Standout Sale: 31 Nordstrom Items That Demand Attention

I'm an unapologetic lover of HGTV. In one episode I watched recently—trust me, I'm going somewhere with this—the husband-and-wife duo were discussing landscaping for a craftsman-style house they were renovating in the South, flower boxes in particular. It turns out there are three key types of plants to know about when it comes to flower boxes: thrillers, fillers, and spillers. Thrillers are the hero flowers of the season that are the main event, fillers are the low-key shrubs that fill in the gaps, and spillers are the ones that hang down over the edge and add dimensions and, most importantly, create a little drama.

As I hunted through Nordstrom's current markdowns to share the best of the sale, my HGTV-riddled brain started filtering them into corresponding buckets. Here they are, they're all on sale and very deserving of your attention. 

Let's start with the thrillers, the seasonal heroes everyone's buzzing about. At this point, we're well-versed in winter's trends—slingback heels, red sweaters tied around your shoulders, Fair Isle sweaters with matching accessories, cool cardigans, all kinds of great coats. They're lots of the same things we loved throughout fall, and we'll be wearing them all well into 2024.

The fillers are our wardrobe essentials, those pieces we rely on to complete our outfits—chic sneakers and loafers, great knitwear, relaxed denim and trousers, sheer tights. There's truly never a bad time to buy these pieces, so it's an extra treat when they go on sale.

And finally, the spillers. These are pieces with a detail that punches up an everyday outfit and brings a little drama to your look—a bright twist on a heritage print, an extra-large buckle, an "evening" earring worn with a gray marle sweater during the day. It's the thing you add to your look that makes it just a little quirky and all your own. These are just suggestions to get you started.