It’s one of the most anticipated sales of the year. Traditionally, Nordstrom doesn’t run many sale events. 2020 changed that, but 2020 has been the exception. This is still the biggest of their sales, and it’s gonna catch a lot of (deserved) attention. It’s not just their free shipping & free returns on everything policy, it’s what they carry, and what they’re willing to mark down to get your attention. Especially when it comes to their Anniversary Sale.
Unlike the half-yearly sales & seasonal clearances, which see in-season goods get marked down, the Anniversary Sale is mostly a preview of the upcoming season. Lots of fall goods or year-round stuff gets decent price cuts. And that’s a rarity in the retail sale game. Prices go back up on August 31st. This stuff can sell out sometimes too. So, know that. Here’s one interpretation of the best of the best for us guys:
Kicking off this post with solid proof as to why the Anniversary Sale is always worth paying attention to. Full review here. And to show how the times have changed… last year these were on sale for $260. This year? $237. Twenty-three bucks less. That’ll do. USA made. Ships and returns for free? Not bad at all. Especially when they look like the Strand. Multiple widths available too. Not just the standard D width, although they have plenty of those as well.
These things have reached the level of “ubiquitous” in terms of basic outerwear. Doesn’t mean they won’t look good and you can’t save some serious cash on them. Available in Black, Navy, or “Forge Grey.” Kinda diggin’ that Forge Grey. The one on the right. That’ll do. Forge-gettaboutit? NOT THIS TIME NO SIR NO MA’AM.
Sleeve & hood free. In case that’s how you prefer to be… you see? The legions of han solos becken! Oh like you don’t have a vest and don’t like it. I know I do. Also, double thumbs up for that first day in fall when all the ladies put on those tall riding boots. Woot.
Good Man Brand’s Italian made sneakers are a favorite. They’re the real deal. Substantial. Really nice attention to detail. Simple but not forgettable and certainly not flimsy. Mighty fair price here. Shown at the very top of the post.
Well that’s convenient. Breaks down to $19.63 per shirt. Sweet. Available either in all white, all blue, or a mixed pack but you get stuck with a lavender shirt. Unless you like lavender shirts, then you’re not stuck with it at all. Also available in button down collars, if that’s more your deal.
Made in the USA. Has shown up in big Nordy sales in the last year or two. Does run the full $280 outside of those big sale events though. A nice price for a hell of a boot. Big fan of the “concrete” shade of leather shown above.
UPDATE: Gone. Sold out. Sad trombone. Those went fast.
Getting these in early, towards the top of the post, because there’s a LOT of shoes in this sale. So, you might need a few new pairs of shoe trees. Okay, back to it…
See? Gonna need some new shoe trees. The quintessential American made dress oxford. Available in burnished chili, black, or walnut.
Pretty sure “Zella” is Nordstrom’s in-house brand attempting to get a piece of that sweet Lulu generated athleisure action? And Nordstrom’s house brands usually deliver. Especially when on sale.
White sneakers. They’re everywhere, and for good reason. They’re comfortable, classic, and go with just about everything. And these are kinda the dictionary definition of the classic white sneaker “thing”. Ships and returns for free, just like everything else.
Sure seems like a great idea, if you’re the type who two wheel commutes or has long walks between public transport stops.
Some of us bar-soap types are even starting to pay a little more attention to our grooming lately. Why? Because lockdown has been stressful, and it started to show… like, a few months back. So do something about your dried out skin or burned out hair. A heritage brand, hugely well reviewed, and good sized discounts here. Plus, their bottles and fonts and branding look good on the counter. Old-school like.
These things are making a strong case to be the official “retail therapy” purchase of 2020. Indeed. All cashmere. No direct experience, but Uncle Nordy usually knows what’s up. And if it arrives and it doesn’t fit? You can send it back for free.
Another Allen Edmonds oxford getting a serious discount. Like the Strands, these also were going for $20 MORE last year during the Anniversary Sale. Hard not to love the McAllister.
Extra trim fit. And be warned: These look chopped in the tail. So, more of a modern look. Something to throw over a t-shirt and wear with jeans. Not something to dress up with a button down and pressed trousers.
Future Timbs! Shades of Marty’s sneakers in Back to the future II. You’ll have to lace the Timberlands yourself though.
The problem with most bomber jackets is that since they’re a traditional style, they can look a little baggy/boxy on true slim frames. That shouldn’t be the case here. Modern brand, slim fit, rock star style.
Many a dude’s favorite short trip or gym-run duffel. With that separate compartment for shoes. Nifty.
Well those are all kinds of perfect. Made in Italy. Great shape, great toe.
Pretty much the “it” sneaker of the moment. Knit uppers, squishy soles, and available in the universally liked black/white color scheme.
UPDATE: These are, not surprisingly, selling super fast.
And now? Budget ultra-boosts! Because Ultra Boosts are super spendy. And these, are not. Not at all. So don’t expect quite the same feel and finish as the Ultra Boosts. But hey, under fifty and free shipping and free returns? Nice. If you’re a newbie to athleisure, head here for some examples on how to pull the look off, without looking sloppy.
Not cheap, but that’s the Bonobos Riviera line for you. Couldn’t find this specific pattern on the Bonobos site? They’re running 30% off sitewide right now (bonobos)… and some Rivieras are marked down already (this similar “palms” print is $41 with the Bonobos code). But this one is 36% off through Nordstrom.
Bomber length! Not a longer, butt covering field-jacket length. Looks like something one Steve McQueen woulda worn on top of a cafe style motorcycle. Well, kinda. Because a quilted nylon jacket isn’t gonna protect you if you eat the road at 50 mph. But it looks great! Try to stay off motorbikes, kids. We need all the readers we can get. Thus endeth the latest edition of Mother Hen Joe trying to keep his mostly male readership alive. Because us guys do dumb things. And step one to avoiding ending up in the ER with your teeth embedded in your lungs is recognizing that irrational stupidity often comes with the testosterone. Cool jacket though.
Looks like the Filson Original in Cinder, only it hopped in a time machine and came back from the year 2100. But not in a bad way. Hardly. That thing is sharp.
Ooh. Hey now. That’ll do if you’re into the leather or suede jacket thing. Dark brown suede. Stand, moto-style collar instead of the usual floppy bomber style. There’s some… leading hollywood actor… type of class going on here? Eh?
Hot dang that’s a cool bag. Love the color combination and the stripe. Equipped with a separate zipper compartment for shoes. Terrific for the gym, or, a quick overnight trip.
Full honesty: Shoe the Bear’s sneakers didn’t do so hot when they got the in-person review treatment around these parts. BUT… these boots kinda look good in the stylized images Nordstrom has on their site. They don’t look as good in the stand alone product shots on the item page though. So who knows. Made in Portugal. And hey, if they show up and they look funny or they don’t fit? You can send them back for free.
Really, REALLY nice wool trousers. Made in Italy from Loro Piana wool. Split-waist construction for easy tailoring. Comes un-hemmed.
Not as spendy! But also… not all wool. 36% wool, 33% Tencel® lyocell, 28% polyester, 3% spandex. Also comes un-hemmed.
Full honesty: no idea what this thing is. But it has potential. “Jetsetter” and 71% polyester, 29% rayon does not = their Italian Knit Cotton blazers. But maybe it’s a performance thingy? That’s what their Jetsetter line usually leans towards. Just butterfly lined in the back too.
Do you boat shoe? Many of you boat shoe. I do not boat shoe myself, but if I WERE to boat shoe, I’d probably boat shoe with a boat shoe that is 4.9 / 5 stars after 200+ reviews. Which is what these have. Nice leather uppers. Deerskin lined. 18K gold-plate details. Wait what? Yes really.
Quilted > fleece. Helps you avoid that tech or finance-bro polar-fleece vest look.
More white sneakers! Imagine that. Made in Italy, with pebble leather uppers and Rose-goldtone grommets.
A silly splurge because, fifty bucks? C’mon man. Fifty ON SALE? Goodness. Originally $78. But those stripes. And the notch is kinda a neat detail. Modern but also super classic at the same time thanks to the nautical stripes.
A warm weather basic, but still, well done. Five colors of either suede or leather to pick from. Traditional less-is-more structure since it’s a driving loafer. Penny loafer style strap across the top and textured sole.
True field jacket looks. 87% polyester, 13% nylon shell looks pretty matte from here? Which stands out, weirdly enough, in the sea of shiny quilted puffers. I mean, it stands out by not standing out. Ya dig? Ya dig. Dig it. Diggity. Diddly dee hi diddly ho neighbor-renos. Yes indeed, you just read through an artfully woven collision of Blackstreet and Ned Flanders in a blurb about an on sale Barbour jacket. And I don’t even charge for this. Sensational.
There are a lot of black Chuck Taylors roaming around out there. And that’s great. They’re a classic. But a slightly classier, more versatile option would be these gray canvas Jack Purcells. Wear ’em with a black t-shirt and jeans. Wear ’em with just about anything.
“Authority Deluxe” sounds like a rock album. Nice looking backpack though. Just featured in a chinos chukkas polos post too.
Smooth leather boots are hard to pull off in the summer. Thankfully, time’s almost up for summer! Boot season is fast approaching. And these in-house brand Chelseas are just the ticket.
Basic non-iron chinos, but in an athletic fit. Everything seems like it’s slim fit these days, right? Good for the “doesn’t skip leg day” crowd.
Speaking of leg day… or working out in general. Including these here not because of any sort of style points, but instead because in this humble sentinent tumbleweed’s opinion, the Gel-Kayano is the best, legitimate, do-anything workout shoe (lift, run, HIIT, kickbox, whatever) on the market. I’ve worn these for years. Usually have two pairs going at once, and I alternate them by day. The support and cushioning is great. I don’t quite get the “runs small” sizing advice on Nordstrom. A 10.5D fits my normally 10.5D feet great. I personally don’t size up. But I don’t slop around in oversized sneakers either. This is pure personal experience, but… I have stumbled off curbs, eaten it during superman punches, and rolled over my ankles in all sorts of ways over the last… 10 years of wearing the Gel-Kayano? Never an injury. That said, since I’ve typed that, I’m now due to blow both ACLs and an achillies the next time I lace them up. Just be sure to buy new ones every few months. Running shoes/workout shoes wear out. And working out in worn out shoes is an invitation for injury.
Take a hike. No, really, go take a hike. Figure your life out. Or, just get some fresh air. Doesn’t have to be that deep. Almost nothing is. Maybe nothing is.
That color and matte texture reminds me of one of my favorite jokes: What’s brown and sticky?… A stick. That one slays at holiday gatherings. Feel free to use that in a few months.
A blue mac is so simple. Most of us over-complicate thinking about it, and think it’s too simple. And then after we try all the trenches and parkas and other things (some of which are very much mentioned in this sale)… we come back to the simple blue mac. Because it looks great.
Lightweight. Not some stiff leather boat shoe. Canvas uppers. A step up from flip flops, obviously, but still not clunky or heavy. Also, cheap.
Ruber outsole for traction, and waterproof uppers for, uh… waterproofy-ness.
More Barbour. A little more streamlined than a traditional field jacket? Maybe? Corduroy collar. Three colors to pick from. Shown at the very top of the post.
I mean…
get that length fellas. The longer length helps them stay up all day.
We’re talking socks, right?
Multiple colors available. A great time to stock up. The argument for “why” you should get these can be found over here. Normally $12.50 for the mid calf and $14.50 for the over the calf. Allen Edmonds Whole Cuts (style sadly discontinued) not included.
Tough to get more classic than that. Fabric is imported, but it’s made here in the good ol’ USA. Fabric makeup is 85% worsted wool, 10% silk, and 5% mohair. Classic fit here.
Wait, these are made here in the States? Awesome if true. Nice bits of different colors all playing off each other.
Lean and mean. Modern but timeless and simple. Available in walnut or black.
Has been going for a lot less during the most recent extra 60% off final sale items deals direct through Bonobos, but… they were also final sale. Not so here. Ships and returns for free like everything else. Which I’m sure you’re sick of hearing about by now.
For all your athleisure needs! Super cheap. Don’t run in these. Run in the Asics. But not these.
Pretty much what I wear at home on my down time.* I’m a man of the people, you see?
*this is not true. I’m more of a barrel kinda guy.
The huge Nordstrom Anniversary Sale runs through August 31st 30th. After that, prices go back up. As always, since it’s Nordstrom, everything ships and returns for free.
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During the process they expect to "conduct business as usual."