Good afternoon. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here to introduce this week’s blog. As you may know from last week, my novelist has decided to have us take a short hiatus from my story. I am most disappointed. But one cannot stop the wave of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, which is a rather big deal here in the Pacific Northwest. She has promised me we will return to our story next week. Until then, despite my protestations, she has resolved to have us discuss this sale.

Good morning, I am Gigi’s novelist. Before we begin, Gigi and I want to tell you the following:

1. We are not influencers. We are writers.
2. We do not receive money or any other compensation for our selections.
3. We ourselves have purchased multiple items from the establishments we list.
4. We see the value in purchasing quality clothes and accessories that will last and not fall apart and are made of natural materials with a few occasional non-natural exceptions.
5. We hate seeing students getting ripped off.
6. We believe in getting the best possible deal for the best possible items.
7. We believe financial literacy should be taught in schools so that everyone can make the best decisions on their purchases and investments.

That said, Gigi and I have been attending the anniversary sale for some years now and it is a big northwest tradition. This is quite a year because it is their 125^th anniversary. As we are not influencers, but rather veterans of this sale, we would like to provide a few good tips should you wish to pick up some items for going back to school. 

1. Nordstrom’s sterling silver cubic zirconia stud earrings.

If you are looking for a good basic stud earring, they have these at the sale regularly. They are made of solid sterling silver, and the cubic zirconia is excellent. They come in both gold over sterling and platinum over sterling with the gold being good for spring and autumn pallets, the silver for summer palettes and Winter palettes can generally wear both. TIP: The 1ct is the best size. It is the one that looks most like a diamond. If you want something more petite, you can get the .25 ct. If you want them slightly bigger, go up to the 2ct. We do not recommend purchasing the larger sizes. Although they are still sparkly, they are not as realistic looking. Also, throughout the year, Nordstrom will put other Nordstrom sterling silver cubic zirconia styles on sale sometimes for a great price, so if you find you like these, watch for other sales on occasion. These pieces include not only earrings but rings, bracelets, and necklaces.

• Nordstrom’s bath towels are excellent.

If you like big fluffy towels that hold up well over time, these are a great buy. Great to add to your heading off to college list. TIP: Purchase the lighter colors. The darker colors can get bleach marks on them that you won’t like. But the lighter colors such as Grey Vapor, Beige Oatmeal, and White do not tend to do that.

• Avoid the sale’s fast fashion brands.

Nordstroms sells a lot of good brands, including their in-house labels such as Nordstrom (signature brand). But it also sells fast fashion brands such as Free People, Topshop, H&M, ASTR The Label, Steve Madden (clothing & shoes), River Island, Sanctuary, Socialite, Love, Fire, O’Neill (clothing), Vero Moda, Leith (Nordstrom brand), and BP. (Nordstrom’s in-house junior line). Their in-house brand Halogen is not fully fast fashion, but some pieces are, which are often the ones made of synthetics.

Some better brands are Madewell, Treasure & Bond, Caslon, 1901, French Connection, CeCe, Pistola (denim is decent; knits vary), and Faherty (higher quality, not fast fashion — but expensive for the durability).

The ones that are not fast fashion at all are Ralph Lauren, Theory, Vince, Eileen Fisher, AllSaints (not fast fashion; quality varies but not disposable), Boss, Club Monaco, Lafayette 148, Reiss, Hobbs, L.L. Bean, and Barefoot Dreams (not fast fashion; longevity varies).

And yes, the price tends to go up with the quality. So, budget for what you really want in the better and higher brands and purchase them on sale at a price you can afford.

I will also mention Quince (not carried at Nordstrom, but good quality). If you cannot find what you are looking for at the Anniversary Sale, I do recommend Quince. They have free shipping and 365-day returns. And yes, Gigi and I have purchased from them before, and they do live up to their positive reputation.

• Check the label on every piece of clothing you purchase.

Gigi and I were stunned when we found out a lot of shoppers out there do not check to see what a piece of clothing is made of. So, unless you have an allergy or need to wear synthetic fabrics for work, sports, or other activities, it is wisest to purchase natural fabrics. They last longer and look better. A little bit of spandex or spandex type materiel mixed with say cotton is okay like 95% cotton 5% spandex. But in general look for fabrics and yarns which are made of merino wool, lambswool, cashmere, cotton, alpaca, linen, Tencel / Lyocell, high-quality modal, organic cotton blends, and hemp. I might add traditional cashmere is better than brushed cashmere. The brushed variant may cost more but the traditional holds up better. Brushing cashmere is an attempt to mimic angora which is naturally fluffy looking. Brushing cashmere tends to weaken the yarn and makes the cashmere more delicate.

Unfortunately, there are very few mohair and angora pieces out there these days because the angora rabbits, angora goats, and mohair goats were not treated humanely. This has caused a huge problem. Mohair and angora are simply wools just like sheep wool and cashmere wool. They are very soft and durable yarns that when made right last for years, not a season or two. Bunnies and goats need to be treated humanely so they can love us back and we can hopefully have these sturdy beautiful yarns available again. But because of issues in the clothing chain, and pure unadulterated greed, people now instead end up wearing “clothing” made from the same type of garbage you fill your car up with at the gas station. Things like polyester, nylon, acrylic, Spandex-heavy blends (over 10–12%), and Polyamide, are bad for your health and the environment. Athleisure clothes are not your friend, whether they have been made from recycled variants or not. If you don’t need them for a specific purpose, do not buy them.

TIP: The lighter the colors, the less toxic the dyes tend to be. White and pastels are the least toxic while red (especially yellow based red), bright orange, bright yellow, and black are the most toxic.

• Know what colors and styles look best on you. Consider using AI to help you choose.

Not colors and styles that look good on an influencer, not colors and styles that look good on your best friend, but colors and styles that suit you. Not everyone has the same shape or seasonal palette. AI is relatively good at helping you figure out what suits you best after it gets to know you. It is not perfect, but it is decent. It is relatively good at helping you figure out what is the right size, style and color. So, after you get acquainted with it and it helps you figure out your palette, if you see a piece of clothing you like, copy and paste the link and the picture of the item into AI. Ask it if the article suits you and you’ll often get good advice. TIP: When you use AI, no matter what information you are trying to get from it, treat it kindly and politely. Research shows that being mindful of your manners and saying please and thank you to AI gives you 30% more accurate results.

I also recommend the book Color Me Beautiful by Carole Jackson to help you get started on figuring out which palette is right for you. The different palettes within each season have become more specialized and varied since the book came out, but the basic concept remains the same. I personally do not advocate going out and paying a lot of money for private color typing consultations. If that’s what you want to do, that’s your prerogative. But be aware it’s going to be expensive.

• Create a Wishlist on the site.

There are a lot of wonderful items at the sale. But one must always pick and choose wisely. It is a good idea to create a wish list on the site or on your own so that you can evaluate what you will wear or use so you don’t overspend. Gigi and I do this every year. We cast a wide net and narrow it down to the essence. If you find you have purchased something that is the wrong size, not the color you hoped for, or is just plain wrong, return it in the condition you received it in. If possible, factory sealed. Remember someone else is going to purchase that item. Return it to Nordstrom in the same condition you would have liked to have received it. TIP: If you live near enough to a Nordstrom store (not The Rack) go to the store and try on the items you purchased so if you decide they are not for you, you can return the items you bought sealed in the factory packaging.  

• Be aware that some items are Nordstrom Marketplace

If you see these words at the bottom of an item’s description, usually below where it says, “Shipping & returns”, they are part of Nordstrom’s Nordstrom Marketplace and have a different return policy:

“This item has a different return policy. Items sold and shipped by (brand name) can be returned by mail or to a Nordstrom store within 90 days of when the item shipped and must be in new condition, with tags attached.”

These items cannot be returned to The Rack. They must be mailed back or returned to a Nordstrom store. Most of them come straight from the original company, which is good, but if you decide you want to return them, you must return said item or items within 90 days of purchase or they are non-refundable. And there are no exceptions. It is not bad to purchase a few, I have purchased a few, just be aware of the return policy, get a good price on whatever you buy, and make sure you really, really want to keep them.

• Check out the sale items which are not Anniversary Sale items

A lot of these are worth looking at and sometimes you can find a few great buys in all categories that are discounted, often more discounted than the Anniversary Sale items. The one difference is the Anniversary Sale items are brand new to the store whether they be a new style, a new color in an already existing style or a brand-new item altogether. The Anniversary Sale items are more likely to be delivered to you straight from their warehouse in factory packaging. That doesn’t necessarily mean the non-anniversary sale items will not, but it doesn’t mean they will either. That said, Gigi and I often find a few things in this area that are well worth the buy, and we do recommend you consider perusing what they have.

MY BOOKS

You can check out my books Chicane and all five installments of the Musicology book series Musicology: Volume One, Baby!, Musicology: Volume Two, Kid!, Musicology: Volume Three, Twist!, Musicology: Volume Four, Sweetie! and Musicology: The Epiquad on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback editions. You can also check out Musicology’s web site at www.musicologyrocks.com and vote for who you think will win Musicology!

STREAM OF THE WEEK: ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)-TUBI

I have been spending time trying to find gems on Tubi because it is a streaming service that most anyone can watch for free. And there are some great finds in there which I will post here and there over the coming weeks. This week, I thought I would feature a must-see four-star film for anyone who considers themselves a cinephile.  

Though a fictional story, the film is based on “Crime on the Waterfront,” a 24‑article investigative series written by journalist Malcolm Johnson. These articles were originally published in The New York Sun in 1948–49 and later won the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting.

The story is about Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando in a superb Oscar winning performance), once a boxing contender who, after throwing a fight at the request of his brother Charley Malloy (Rod-Steiger in an Oscar nominated performance), is stuck working as a long shoreman in New York City. Charley is a lawyer and long-time employee of mobster Johny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb in a wicked Oscar nominated performance). The mob runs the unions for the long shoreman in New York and Johny is in charge. Terry inadvertently helps Friendly’s mols throw a young man named Charlie Doyle off a rooftop. Charlie courageously stood up against the mob by informing the police about their illegal union practices and ended up paying the ultimate price.

Shortly after, Terry meets Doyle’s sister Edie Doyle (Eva Marie Saint who won Best Supporting Actress for her role) who attends private college and is home for the holidays. She is determined to get justice for the death of her brother. She finds support in the form of Father Barry (Karl Malden in an Oscar nominated performance) who provides his church as a meeting place for those who want to band together against the unfair labor practices of the crooked union. As Terry gets closer to Edie, he hides his involvement in her brother’s death. His conscience begins to eat at him, and he finds himself caught in the crossfire between the way things stand and the way things should be.

The movie was nominated for twelve Oscars and won eight including Best Director for Elia Kazan, Best Writing, Story and Screenplay for Budd Schulberg, Best Cinematography Black-and-White for Boris Kaufman, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White for Richard Day, Best Film Editing for Gene Milford, and Best Picture.