The bottom line about my very fun day trying on clothes at the 2022 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale? Trying on the items in real life completely changed my mind about what I thought I was going to buy. Initially, I had only one pair of pants I really liked and thought I would buy (turns out I did not like them all — more on that below). I added jeans to my try-on list only to help out my fellow TME readers because I didn’t think any of the styles would be curve-friendly.

Curvy Jeans, Winning Sweaters + Versatile Jackets For Midsize Ladies: A Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2022 Try-on

Lo and behold, I walked out of Nordstrom with three pairs of pants, one sweater, and other items on their way to me by mail. A true Christmas miracle in July. Here’s a little narrative of my NSale 2022 shopping experience. I’ve noted sizes and colors as well as comments on quality and value.

1. An Everyday Gray Sweater + Curve-Friendly Jeans

The first item I tried on was a winner: the French Connection Mozart Popcorn Sweater in Grey Melange. Beautiful weight and texture. An item I’ll get tons of use out of, so this piece is great value for money. I tried on the medium and small. Both fit, but I preferred the oversized look of the medium, so that’s the size I ended up purchasing.

sweater (M) | jeans (15) | boots

I was also so pleasantly surprised with the fit of the Good American Good Legs High-Waist Ripped Skinny Jeans. I first tried on the size 14, which ran a little small in the booty, but I loved where the pant length hit and the stretch of the material, so I tried the size 15. Perfect. These were also a purchase.

sweater (M) | jeans (15)

I requested the Caslon Miller Water-Resistant Chelsea Boot for my try-on (first pic), and I was surprised to find I liked it even in the Beige Sand color (I’m blaming Shana for my newfound interest in tan-colored boots!). These were a budget version of the La Canadienne Claudia Waterproof Chelsea Boots that I also tried and loved (the khaki color is to die for and perfect for fall — pictured below with the Rails shirt and jeans). Both are gorgeous. I went with ordering the Caslon boots in the Brown Chestnut color, and I can’t wait for them to arrive. I’ll be stomping around in these all fall.

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2. Rails Plaid Button-Up + More Good American Jeans

Next, I paired the Good American Good Classic Ankle Straight-Leg Jeans in size 14 with this classic Rails Hunter Plaid Button-Up Shirt in Kalamata Black in size large. Both the jeans and Rails shirt were true to size (so I guess I’m both a 14 and 15 in Good American sizing depending on the style…go figure).

The olive-and-black plaid was so nice with the La Canadienne khaki boots, but I thought I’d get more use out of the black-and-white mixed-plaid Rails shirt, so I ordered that one online.

shirt (L) | jeans (14) | boots

I also tried this gray Rails shirt in both medium and large. Large was better, and I liked this style, but it did not win out over the mixed-plaid shirt. This would really be super-versatile though, and I thought the weight and quality of the fabric justified the price point.

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3. SPANX Pants For A Snatched Booty + Date-Night Shirt By FRAME

Next, I tried on these light-wash FRAME jeans, which were ostensibly a size 32. Nope, not even close. They did not fit over my hips and hind end. Can’t recommend these at all to midsize shoppers, and I can’t show a pic because it would be NSFW (!!). However, I loved this silky FRAME V-neck blouse. The sleeves are definitely exaggerated and long, but it’s very romantic and a great date-night piece. The size large fits me well (pictured below with the SPANX pants).

blouse (L) | pants

My next try-on was these SPANX High-Waist Straight-Leg Ponte Pants, which I was so pleasantly surprised by. Spanx knows compression, and these pants just lightly tucked everything into place and smoothed out my lower body. The fabric is nice and thick to provide that seamless look. I didn’t expect to love these, but they went right into my purchase pile. The pants are great value for me because I know I can style them with basically anything.

On the flip side, I tried on and did not like these SPANX Faux-Leather Leggings (size XL), which I had expected to purchase because I love the faux leather look. These really did not match the excellent quality of the ponte pants. To be honest, they looked and felt a bit cheap. Worse than these leggings, however, were the Nordstrom Faux-Leather Leggings in Brown Coffee (size XL). These were just thin, ill-fitting, and generally did not meet the standard of quality that I expect. It’s really too bad because I love the pleather look in the brown color.

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4. The AllSaints Jackets That Stole My Heart + An Everyday Dress

This really lovely and versatile square-neck jersey Vince dress (size medium) is perfect for summer-to-fall wear. I think anyone would get a ton of wear out of this dress.

dress (M)

On to outerwear. This is a real problem area for me — as in, I love outerwear too much, and I own too many coats. But that didn’t stop me from layering this buttery-soft AllSaints Balfern Leather Biker Jacket in Deep Berry (size 10) over the Vince dress.

The color of the AllSaints jacket is so special and gorgeous, and the Vince dress is just-thick-enough material and so soft.

jacket (10) | dress (M)

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5. Coats, Coats, Coats (All I Really Want Is Coats)

Next, I tried on this wool-and-leather Club Monaco coat with leather detail on the cuffs. Yes, yes, yes. The belt tie is just at the right spot on my waist, it looks sleek, and the sleeve detail captured my heart. The way the coat buttons and folds at the top is also gloriously flattering, and I like that the design hit me just above the knee. This coat is so very “me,” and I would wear this for years to come.

Club Monaco coat

For reference, I also tried on this Sam Edelman wool-blend coat in hot pink, which was a beautiful color but didn’t wow me. The coat is a bit too long for me, and I felt the color was the most interesting and unique aspect of the coat, which just wasn’t quite enough for the coat to make the cut.

Sam Edelman coat

Finally, I tried on a beautiful, soft Theory wrap coat with a gorgeous, subtle checked pattern. No doubt the material is lovely and would look great on…someone else. This coat just wasn’t for me.

Theory coat

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6. Art-Teacher Chic In An EILEEN FISHER Jumpsuit

On a whim, I also tried on this EILEEN FISHER wide-leg jumpsuit. I’ve never worn EILEEN FISHER before, but I kind of love the vibe. The EILEEN FISHER aesthetic reads to me as cool art teacher or creative-industry CEO who is focused on their incredibly interesting projects. I have to say, I think this jumpsuit is really, really comfortable and could be styled in a lot of different ways. Plus, I think the price point is really nice for what is essentially an entire outfit. I initially tried on a large, then a medium and finally a small. The small fits, so I would definitely recommend sizing down.

jumpsuit (S)

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Back to top

Overall, I am pretty stoked about the clothing I’ve found in the NSale this year. Last year, I picked up more home goods and beauty products, but this year I think I’ve found some real gems to wear in the coming year. I will note that I was disappointed that a lot of plus-size items were unavailable for in-store try-on. I’d love to see retailers keep in mind that midsize and plus-size shoppers need try-on opportunities as much as — if not more than — straight-size shoppers since brands are still working on designing for curves, and sizing between brands is very inconsistent. Kudos to Nordstrom for expanding the midsize and plus-size options in recent years, and here’s to hoping the NSale becomes more exciting for shoppers in all different types of bodies year after year.

And don’t forget: Our 2022 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale cheat sheet is updated daily. It’s your one-stop shopping guide with all our best recs, so check it out or head over to our more in-depth Ultimate Guide To The NSale.

Happy shopping, friends. Drop your questions and favorite purchases below! 
Anne