With the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale looming… I mean, approaching… 🤪 I thought I’d review some of my favorite denim brands at Nordstrom.
Whether you love this sale, or love to hate it, there’s no doubt that it’s THE best time to get the season’s freshest styles at a discount. And since denim is the foundation of my wardrobe all year ’round, that’s the first section I shop at the #NSale each year. I always look forward to seeing what’s new.
Denim Under $100
If you’re looking to get the most benefit out of this sale, you’re going to save the most on investment purchases, but I realize not every woman cares to spend triple digits on jeans, so I also want to call out a few of the more budget-friendly denim brands that Nordstrom carries.
These brands are usually well-represented during their Anniversary Sale, and you can expect to see them discounted as much as 40% off.
Wit & Wisdom
Wit & Wisdom is sold only at Nordstrom, and they give you a great bang for your buck. A lot of ladies love the ‘Ab’solution design with powermesh panels designed to mold and hold, including a waistband with interior control and booty-lift construction. This brand tends to run large; size down, if in between.
Wit & Wisdom AbSolution High Waist Raw Hem Skinny Crop Jeans (6) // Wit & Wisdom Ab-Solution Slit Hem Kick Flare Crop Jeans (similar)
KUT from the Kloth
KUT from the Kloth does a good job creating modern silhouettes, and I find their washes to look a little better than others in this price range. This brand tends to run large and it does stretch some, so I always size down.
KUT from the Koth Rachael (6) // KUT from the Kloth Rosa (6)
NYDJ
I don’t wear a lot of NYDJ, but every once in a while, I come across a gem. These straight leg jeans were part of the #NSale the past two years, and they’re a nice classic look. These jeans tend to have a lot of stretch, and you’ll definitely want to size down.
Good American
Good American is one of those in-between brands because their full retail price point hovers right around $100. I typically consider them premium denim, but when they go on sale, they’re well under $100, making them a very good deal during the #NSale. I find their garment quality and the look and feel of their denim to be superior to the brands listed above, and they run true to size.
Good American Good Straight (8) // Good American Good Classic Bootcut Jeans (6)
Premium Denim Over $100
Premium denim costs more than the high street brands because of the quality of the fabric, the attention to fit, and the hand-finished washes and distressing. Most are made in the USA of Japanese, Turkish or Italian denim. You can get a similar look at the lower price points, but it’s hard to find the same fit and feel. Premium denim also tends to hold up better. There are lots of brands in this category, but the ones listed below are my personal favorites.
MOTHER Denim
In the premium denim category, MOTHER is hands-down my favorite brand. The fabrics are soft and comfortable but don’t bag out, the washes are on point, and the fit and feel is bar none… for me, anyway. Not every woman finds them to fit as well as I do, but it’s like they’re made for my body. MOTHER denim is also made in the USA.
For information on the various styles, you can read my MOTHER Denim Guide.
MOTHER Weekender (29) // MOTHER Insider (29)
PAIGE Denim
PAIGE is another favorite premium denim brand that tends to fit my body well, and it’s popular among many women who read this blog. I would say her fabrics have a little more structure than MOTHER, but they still fit impeccably and have a lot of classic styles and washes.
FRAME Denim
FRAME is another denim brand that is well represented in my closet. Their flare leg jeans come in extra-long inseam lengths, for the taller ladies among us. You can always compare inseam lengths in the Details & Care section under the photos on the Nordstrom website. Both pairs below were part of last year’s #NSale, and they’re popular FRAME styles that are always part of their lineup.
AG Jeans
AG Jeans was my favorite denim brand for years, but lately I find they’re too snug in the waist and the proportions aren’t working for me as well as they once did. They’re still excellent jeans, and I always keep an eye out for new styles. If you tend to run smaller in the waist, this brand might work well for you.
What about you? Which denim brands are your favorites?
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photos: Alison Cornell
27 Responses
Thanks, Jo-Lynne. I do better with bits of info at a time regarding the NSale. This is perfect. I made some notes😀
Fully agree! The NSale is overwhelming enough on its own, never mind when some bloggers do roundups with what seems like 200+ items! I honestly skip those posts. Jolynne this was informative and a good “bite size” lol. I appreciate it coming before the sale too, I prefer having items I’m interested in already in my cart.
Last year, I used this format, and I did the major categories in one post. Is this helpful or too much? https://jolynneshane.com/2021-nsale-preview.html
I don’t think the one last year is overwhelming. It gives a good snapshot so to speak. I prefer todays because it’s helpful to me to hear more info about fit/fabric/etc vs just a bunch of widgets. But I think either format is fine. What’s overwhelming to me is the posts with 100+ items including detailed descriptions. What about a “best of” roundup for various categories? One day can be best of sweaters, one best of boots, etc?
That’s what I used to do, a different post for each category. I thought it was better to have it all in one place. The one today was just meant to highlight my favorite brands, whereas the one from the sale actually shows the exact pieces you can buy. But that is the debate, whether to do it all in one place or separate posts.🤪
This is a great post in every way. Thank you! I am an influencer at Nordstrom, which has me wondering if I will get one of the catalogs. I get to start shopping on the 13th.
In the past, they always sent them randomly. I don’t think they send to everyone, and there doesn’t appear to be a rhyme or reason. They did stop entirely for a couple years, and it said that they heard from their customers that they missed them so they’re doing them again. I was hoping they’d send to everyone, but it doesn’t sound like it.
I never get the catalogs anymore, but I wish I did. They’re probably trying to save money by not sending out a lot. I contacted customer service, and they said I needed to contact my nearest store. Unfortunately, a close-by Nordstroms closed a few years ago, part of their downsizing initiative, and the next closest store requires driving through congested DC metro area traffic> No thanks, so I will have to call.
Always love your denim roundups! I know this post was highlighting Nordstroms, but I also love denim from Talbots, Madewell, J.Crew and J.Jill. As for the anniversary sale, I’m hoping for a nice price point on a pair of Mothers!! AG has been a favorite of mine for years. Glad to see the sun shining in South Jersey. I’ve had enough of all the rain/storms the past several days, but my lawn in finally greening up!!!
It looks like they have the MOTHER Weekender in the sale again this year. 👏🏼
My current favorite jeans are the AG Mari. I’m 5’8″ so they are full length on me. Even though the slim straight style is not necessarily trending, I find them the easiest to wear with t-shirts and simple tops. I wear them several times a week and they are comfortable enough to wear around the house.
I think my top favorites currently are Motger, Frame, Paige and Citizen. Way back in the day you introduced me to DL1961. I come across the brand every little bit. I think that was my first pair of premium denim! I’m hoping Citizen will bring a full length version of the Isola!! They fit me perfect in the pant box so I’d love to see a longer pair.
Agree! The AG Mari is my favorite straight slim, reaches the top of my foot (I’m 5’7″)! It’s so flattering!!
Yes, I used to LOVE DL1961. We don’t see a lot of those anymore. I also used to love Joe’s, but likewise, they aren’t as big right now.
Um, hi! Check these out!
When I click on the link, I see the Evereve site and it says “Wardrobe Malfunction”.
Which link?
The one above where you state “Check these out”. It looks like an Evereve link?
Oh, I’m sorry! I read and reply my blog comments on the back end, so I am not seeing when they are replying to another comment. That was a link to the Isola Flare – Shelly said she wanted to see a full length version. They do make one, and they’re 10% off at Evereve right now, but that link was not redirecting for some reason. Try this one.
My current faves are Mother (because of you, Jo-Lynne!), Jen7, Good American, KUT from the Kloth, and NYDJ. I have white NYDJ bootcuts that I LOVE. I wanted to wear them yesterday to meet a friend for dinner but it had been raining and I was afraid of dirty water getting on them while I walked outside. So I had to choose something else. I am absolutely loving bootcuts lately.
I haven’t tried Paige, Frame or AG. But now I’m wondering…
If you like MOTHER, I think you’d love PAIGE.
Great post, thank you! My favorites brand is Agolde, but I also have a pair of Moussy Vintage that I love, and a couple pairs of Rag & Bone Rosa boyfriend jeans that I wear a ton. I feel like the boyfriend style hasn’t been very popular lately, but it seems like it might be coming back a little? Great for me for summer, anyway, since I don’t currently wear shorts, and I like to roll the legs. I’m 5’4″, which I find really challenging. Most full length jeans are way too long, “petite” styles work lengthwise but don’t fit proportionally, and crop jeans hit me as full length but still look weird sometimes.
Yes, 5’4″ is very much an in-between height. I’m glad I’m 5’5″ but I often wish I were 5’6″. 🙂
I love the light taupe bag in the first pic. Would you please share what it is and where you got it. It looks like the perfect size for running out and about.
Thank you, Jill
It’s this one: https://shopstyle.it/l/bX4YR
Loved what you did last for the NSale! Thank you for all of your hard work. It helps when you tell how things fit and if something is see through.
Jo-Lynne, I’m excited to see what Nordstrom’s has in it’s sale. What color jean are you seeing for the fall/winter?