Navy Blue – $358.80 ($598)
Another big windowpane patterned sportcoat. Or, in this case, there’s two of em’. The light blue option is actually a silk, linen, and wool blend, while the navy blue is a 55% silk / 45% wool mix. Trim fit on both of them.
Allen Edmonds Clifton Cap-Toe or Madison Park Wingtip – $244.90 ($395)
More on-sale Allen Edmonds, but instead of closed-lacing oxfords, these are slightly more casual open-lacing bluchers. Still made in the USA with Goodyear welts of course.
Vineyard Vines Whale Club Leather & Canvas Belt – $34.80 ($58)
Depending on your view, these are either classic and charming or insufferably preppy. You. Yes YOU dear reader. THE CHOICE IS YOURS!
Nordstrom Flat Front Solid Linen Trousers – $86.98 ($145)
Very dressy pants in a very casual, 100% linen fabric. Good for dressed up events during the warmer months of the year. Three colors to pick from. Crease down the center of each leg. Tab closure at the waist.
Cotton Breton Stripe Sweaters from Gant & Brooks Bros. – $53.98 – $68.98
Stripes are very much in. And it’s not like they ever really went out of style either. All cotton on the Gant option, with a bit of cashmere mixed into the Brooks Brothers crew for softness.
Bonobos Slim Fit Navy Wool Tux Jacket & Pant – $576 ($960)
Spendy, but an awfully good looking navy tuxedo. Subtle herringbone pattern to the wool gives it a little extra visual texture. Peak lapels. Sold as suit separates, so you can mix and match jacket/pant sizes instead of being stuck with a nested pair. Bonobos slim fit is a true slim, so if you’re a beefier fella, you probably won’t fit in this template. But it does ship & return for free, like everything else.
To Boot New York Double Monk – $199.90 ($325)
A made in Italy cap-toe Double Monk… for under $200. Not bad.
hook + ALBERT Leather Garment/Duffel Bag – $350.98 ($585)
An increasingly popular design. One of those duffels that is actually a garment bag, and rolls up in an attempt to keep your suit(s) as wrinkle free as possible in transit. Cut from textured saffiano leather, and available in brown, black, or blue. Also available in canvas for about $90 less.
1901 Tristan Chukka Boot – $71.98 ($120)
A budget version of those spendy Italian Gustin Chukkas from yesterday. These? Not Italian. Three shades to pick from though, and a hundred bucks less than the Gustins. From the younger-leaning house brand 1901.
Todd Snyder Wool/Linen/Silk Blazer in Blue or Check – $386.98 ($645)
Both of these are the same fabric makeup: 71% wool, 17% silk, 11% linen, 1% elastane. Interesting mix. Nice, medium blue shade on the left, and a smaller/muted looking check on the right. Both are made in Canada.
Made in the UK Pantherella Stripe Socks – $17.98 ($30)
Spendy for just one pair of socks, but they’re made in the UK, and they’re a merino wool/nylon blend instead of cotton. Description says that they’re a dry flat, so, be warned that tossing them in the dryer could lead to damage.
Johnston & Murphy Hartley Plain Toe Derby – $129.90 ($175)
Just a plain toe dress shoe. The kinda shoe that resembles the illustration in most dictionaries under the word “shoe.”
Jack Spade Barrow – $46.80 ($78) or Anchor Card Case – $52.80 ($88)
Both from Jack Spade. Both in a shade of blue. And both with a bit of texture, be it micro on the Barrow card case, or chunky thanks to embossed anchors on the other.
1901 Hancock Wingtip Derby – $65.98 ($110)
Inexpensive summer wingtips. Suede. Made by a Nordstrom house brand. Should look good with lightweight, summer pants or suits of all kinds, and the earth tone options might even be able to pull some work next to jeans come fall.
Bonobos Cotton/Linen Blazer – $208.80 ($348)
Flashy in its pattern instead of color. A deep blue with bold stripes. Perfect for a summer night out grabbing a cocktail or two. Be warned that this is a trim fit, and a Bonobos trim is a true trim. Also, description says it’s fully lined. 76% cotton, 24% linen. Very limited size selection at post time.
The Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale is set to expire on Sunday June 5th. What happens then? Some items may drop further in price, but stock at that point will be much lower. Some items may actually go up in price. It’s tough to tell what’ll happen each time around.