second (and third) round picks

Now, I'm not saying I have favorites among my Nordstrom Anniversary sale purchases. Except that I do. I totally do. And can I tell y'all a little secret? Almost none of those favorites ever come from Round One. Year after year, it's ACTUALLY my ROUND 2 (or 3...or 4....) picks that end up being my go-to staples. (You'll know which ones are my faves by the way you see them many days in a row, without regard for societal norms and things like cleanliness.)

I tend to refer to rounds 2 and 3 (and 4, let's be honest) as BLOG RESEARCH. John tends to refer to them as "unnecessary," while simultaneously looking up ways to get people banned from Nordstrom.

Here's how it all goes down: You get the sale catalog in the mail. You circle basically everything. You go to the store and fear-purchase everything that's not actually nailed down. You arrive home and plead mental insanity to your significant other when he sees the number of bags you're holding. You marinate on your purchases a bit, style them, and then feel guilty about the number of black jackets you own. You decide to return at least half (ish) of your originals to the store. You get SUCKED INTO ROUND 2, because you didn't get a chance to bond with all of the shoes the first time. Repeat the entire cycle, ending in returns, where I somehow, accidentally, POSSIBLY on purpose find myself round three-ing. I've said it before and I'll say it again: don't be like me.

However, DO check out the sale now that people have regained the use of their mental faculties, and SETTLED DOWN SALLY. Buyer's remorse has set in, and insane purchases are being returned, because forgetting that credit cards have limits and you don't actually have a trust fund isn't actually the best strategy in life.

I'm here for y'all (and for Rounds 2-5), so I'm sharing a few of my second rounders. They have now been officially adopted into my closet. I'm telling ya; these are the ones that'll stick.

Guys, these skinny jeans are INSANELY flattering. And I didn't even SEE them during my initial round. The price point is fantastic, and they're still stocked in most sizes.

This was a THIRD ROUND draft pick for me this year. And I couldn't be more obsessed. They're gonna be starters in my shoe lineup this fall for SURE. Try not to be too intimidated by my obvious knowledge of football-y things.

Every year, there's a version of this tunic, and every year it's better than the last. Y'all. This tunic actually covers the hiney. I'm sure there's a model out there calling it a minidress, but let's bless her 19-year old self, and enjoy that we can wear ALL THE LEGGINGS. ALL THE TIME.

Can't have a #basic fall outfit without a plaid shirt. And I am HERE for basic y'all. (Also here for PSLs to be honest.) So, Rails has a plaid shirt that is insanely good, and is softer than a cloud of cotton candy. BUT. They're pricey for a plaid shirt. These BP plaids are $30, and a great alternative. They have some super fun colors, and are definitely selling out quickly. Snag one while you can!

Listen. I don't know how it happened. (Yes. I do.) Somehow I ended up coming home from Round 1 with THREE PAIRS of red booties. #whoops #howdidthathappen

First of all, studs are major. Second of all, RED is major. But to everyone who saw red shoes, and immediately conjured images of Dorothy and tornadoes, DON'T PANIC. I may enjoy being super extra in my footwear choices, but I'm aware that not everyone wants to sport red shoes or a white combat boot. So, allow me to reassure you, there are 4 colors in this baby, and they are all fantastic. I especially enjoy this charcoal suede version.

I hope you guys enjoyed my EXTENSIVE AND IMMERSIVE RESEARCH process. I'd love to hear about your sale favorites, because there's still a very tiny margin of space on my Nordstrom card. And I've never been a quitter.

Until next time,