Kudos for the Rack

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nordstrom-rack-hat.jpgJust yesterday I suggested rotating your kids' wardrobes. Today, Jennifer offers inspiration to rotate yours as well:

If you're like me, you are just now swapping out the summer clothes for fall, and my fall stuff definitely needed a few fun updates. When Nordstrom Rack opened recently in Burlington (dangerously close to my 'hood; there also are locations in Danvers and Framingham), I was intrigued. I should say that prior to my recent trip, I had never been to a Nordstrom Rack and I rarely go to Nordstrom's or the mall, because I'm a frugal shopper and tend to camp out at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. I like to say it's because I am committed to supporting local businesses (their HQ is in Framingham) but it's also because they are just. simply. awesome. stores. I can maximize 10 minutes wedged between a meeting and school pick-up and come out with a great Calvin Klein dress for $49.
But back to Nordstrom's. Here's my take on it -- it's a broader selection of prices than I would normally go for. I just won't pay over $100 for jeans (I think I can trace this back to the 6th grade when my pre-puberty husky-ish physique would not support the holy grail of expensive denim, Jordache). But at Nordstrom Rack I quickly found some good racks of $50'ish and under jeans and cords, some super flirty fun tops for $30'ish, and a small but decent dress section. And some good workout wear too. The shoe department was oh so delectable. No super savings, but a great value for some seriously fabulous shoes.

In my opinion, the accessories section was just so-so...a bit too trendy for me, but the sunglasses "wall" was quite inviting. Rows and rows of sunglasses, and they even offer tips to help you find the right shape for your face. That's a step above and beyond the usual department store.

I found the checkout staff highly efficient and the layout was open and airy...easy to spot stuff across the whole store. I did spot a kid's section, but when I head to Nordstrom's, it's frankly all about me, so I don't have input on the kiddo side of the store!

Overall Nordstrom Rack will serve as a good compliment to my shopping circuit (this particular trip yielded me awesome wine-colored cords for $29). And FYI, if you're up in the Burlington area and have time, you could spend a solid day shopping if you count the Burlington Mall (I do dig Anthropologie and the Lands' End Canvas stuff at Sears -- think frugal J. Crew) and there's also nearby Wayside Commons (helloooo Ann Taylor Loft).

Happy shopping!

Editor's Note: You can also shop the Rack online. While prepping this post, I purchased this red dress (possibility for my sister's wedding in December) and I'm regretting that I didn't add the adorable crusher hat (pictured above) to my order.