Omg yes….. I never comment, but I so identified with this. As you were describing the mall, I was picturing my “own” mall growing up… only to discover later in the text that you were talking about Somerset!! I grew up there. The annual trip to limited too for back to school shopping was always a highlight in the younger years. The south side of the mall couldn’t compete with the north side for me at the time!
Now when I’m in town to visit, my mom still brings me back to Nordstrom’s “aisles of beauty”!
Your grandma also sounds lovely. Thank you for sharing!
Oh my gosh - as soon as Allison described parking by the shoe department at Nordstrom, I immediately pictured the Somerset location, too! I’ve lived in California for 15 years, but this post instantly brought me back to shopping at Nordstrom ahead of every new school year. So nostalgic!
I don’t know how it transpired but I walked in a Nordstrom “fashion show” in the kids’ section at maybe age 12. In compensation I got to choose something and I picked a bottle of Hard Candy nail polish in dark blue. Do you remember how they had the little rings on the top? The coolest!
Loved this essay so much! I was always clothing obsessed too. An early memory is of sitting in church and looking at the adults' clothes and imagining myself in the particularly cute dresses. I have never been to Somerset mall and my grandmother was not into Nordstrom, but she was into Macy's and the old Macy's in San Jose, California (at the old Valley Faire shopping center) circa late '80s was to die for. Same thing: she was super generous but our shopping escapades were not sprees. I could pick out a few things for the new school year. I vividly remember a cotton poplin skirt in cobalt with these gorgeous buttons on the side that was devastating. Too expensive for a single item for my mom to buy it for me but the price was ok with grandma. I felt like myself in that skirt in a way I seldom did then, and only did in certain items of clothing. The cobalt skirt was one such item. Your essay reminded me of that and has got me thinking...!
What a fantastic post - thank you! I grew up in the South in the 90s. Conformity was everything and I had to wear uniforms. I loved visiting my grandmother in Chicago to go shopping (Nordstrom BP, Wet Seal and Rampage FTW). She had such unique taste and got married in a little gray suit! She was an artist and one of her jobs was drawing the clothes for catalogues before they used photography. As she got older, she painted abstract nudes. She was so encouraging of my self-expression through clothes - even when that meant Jincos and chain wallets when the girls were in Abercrombie. I really miss her. Your grandmother sounded equally fab.
As a teenager, I worked as an assistant to a personal stylist at the Nordstrom in good old Bellevue Square. I had the absolute best time running around fetching pieces from every department and getting a peek behind the scenes.
To this day, "back-to-school shopping" is synonymous with BP in my mind.
This all resonates so much. Like you, I was born a clothing-obsessed midwestern girl, to a mother who supported it all. I wouldn't be where I am without those countless shopping trips and the unwavering appreciation for my style point of view. From digging through thrift stores to Nordstrom 'splurges', my fashion curiosities were consistently nurtured. I appreciate you Allison and your work - it inspires me!
What a wonderful Grandma you have! My grannies were too old to go shopping with me and my mom and I fought over clothes. I wanted to be a hippy, and she wanted me to be a preppy. I was just realizing the other day that we met in the middle with Laura Ashley in the 80's. So cool to hear your story.
Allison!! A fellow Michigander! 😊 Somerset Mall in that era just hit different. Shopping at BP and then stopping at the Godiva store across the way for a chocolate-covered strawberry... peak mall days. I miss it.
Loved this article. The Nordstrom sale is such a nostalgic memory for me with my mom, grandmother and sister - although it isn't the event it used to be...sadly. My suede purchase this year was the Staud Mel Bag in Mahogany. So good. Also considering going back for the Open Edit tiger mule pump - such a steal!
Omg yes….. I never comment, but I so identified with this. As you were describing the mall, I was picturing my “own” mall growing up… only to discover later in the text that you were talking about Somerset!! I grew up there. The annual trip to limited too for back to school shopping was always a highlight in the younger years. The south side of the mall couldn’t compete with the north side for me at the time!
Now when I’m in town to visit, my mom still brings me back to Nordstrom’s “aisles of beauty”!
Your grandma also sounds lovely. Thank you for sharing!
YES Somerset!!!!!! You know about that piano playing in Nordstrom as you head up the escalator to BP! Lol
Oh my gosh - as soon as Allison described parking by the shoe department at Nordstrom, I immediately pictured the Somerset location, too! I’ve lived in California for 15 years, but this post instantly brought me back to shopping at Nordstrom ahead of every new school year. So nostalgic!
So nostalgic! I was a BP shopper turned employee turned BP manager for many years and this made me smile ❤️
Omg! An honor to have you here! lol
Somerset Mall! Oh my gosh, it’s truly the best mall! And this post made me tear up a little and want to give my grandma a ring
I don’t know how it transpired but I walked in a Nordstrom “fashion show” in the kids’ section at maybe age 12. In compensation I got to choose something and I picked a bottle of Hard Candy nail polish in dark blue. Do you remember how they had the little rings on the top? The coolest!
Okay that’s huge
Love the stories with your grandmother - makes me nostalgic for mine! And that Cos coat is so good!! (sadly sold out, but so so good!)
They still have it on the cos website!! ✨
Ah, thank you! Rushing over to purchase! xx
Loved this essay so much! I was always clothing obsessed too. An early memory is of sitting in church and looking at the adults' clothes and imagining myself in the particularly cute dresses. I have never been to Somerset mall and my grandmother was not into Nordstrom, but she was into Macy's and the old Macy's in San Jose, California (at the old Valley Faire shopping center) circa late '80s was to die for. Same thing: she was super generous but our shopping escapades were not sprees. I could pick out a few things for the new school year. I vividly remember a cotton poplin skirt in cobalt with these gorgeous buttons on the side that was devastating. Too expensive for a single item for my mom to buy it for me but the price was ok with grandma. I felt like myself in that skirt in a way I seldom did then, and only did in certain items of clothing. The cobalt skirt was one such item. Your essay reminded me of that and has got me thinking...!
What a fantastic post - thank you! I grew up in the South in the 90s. Conformity was everything and I had to wear uniforms. I loved visiting my grandmother in Chicago to go shopping (Nordstrom BP, Wet Seal and Rampage FTW). She had such unique taste and got married in a little gray suit! She was an artist and one of her jobs was drawing the clothes for catalogues before they used photography. As she got older, she painted abstract nudes. She was so encouraging of my self-expression through clothes - even when that meant Jincos and chain wallets when the girls were in Abercrombie. I really miss her. Your grandmother sounded equally fab.
RIP Brass Plum!!
As a teenager, I worked as an assistant to a personal stylist at the Nordstrom in good old Bellevue Square. I had the absolute best time running around fetching pieces from every department and getting a peek behind the scenes.
To this day, "back-to-school shopping" is synonymous with BP in my mind.
YES!!! It was the back to school shopping destination
This all resonates so much. Like you, I was born a clothing-obsessed midwestern girl, to a mother who supported it all. I wouldn't be where I am without those countless shopping trips and the unwavering appreciation for my style point of view. From digging through thrift stores to Nordstrom 'splurges', my fashion curiosities were consistently nurtured. I appreciate you Allison and your work - it inspires me!
Brass Plum was everything to aspiring millennial fashionistas like me
Somerset is, truly, the mall to end all malls. I trek across the state just for the Chanel makeup department--they're wizards!!
Our Nordstrom just closed for good and I’ve been grieving for months. Sigh, the suburbs. It’s going to a Dicks. Truly horrific.
Same here, Rachel. There isn’t a Nordstrom in my state anymore. I have such great memories of shopping at Nordstrom since the 80s.
You certainly were and are original ♥️
What a wonderful Grandma you have! My grannies were too old to go shopping with me and my mom and I fought over clothes. I wanted to be a hippy, and she wanted me to be a preppy. I was just realizing the other day that we met in the middle with Laura Ashley in the 80's. So cool to hear your story.
Allison!! A fellow Michigander! 😊 Somerset Mall in that era just hit different. Shopping at BP and then stopping at the Godiva store across the way for a chocolate-covered strawberry... peak mall days. I miss it.
Omg the Godiva! I also l loved the sweet factory bc i am a little less refined lol
Loved this article. The Nordstrom sale is such a nostalgic memory for me with my mom, grandmother and sister - although it isn't the event it used to be...sadly. My suede purchase this year was the Staud Mel Bag in Mahogany. So good. Also considering going back for the Open Edit tiger mule pump - such a steal!