The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale starts NOW

You’re going to see a lot of content from me (and probably other bloggers as well) about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale over the next couple of weeks.

Why? What’s the Big Deal?

Because this sale, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, is not like all other sales. Typically sales happen when retailers hit the end of a season and are trying to make space for the new season of merchandise. Basically, a sale means it’s leftovers.

But the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is different. With this sale, fall merchandise (for the upcoming season) is being sold BEFORE the season begins, and at an extreme discount.

What to Keep in Mind when Navigating the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Consider this the starter post, sharing the basics of the 2020 sale. The dates to keep in mind and the best strategy to use, so you can get the products you want and need. 

Please, don’t waste your precious time or money on a bad buy. If I’ve said it once I’ve said it 1000 times. It is not a good deal just because you get it on sale. If it hangs in your closet with the tags on, it was a waste of money! Period. The end.

Melinda Maria Jewelry

About 18 months ago, one of my super stylish sisters-in-law showed up to a Sunday night family dinner sporting the most fabulous Melinda Maria necklace! It was a collection of charms. But styled in a cool, modern, fun way, Rather than those charm necklaces grandmas used to wear.

I must have complimented her 500 times that night alone. Her Melinda Maria necklace encompassed all the elements that make a piece super wearable and therefore a wardrobe workhouse.

Just the right amount of shine.  Like there were some stones but it wasn’t so glitzy you could only wear it at night –  100% grocery store and carpool appropriate.
It was the perfect balance between delicate and statement. For instance, the gaggle of charms had an impact but on the other hand, was delicate enough to be layered.
You could not tell the price by looking at it – personally I love clothes, and stores that are so well designed you can’t tell if something is going to have one, two, three, or four zeros in the price. (ie. $10, $100, $1000, $10,000)

The Search for Comfortable Face Masks

Back in March, I wrote a post about fashionable facemasks and how to stylishly add a mask to your outfits. And while I do think that’s important, the ACTUAL comfort of said masks is equally if not more important. The mandate to wear masks, especially for long periods of time, makes finding comfortable face masks even more important.

Getting back to “normal”, in some way, means wearing a mask these days. And typically for long periods of time too. So while I’m all about how things look, I also believe comfort usually trumps pure aesthetics. In my perfect world, it’s a happy marriage of both.

I wish I could try everything I recommend on this blog or even to clients when I give them shopping links, but that’s not realistic. However, I do thoroughly read reviews and use that as a guide for my recommendations. All of these have phenomenal reviews, so I’m feeling pretty confident in this round-up comfortable face masks. Of course, each person is unique and what might be comfortable for one person, might not be for another.

Pro Tip: Try to…

Summer Shoes Fashion Segment

My friends at WKYC Channel 3 reached out asking me to do a Fashion Friday segment this week about summer shoes. And while I LOVE partnering with them and going TV segments, ironically, even though I write this blog weekly, I always still prefer to talk rather than type. However, there is only so much info you can pack into a 2.5-minute segment. 

And in a blog, I can go deeper with links, tips, and even different styles. For example, I posted on Instagram asking what summer shoe questions you all had. There were quite a few comments about summer shoes that don’t show toes. Bunions, no pedicure (thanks COVID), and such. Honestly, I didn’t think of that before filming. But, I’ll be sure to address it here.

BTW, the spot should air Friday, July 17, 2020. Tune in if you can. I always try to share it on Facebook and Instagram as well, so make sure to follow me there too.

What’s Old is New Again

The cool thing about the “in” shoes of summer 2020 is that they’re totally practical.  AND in many cases, you might already have them or something similar in your closet.

Cheers, It’s Time for Summer Sales

Post 4th of July is usually the time in the fashion/retail calendar where the summer stuff goes on major sale. Why? Because stores are trying to clear things out to make way for fall merchandise. Even though this year has been anything but typical. The summer sales are still going strong. So it’s a great way to snag some key pieces at a deep discount.

Don’t Buy It Just Because It’s on Sale

However, my rule for styling clients, and that I’m sharing with you is: DO NOT BUY IT JUST BECAUSE IT’S ON SALE. An item isn’t a deal if it just sits in your closet. If it’s not adding, in a positive way to your wardrobe, it doesn’t belong there.

I can’t tell you the number of times I meet with a first time styling client for a wardrobe analysis and there are pieces STILL WITH TAGS! Meaning they have never worn it. And, 9 out of 10 times the reason is they got it on sale or at a discount store and it was such a good deal. BUT THEY HAVEN’T WORN IT – so, P.S. it’s not a good deal, it’s just money spent with no return on the investment and, in addition, it’s taking up valuable closet space. Ok, I’ll get off of my soapbox now and dish on the deals and steals I’ve found.

One Summer Sales Note…

Hallie’s Hot List – June Edition

It’s summa, summa, summa time! Yahoo, right?!? And raise your hand if you got that Fresh Prince reference. I linked the music video for either nostalgia or education, depending on that hand raise, LOL!  The Hallie’s Hot List, June edition is focusing on the things I’m loving now that the weather has turned warm. It’s full of fun in the sun goodies that are vetted by me, tried and true.

Think, sunscreen, bathing suit coverups, sun hats, sundresses… You know, the things we all need and use this time of year but that can be hard to know what really works or not until you try.

What’s on the Hot List for June?

The Dyson Air Wrap Complete. Expensive, yes. But Worth it.

For the last month, I’ve been using the Dyson Air Wrap Complete to dry and style my own hair. While some people learned to make sourdough bread during quarantine, I learned (finally) how to do my own hair. But only because the Dyson Air Wrap practically drys and curls your hair for you. It’s like idiot-proof, which is what I need. I bought this fancy blowdry kit as a 50th bday gift for myself,  honestly thinking there was no way it was worth the hefty price tag ($549). And fully expecting to return it with the 30-day money-back guarantee. But I was SOOOOO wrong! This thing is pure magic and 100% worth every penny. 

Renting my clothes?? Really?

YUP! You read it right. Before Covid-19 and quarantine, I was trying out various clothing rental programs! Not just special occasion rentals either, I was renting my everyday clothes! In other words, my jeans, sweaters, blouses, blazers, handbags – the clothes I was wearing on the regular, many of them were rentals. In fact, I rented the dress pictured above in October 2019 and wore it 3 times before returning it.

At first, I wasn’t sure. I had hesitation and questions…

Would the items feel clean and fresh?

How would the clothes fit? 

Could it actually save me money?

Would the clothes be age-appropriate?

The answers to those questions have generally been…

All You Needed to Know About Bras, You DIDN’T Learn in Middle School.

This weekend, we had our first socially distanced get together with friends. First of all, it was AWESOME!! Boy, did I miss people!  And, second, I was totally inspired to write this blog post. The women were saying our get together was the first time in MONTHS that they’ve actually worn a real bra!! Ummm, raise your hand if it’s me too for you…

And that it felt weird, because their bras were uncomfortable, and pinched and didn’t perk the girls up enough. Amen to that! And sorry if it’s TMI.

But it got me thinking… I’ve not really addressed the whole bra issue here before. I talk about it with my one on one wardrobe clients. And we talked about it a lot in the virtual closet class I’ve been teaching. Which, btw, I’m going to run again… I’ll tell you more about that at the end… But back to bras. So many women just don’t really know about proper fitting bras and how to care for them.

The Girlfriend’s Guide to Bras

So why should you care about bras? Because, in case no one ever told you,  if your undergarments don’t fit properly, your whole outfit will look crappy. I’m being harsh, but it’s true. There’s a reason they’re called foundation pieces. Your undergarments are LITERALLY the foundation of your outfit. And if your foundation is ill-fitting, your clothes will look lumpy and droopy and sloppy.

And, as we age and the elasticity of our skin declines, undergarments become even more important…

What’s Hallie’s Hot List?

Back when I started my blog I had a feature called Hallie’s Hot List. Think of it as my version of Oprah’s favorite things (but without the car giveaway – lol). It was really well received and I have no idea, at all, why I stopped doing it. But I feel like the time has come to resurrect it.

For example, when you have (or had if you’re still in quarantine) coffee with your friends and you, or they,  share some awesome things they found and that “changed their life”. Well, that’s what the hotlist is…  Things I use and love, or that my friends use and love. It’s the ultimate form of word of mouth, and therefore worthy of a relaunch.

In the virtual closet class I’m co-teaching, we ask the participants to share their favorite things. It’s been so fun finding out about other people’s tried and true items. And after a few classes, with some rock star women, Hallie’s Hot List has compiled a nice collection of favorites that, above all, have been vetted by ladies I trust.