Raphael Stevens

Hello, old friends. 
If you’re new here, welcome! Maddie and I are both fashion-loving, outfit-planning, shopping-obsessed editors at The Everygirl, and based on our close friendship, similar height and style, but absolutely different sizes, we decided to show how clothes look on each of us to give you a better idea of fit, style, and quality. Pre-pandemic, we’d go to the same store and try on a bunch of similar and slightly different pieces. Well, that ended. Consider this Maddie and Beth Try On Clothes: WFH Edition, and this one is very special because every single thing is on sale. 
Today, we’re tackling the 2020 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. We’re sharing all the pieces we tried on: what we loved, what we didn’t, and what we’re thinking about purchasing ourselves (or already have!). Continue on for our thoughts!
Maddie tried on a bunch of cute pieces safely in the Nordstrom store too!

Maddie: When I tried this jacket on I immediately felt like a sweet little American Girl Doll in a way that I thoroughly enjoy. The colors are such an exciting alternative to my camel coat that I generally reach for, and it is so soft and warm and high-quality. It’s definitely something I wouldn’t ordinarily gravitate toward but that convinced me to love it the second I put it on.
Please note my poor old dog getting blinded by the sun.

Maddie: I, for whatever reason, falsely had it in my head that I didn’t like this fit of the cult classic Madewell jeans. I thought they were too rigid and constricting, so when I put them on expecting to hate them, I was quite surprised to find the opposite. These jeans fit me like a glove. They are soft and perfect and flattering and throughout my 2020 hunt for the perfect straight jean, can’t believe I wrote this off. I’d rank these as a “Top 3 of All-Time” jean for me. I couldn’t recommend enough.

Beth: Say hello to my mismatched socks! You’ll see them through the rest of this try-on 🙂 Also, I put flowers in this vase the evening after I took these, so there’s that.
I loved these jeans. I have loved the Classic Vintage jean since Maddie and I did our Madewell try-on a year ago, and I contemplate them every single time Madewell has a sale. I sent this picture to a few friends, and they all were like, “You absolutely have to buy them.” Welp, they sold out. I was still looking to invest in a good pair of jeans (last year, I got Good Americans, and as much as I loved them right at first, they ripped and lost their dye in the inner thigh from rubbing together way too soon for how $$$ they are). NYDJ are my mom’s favorite jeans, and I loved the straight leg fit and high-waist of these. I ordered on a whim, and we’ll see how they fit!

Maddie: Clearly this coat made me excited! Something about a long, wool coat makes me feel like a socialite who embodies class, and the houndstooth pattern of this one exacerbated it. I love the print and the style, but this is a size small, and I have to disclaim was oddly tight on me in the torso-butt region—almost like it was a little too rigid for my taste. I would be curious to try a size up and see how it felt, but considering I am not at all well-endowed in the butt area, would be weary of the sizing on this one. Luckily, all sizes are still available, so you should be able to find your perfect fit.

Beth: I was really excited to try this coat because I fell in love with the Avec Les Filles (I took two semesters of French, so yeah, I pronounced it correctly) star print coat last year in the sale (also this one that looks very Meghan Markle-esque). I really love that their XXL fits me, but it’s worth noting that XXL is not size-inclusive—this wouldn’t fit anyone over a size 20 I don’t think. It fit me well through the front, but it bunched up and did the same weird thing to my butt as it did to Maddie. I’d like my butt was too big for it, which I really, really want to believe is true, but I don’t think so, LOL. But that was only when it was buttoned, so if you planned to wear it open, it was all good for me!
It’s a good statement piece, which I love in Chicago when all anyone can really see of me for months is my coat. It’s a way to show off that you’re stylish and trendy even though you’re wearing leggings and T-shirt underneath.

Maddie: First, pardon my feet in this. Second and most importantly, this is one of Nordstrom’s most foolproof sale purchases. I got 2019’s version of it from the sale last year and have worn it to death since. A camel-colored suede moto jacket? You can’t go wrong, and for the price, it’s a low-risk investment piece. You can pair this bad boy with anything and it elevates it and makes you look like a million bucks. I’ve found that I love having this as an option as an alternate to my black leather jacket for days I don’t want to feel quite so badass. 

Maddie: I’d like to think my eyes are so intense in this because I am thinking so deeply about my love for this blazer. When I previewed this year’s sale, this made it onto the top three items on my wish list. I had my eye on this all of last year and had almost bought it at full price, so I figured this was the universe telling me I did, in fact, need it. First, I need to speak on the quality of this. For a faux leather, it is incredibly buttery smooth and feels so luxurious, which you wouldn’t necessarily expect. The fit is also amazing—this is a size small, and it comes in more of a boyfriend fit, so you don’t need to worry about sizing up. I think this is such a fun piece to have in your wardrobe—it’s versatile and a little unexpected and is something you could get wear out of season after season. This is a small, and I maybe could have done an XS if I wanted to.

I was a little apprehensive of this because in the past, even the XXL from BlankNYC is too small for me. This has a really great stretch, so it actually fit on me OK, but as you can see, there was no way I could ever get it buttoned. If you’re a size 14-16, this would work on you, but there was no getting this buttoned past my boobs.
I got a leather trench last spring and love the look of it; it’s cool and trendy and just looks a little ~out of the box~, so I pictured myself falling in love with this. I did not, LOL. It just doesn’t look good on my body. I see it on the model, on Maddie, or even on the hanger, and I’m like, “Oh, that’s cool,” but on me it looks like a chubby girl trying to put her size 2 aunt’s old jacket on from the ‘70s. Which is normally a look I’m ready and willing to give the people, but this just looked blah. The quality feels amazing for a faux leather (some of the best I’ve ever seen), but I can’t lie that it just did not give me all the feelings I wanted it to.

Beth: As you can see above, I’m having quite the tumultuous relationship with Good American right now. When I first tried their jeans and bodysuits, I was utterly obsessed. They fit my plus-size body like a glove. Hugged all the right places. I could tell they were made for plus-size people. But I had some quality issues with my jeans that made me think twice. So, I was unsure how I’d feel about this blazer. First of all, the quality is definitely there. I immediately noticed how lightweight it is. Although everyone gets freezing cold in their office space, I am often hot, especially during September and October when it’s not actually chilly yet. I could easily see myself wearing this with a bodysuit (like this one I paired it with here—from BP., and I’ve bought it in every other available color!) and not being too hot, but then pairing it with sweaters in the winter. 
I will note that I also enjoy that this is still oversized even though it’s plus-size. I often see a lot of plus-size things not available in oversized options—IDK if it’s the old-adage that big things make us look bigger or what. But I love that GA is saying that it’s totally cool for plus-size women to get in on the boyfriend blazer trend (and they’re actually offering it in our size too!). I’m wearing this here in the size 6, but I definitely would purchase a size 5. (I like her oversized, but this is a little too much). Perhaps we’re on again.

Maddie: These are—and I cannot emphasize this enough—the jeans of my absolute dreams. I am obsessed with them. I never want to take them off. As you can see in the Madewell jeans pictured above, straight jeans tend to veer on the side of skinny for me. But these? They are the first jeans I have ever put on that I feel look like how I want straight jeans to look on me. Combine it with the wash and the high rise and I truly would change nothing. Nothing! If you can, pick these up.
I sized up one size in these, and considered sizing up even one more, so beware that they are quite stiff and do run a little small—but after wearing them a couple of times they have loosened a bit and fit perfectly to my body.
Not available in the Nordstrom sale (will update if they come back in stock!), but they’re available on in a different wash at Nordstrom and Levi’s website in plus-size. 

Beth: I have tried these on before, and each time I don’t love them. These fit me a little too tight in the stomach and butt region (gave me the dreaded gap in the back), and they attracted lint like no other jean I’ve ever felt in my life. They’re too long for my legs and don’t fit tight enough on my ankles for my liking in a skinny jean. If you’re really unbothered by jeans, these are great, and they’re a good price. But they’re just not for me. Instead, I would recommend these from Kut from the Kloth. The denim feels higher quality with a much better stretch. 
When I saw this top on the hanger, I thought it looked fine, but I wasn’t overly-excited to try it on. I ended up really enjoying it! The detail on the sleeves makes it a little more interesting, and the fit was good. I’m an XXL at Madewell across the board, and this was no exception.

Maddie: I never considered myself a long cardigan gal until we got stuck at home for five months straight and I found myself wishing I owned one. I’ll be honest, this isn’t exactly my style to wear to work or really anything outside of an apartment, but man oh man how I’d love to spend some fall days working from home in this. Combined with leggings and a tee it is the perfect way to feel like a normal person while staying away from anything uncomfortable. It’s kind of like being able to wear a giant, fuzzy blanket. This is a small and is ginormous, as Beth will touch on momentarily. Snatch it up.

Beth: This is what Taylor Swift was talking about, y’all. I really loved this. This is a size large, and it is still MASSIVE on my size 18 body, so I think even more people could fit into this. It was super cozy, not itchy, and looked cute with leggings and jeans. This is what cozy, fall dreams are made of.

Maddie: OK, here’s the thing: I know this sweater sold out basically immediately, but I still need to talk about it for various reasons. I have owned my Barefoot Dreams robe for two years. Two years later, it is in the same condition as the day that I got it and brings me joy every single time I put it on. It’s in one of those categories to me that I don’t splurge on much, but when I do, wonder why I don’t do it more often (like a bougie candle that makes me feel like a queen to light.) It is truly one of my favorite purchases of all time.
That being said, it’s been on my mind for a while now to invest in a Barefoot Dreams cardigan, especially since we’re working from home now. I’m all about lounging in my robe, but sometimes it’s just a little too hot, and I envisioned a lighter, cardigan version to throw on every single day during chilly weather, and I couldn’t be more excited about this. Barefoot Dreams has other styles available during the sale, and I think they all would bring the same joy as this. You can see in this picture that it literally is like wrapping yourself in the softest cloud. I can’t wait until the temps drop and I can make this permanently mold to my body and sip hot coffee all winter long in it. If you’re debating if Barefoot Dreams pieces are worth it, I promise, they really, really are.

Beth: I expected to fall in love with this, but the fit was very off. Barefoot Dreams size XL is a little too tight for my liking! It was still cute and comfortable, but it was just too tight to be comfortable and cozy for cold days. I did, however, pair it with my favorite leggings of all time: Spanx’s Faux Leather Leggings. I’ve expressed my love for these tenfold, but now that they’re on sale I’ll go over it again. As a plus-size gal, I really like my leggings to suck me in. Not for any of those dumb diet culture reasons, but because it feels the most comfortable to have compression on my body. Any plus-size readers feel the same? The leather-look on these makes them look like real pants even though they’re arguably the most comfortable in my closet. I’ve had my pair for two years now, and I have the ever-so-slightest tug in the inner thigh (from rubbing together with the vigor of a thousand burning suns), but I am planning to get them tailored for free with my Nordstrom card the next time I make it into a store. I’ve worn them with sweaters and booties on dates, with sweatshirts and sneakers for airplane OOTDs and movie nights with friends, with jackets—you name it. They’re the most versatile item in my wardrobe, and I had to give them a hearty shoutout in this story.

Beth: OK … maybe I don’t hate this cardigan … 

Peep me approximately 15 minutes after I finished this try-on still wearing it and chilling to the max. Over + out ✌🏼 More