This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
July 2024 Update: The biggest sale of the year — the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale — starts July 15! (Unfamiliar with the NAS? Check out this page for more info on why it's the best sale of the year.) Sign up for our newsletter to stay on top of all the major workwear sales, or check out our roundup of the latest sales on workwear!
The below content is about the 2018 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.
For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.
At long last I think it's finally happening: we're returning to wider trouser legs. Don't get me wrong, it was really fun to have skinny trousers, ankle trousers, “straight” trousers — but I feel like a wider leg is eternally classic, and personally prefer the way a bootcut balances out my wide hips. At the fanciest stores I'm seeing a lot of high-waisted trousers, invariably styled a bodysuit or a cropped top — but the beauty of a trouser like the one pictured is that it's easy to pair with a hip-length blouse, sweater or fancy t-shirt. The jacket, pants, and dress are all on sale as part of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for $169-$397 — after the sale, prices will go back up to $255-$595.
This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!
Psst: check out all of our coverage of the 2018 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, including our top picks for workwear under $200 and our favorite plus-size picks for work!
Sales of note for 8.30.24
- Nordstrom – Summer Sale, save up to 60%
- Ann Taylor – 30% off full-price purchase; $99 jackets, dresses & shoes; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything + extra 20% off
- Bergdorf Goodman – Final Days Designer Sale, up to 75% off; extra 20% off sale
- Boden – 20% off
- Brooks Brothers – Extra 25% off clearance
- Eloquii – Up to 60% off everything; extra 60% off all sale
- J.Crew – 40% off sitewide; extra 60% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 20% off orders $125+; extra 60% off clearance; 60%-70% off 100s of styles
- Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off (ends 9/2)
- Madewell – Extra 40% off sale; extra 50% off select denim; 25% off fall essentials
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Rothy's – End of season sale, up to 50% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear in the big sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 25% off regular-price purchase; 70% off clearance
- White House Black Market – Up to 70% off sale
Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
Cat
I feel the opposite — I love the trim ankle pants look, and it totally eliminates the hem issue since the same pants can be worn with commuting flats, sleek work flats, and heels alike!
January
I have noticed that this seems to be an issue where the two sides both feel very strongly and there is not a lot of middle ground.
Elegant Giraffe
I’m with you. Love ankle plants. Have no idea what shoes/tops to wear with pants like these.
Anonymous
Commit to a single heel height for multiple pairs of shoes and get your work pants hemmed for that length and then you don’t have to worry about not having the right shoes.
Cat
I do have a typical “high heel height” that I purchase, but eliminating the option of flats is annoying! Plus it means I have to deal with pinning my pants hems during my walking commute, since despite any and all recommendations for “comfortable” commuting wedges, my feet are happiest in their old Sperrys thank you very much.
I do wish that retailers didn’t go to extremes, so that everyone could have a reasonable choice in the cut/length they prefer.
Anonymous
Well, now that you know bootlegs are on the way, stock up on the styles you like and just ride this one out. I did that with classic pumps, stocking up when platforms were on their way in, and almost survived the trend.
Anonymous
I do love the convenience of ankle pants, but as a pear shaped woman, most sleek ankle pants don’t do me any favors…. while I look 10 lbs lighter and balanced in mid-rise wider legged pants with a bit of a flare. Heels only, unfortunately. Crops… please die….
Anon
As a Tall, I love ankle pants eras and despise long pants eras, because too-short ankle pants look ok but too short flare pants look ridiculous.
Tick tick tick
We live in a very urban, non-tick-ish environment, but are going away for a the weekend to a tick-heavy area — my first such experience. I am trying to figure out how to prepare. So far, based on g00gle, I have bought: permethrin spray for non-clothing non-body stuff, a bug spray for the human body that covers ticks and mosquitoes, and a set of tick tweezers. We will try to have our boys (ages 1 and 4) wear close-toed shoes, tall socks and long pants, in light colors, although not sure how practical it will be given the weather and planned activities. We will do am and pm checks. What else should be on our radar, if anything? Thanks, from a very anxious person and hater of bugs!
Anon
Greetings from the deep south, home of all things creepy-crawlie in the woods. Just relax and have a great weekend. Use a DEET based bug repellent to keep annoying flying bugs away and reapply as needed. If you get a tick, pull it off and squish it with a fingernail. It’s really no big deal. Permethrin spray is overkill, and if you have cats, keep anything you spray it on away from them. It’s quite toxic to cats. I run in the woods in a sports bra and shorts (and OFF!). I can’t imagine layering up on clothes this time of year and would happily take my chances with the odd tick or two.
Anonymous
Gently, you’re way overreacting. Just do tick checks in the afternoon/evening when you’ve come in for the day from the outside activities. There’s no reason to do a morning check, ticks don’t hang out indoors like roaches. If you do find a tick, as long as you remove it quickly, there’s almost no chance of getting a disease. I spend a large chunk of every summer in rural New England and have never used permethrin or other chemical sprays and I regularly wear shorts when it’s warm outside. Just do the tick checks every evening and you’ll be fine.
Anon
Gently, you don’t know what you are talking about. Ticks get up your butt crack and behind your knees and when they are inside you, you can’t see or feel them. You can’t even turn your knee around enough and see well enough to find them on you. This is from someone with tons of experience with ticks and Lyme Disease who lives in a place where Lyme has been dx’d for years. Wear Deet repellant and reapply as necessary. Don’t brush up against high grass or brush. Stay away from shady, damp areas…such as the edge of the woods. Roll your clothing with a lint roller and they say to put it in the dryer on high when you come in. Honestly, I don’t do that because I don’t do any gardening or hiking anymore. I’ve had enough. Luckily, they are making wider trails lined with some sort of stone now so I will use those.
Anonymous
Maybe this is a problem for dark skinned people. I’m light skinned and ticks are VERY visible on my body. There are parts of your body you can’t see but you can have someone else check those areas. I’ve spent almost 40 summers now in New England and done plenty of hiking in grassy areas and it’s just never been an issue. I’ve gotten ticks but I’ve always found and removed them immediately. Wearing long pants and thick socks in hot weather and doing tick checks twice a day just seems like a vast overreaction to me.
K
Make sure you check their hair and scalps, too.
Anonymous
permethrin can be used on clothes and shoes. spray and let clothes dry outside for a few hours, ideally overnight, before you put on the clothes. do NOT spray permethrin on yourself, wear gloves while spraying to clothes.
I’m an environmental consultant that has walked in tick-heavy fields and woods, and permethrin has been the most effective tick repellent of them all.
Anonymous
Also, the transmission time for Lyme disease from a tick to a human is 36-48 hours, so if you catch the ticks within 24 hours of being outside you should be alright.
Anonymous
Sounds pretty good! Tuck the pants into the socks if possible. (Speaking from someone who was wearing tall socks and long pants and found one embedded in her inner thigh anyways.)
Anonymous
Matches to burn the tick (if you find one).
Do the most exposed crevices (ears, hairline and scalp, etc) at your AM/PM checks, but check ALL the crevices (bellybutton, groin, toes, etc) if you are in areas with denser vegetation – once every day or two, or when you get home is probably fine.
But really – don’t stress about it, just be watchful.
Anonymous
The recommendation now is NOT to use matches to attempt to burn the tick or get it to release. You’re better off removing with tweezers.
Anonymous
Do not burn off ticks. That is not a good removal method because they are more likely to regurgitate and increase risk of infection. Same with squeezing or crushing. Just use tweezers and gently pull.
Anonymous
I’m saying burn it AFTER removing with the tweezers. Not while still attached to the body. Who does that?
anon
+1
Right? What kind of person needs to be told not to hold an open flame to their skin. Good grief. Burning the tick is recommended instead of crushing it and getting its nastiness everywhere.
-signed, from the south
Anonymous
The new advice is to save it, not burn it. If you get an illness, having the tick can be very helpful.
AnonInfinity
The only thing I’d add to this is a check shortly after you get back from an outdoor activity. If you catch them quickly, they may not have latched on yet. If you’re going to be outside the whole time, morning and evening should be good.
Cookbooks
A little gross, but in the event you happen to find a tick, use tweezers and pull upwards carefully. Don’t twist or wiggle it. Otherwise you might only get part of the tick off, with the head part staying in.
Anonymous
Also, it’s not a terrible idea to save the ticks after removal. Stick them in a ziploc and label when removed and from where/who. If you don’t have any issues/rash, you can throw away after a couple of weeks. If you do have an issue or rash, you can take the tick for testing which can streamline the process.
Anonymous
You are more than prepared. The only thing I might add is for your H or a friend to check your hair and scalp. Ticks love long hair and they can be hard to spot. Probably less of an issue with young boys (esp. a 1 yo), but often more of an issue for women with thick/long hair.
Pompom
Check warm dark spots…especially underwear-covered spots. Armpits, too.
My husband recalls finding a tick on his bal l s as a tween, and it being a real awkward pain to remove. So. Check everywhere!
Anonymous
+1 I pulled one off of the same spot on my husband’s body. That’s a moment I will never forget!
OP, I live in MA, have had Lyme Disease as has my brother and my cat (a thing). Yes, its a risk but don’t freak out. Do tick checks. Pull the tick straight off with tweezers. I usually put it in a ziplock and freeze it for testing, if needed.
I wear shorts and sandals. Its hot! Use some DEET spray, make sure to take a shower after at the end of the day, and do a good tick check of body and hair.
Seattle and Portland
Tell me about what to do! Husband and I are spending a few days in Seattle, then Portland. Where is easiest to stay as a tourist in those two cities? We like museums, history, shopping, music, food of course. Not interested in all-day beer tours but might stop in at a couple of breweries or beer bars. Husband has a thing for Bigfoot…
Ms B
Our of the loop these days on Seattle, but Hubs and I enjoyed the Benson in Portland a couple years ago. I can recommend Courier Coffee and Blue Star Donuts in the mornings and dinner at Beast (Sunday supper if you can get the rezzie because they only have one sitting on Sunday and it is more leisurely). For other dining, Han Oak was charming, but may not be your vibe; Pok Pok was all right, but we actually had more fun hanging out in Whiskey Soda Lounge while waiting; Grassa and Lardo both are excellent lunch choices (and I confess to eating at both for the same meal – I wore my eating pants).
For activities, we enjoyed the zoo (in the rain, natch), the Lan Su Garden (with a side trip to Voodoo Donuts), and a good chunk of time in Powell’s. And naps (it was one of our first trips without The Kid).
Have a great time!
Stephanie M.
If you are doing an AirBnB, Capital Hill is a potential spot, Lots of food, coffee shops, shopping, ice cream parlors and bars, close to downtown. It isn’t the most clean part of town, but it is easily walkable and centrally located.
I would stay there over Belltown, which has good restaurants but is even less clean and has way more homeless and transient population walking around.
Check out Madison Park for an afternoon, cute shops, good food, and a little lakeside park/beach area. It’s also near the Arboretum which is a nice walk. If you like kayaking you can rent a 2 person kayak in the U Dist and paddle around Lake Union and/or Lake Washington.
Speaking of Lake Union, you can charter a seaplane for an air-tour around the area. We did this earlier this year, and it was super fun. You take off and land on the lake.
Look for the local markets, there is likely one in a local neighborhood every day you are visiting.
The Pike Place market is fun. Pioneer Square and the Underground Tour are frequent tourist destinations, but that area of town is full of homeless and junkies, and is not really a place I like to be after dark, although there are some bars in the area. Take a day and visit Fremont, or take the water taxi to West Seattle from downtown. You can go to Alki Beach, which is another great spot for food and a nice walk.
At night there are lots of local shows, check out The Stranger for night life schedule for the days you are there.
That’s what I can think of at the moment. Have a fun trip!
Seattle
For most of the things you described, I’d recommend staying in Ballard at the Hotel Ballard. Great little downtown with a lot of food options, a free open air concert every Sat and Sun at the Chittenden Locks walking distance away, farmers’ market every Sun on the same street as the hotel, brand new Nordic Museum walking distance away, absolutely countless brewery options within walking distance, and a nearby direct D bus line to downtown Seattle (15-20 min) for all your usual Seattle attractions (Space Needle, Columbia Tower, Chihuli Garden, Pacific Science Center, Museum of Pop Culture). The zoo is a short Uber ride away as well. For food, I recommend breakfast at the Cafe Besalu (best French-style pastries), dinner at Bastille (good French-inspired food) or Pestle Rock (completely amazing Thai) or, if you want to keep it cheap, Hi-Life’s awesome fried chicken dinner (Sunday only), and drinks at Little Tin Goods (or at breweries! or the other 100 bars around!).
busybee
Wear hats. Ticks can fall from trees and they’re difficult to find in hair.
Torin
The seaming on the dress for this looks really weird and unflattering to me.
Elegant Giraffe
It looks awful – and full of wrinkles too.
Anon
It’s terrible. When things look this ugly on the model, I can’t help thinking it’s just an ugly garment.
Anonymous
Anyone want to share a Rothy’s code w me?
Betsy
https://www.talkable.com/x/gy2hWs
Anonymous
FRIEND-6TYX6Y
Anonymous
Hey Kat, I know the plus size picks often don’t get a lot of love. Note that MM La Leur and Lafayette 148 both have extended their sizing; the best source for the latter is their corporate website.
Kk
Here ya go – link in username
Askette
Does this mean I can resurrect my suit from 2013 I was about to dispose of because of its wide legs?