Last week, I told you what I was planning on buying at the 2019 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Let’s just say this year was the most different in my 13 years of shopping this sale, and not in a good way. I still ended up getting most of what I wanted, but it was a total hassle, unfortunately. This is a total First World Problem, but when you’re on a budget and don’t get to shop for yourself too much, its nice to have this treat once a year. I just wish it had gone more smoothly and didn’t take up so much time.
But, the big news is that the sale goes live to non-cardholders TODAY!
To recap, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is the best sale of the year. For 3 weeks, Nordstrom brings in Brand New, Fall items and discounts them up to 40% off. Once the sale is over, they go back to regular price. The best Anniversary Sale items sell out fast. If you have a Nordstrom Credit Card, you get to shop a week or more early, before the sale opens to the public. Many of the most popular items are sold out long before the sale ever opens to the public, but some are restocked from time to time before the sale ends. You can find out a lot more on my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Page.
This year, I didn’t really need much, but I was interested in a few basics and getting new pajamas. I feel like when you’re 40, which I will be next year, you should sleep in matching pajama sets. Like a real adult.
My plan was to order everything for pick up in my local store. That didn’t really work out for me this year. I’m an Insider Credit Card Status (I spend less than $2k in a year), which means that I couldn’t shop the sale until 11:30 am on Friday, July 12th. There were huge problems with in-store pick up orders this year, and many shoppers had their orders cancelled. When I went to pick up what was left of my order the following day, I tried to order a few things that had cancelled from other stores. The boxes are just now starting to roll in.
Here’s what I bought & what I think of each item! I will update these as my boxes come and I can take pictures.
What I Bought

I bought this lace dress in Hunter Green last year for a Christmas Party and absolutely loved it. It’s available in the sale this year in lots of different colors, including that green. I chose a lemon yellow to wear on vacation next summer for my 40th birthday. I love the color! This dress runs really small. I got a small, but like my green one, it’s a little tight in the ribs. That’s ok for me, because it helps me keep my posture up and I can still breathe. But you might want to size up 2 sizes to be comfortable. It’s under $60!
I tried these high-waisted jeans after seeing them on someone else and I love them. They may be my favorite purchase from the 2019 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I had always stayed away from high-waisted jeans before because I’m really short, but these changed my mind. They look WAY better on than they do in the online pictures. These jeans are very stretchy, so I preferred sizing down to the 00. They are also pretty long, so they would be great if you are tall. I probably should have them hemmed up and maybe nipped in at the hips a bit. These say they are ankle jeans, but maybe they are if you’re 5’10”. I have to roll them up to make them regular length jeans. They are under $50, so that’s always a plus!
These thermal henleys fit so well I got them in two colors. They are super soft and inexpensive. I love the neckline! They fit really well and are true to size.
I really love the Spanx camo faux leather leggings that I got last year, so I got the regular faux leather leggings this year to replace some cheap ones I had. I really love these. They fit great, suck you in, and they aren’t too shiny. If they’re sold out at Nordstrom, I’ve seen them price matched here.
I needed a new white long sleeve tee, and I love the neckline on this one, so I bought an XS. When I tried it on, I realized it runs pretty big, and the cut is a bit boxy on me. I probably should size down to an XXS, but the boxy cut is not what I was looking for. Unfortunately, it’s going back. If you like the boxy look, it comes in several colors and is under $16! I would definitely size down, though.
Back to my adults wearing matching pajamas comment, these jammies are highly recommended, so I decided to give them a try. I ordered both the Navy set and this grey stripe. They are super soft and flowy, but they seem a bit large. I ordered the XS, and I have the XXS coming in both colors so I can see what the difference is. The pants on the XS seem to fit fine, but the top feels a little big.
There’s also a shorts version of these pajamas, however, they look exactly like the Target version. I think I’m just going to try the Target version and save a little money.
What Hasn’t Shown Up Yet?
These are the items that I’m still waiting on from the 2019 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale or I haven’t taken pictures of yet because they just showed up. As soon as I get pics, I’ll swap them for this widget. For now, you can click on any item in the widget to purchase that item.
I always buy new undies during this sale. These are my favorites for everyday wear. In fact, I love them so much I threw out all of my other undies. These are really comfortable, thin, and they don’t show through clothes. They rarely go on sale, so I always stock up now. I wear an XS in these.
So maybe those aren’t the only undies in my drawer. Even though those other undies are my favorites and don’t show through clothes, you still need some thongs every now and then. So I picked up two pair of these highly-rated thongs. When I was younger, I used to wear these every day. Now I just needed some replacements for when I wear a tight dress, just every now and again. I was told when I first bought them that they are life-changing, and they are.
I decided to try this cozy top and jogger set. I’ve heard that it runs big, and its been selling out fast. I’m hoping the size I got fits, but we’ll find out.
I needed new Beauty Blenders, so I decided to stock up during this sale. This year’s Anniversary Sale Set comes with a travel case that allows the sponges to breathe and dry. That’s perfect because I needed something for when I’m traveling. It’s just $35.
I also picked up my favorite sunscreen spray. This sunscreen spray is the best because it protects your skin AND it doesn’t eat your topcoat and ruin your mani pedi. Win win. I buy this every year.
BP always has a great basic cardigan every year in the Anniversary Sale, and this year, there was a new-to-me color. I wanted the one in oatmeal so bad, but it sold out in a nano-second. It ended up coming back in stock, so I snagged both the XS and the XXS so I can see which fits better. The description this year says its true to size, but I’ve always sized down in the past year’s versions.
The only pair of shoes I bought were the Steve Madden Winni Sneakers in Camo. I really love how these look. The sizing was a little weird but I think they’ll be fine once I’ve broken them in. The shoe department said to size up, so I ordered a 7 and a 7.5. The 7.5 was way too big and slid off the back of my foot, so I kept the 7. The light grey and black versions have perferations on the top that the camo version doesn’t have.
I bought these candle sets to separate and give as teacher & hostess gifts. Voluspa is one of my favorite candle brands, and this size is perfect for a little clear bag with some crinkle and a bow! Easy gift!
But How Much Did You Spend?
I’m pretty sure this is all I bought, but like I said, some of this is still coming so I don’t have a picture yet. I’ll update this post with my pictures as the items are delivered. I’m pretty sure that I stayed fairly close to my $500 budget this year. I tried to make good choices that fit in my existing wardrobe, and nothing was very expensive. I only bought one pair of shoes!
What Other Must Have Items Are There?
As always, there are some of my favorite items that I wear all of the time back in this year’s sale. The Barefoot Dreams Circle Cardigan is a must own if you don’t already have one. Also my favorite Anthropologie candle, bra, black leggings & no show socks are included in the 2019 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. It’s a great opportunity to stock up on quality basics!
Don’t miss any of my picks from the Anniversary Sale! Make sure you’re following me on Instagram for the latest!
What did you get at the 2019 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale? Tell me your favorite items! I love trip reports for this sale and love to hear about the pieces that work for you!









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