Shopping in the city is a little bittersweet. It’s amazing because there’s nothing better than strolling down Queen Street West, with your dog, a latte, and a full street of boutiques and shops. It’s horrible when it’s minus 30, your feet are wet and frozen, your fumbling around with bags, and you forgot your mitts. You Torontonians know the scene all too well. Hell, we are that scene for 6 months out of the year.
The truth is that our infrastructure in Toronto doesn’t exactly cater to the transit-user (nor the car driver); but at least in a car, you’re toasty and warm. I’ve definitely fiddled with the thought of tossing away a car and walking everywhere, but have come to realize that for now, cars are still my life line.
Point blank? Hitting up the Nordstrom Warehouse Sale hosted by my friends at Style Democracy this past week (p.s. if you’re reading this on live-date, you’ve still got today to hit it up. Get your butt over there!). I would have never been able to mission all the way to Airport Road for the sale if I didn’t have a car and would’ve missed out on the wicked deals (like this vest I scored for $20, regular $130). Luckily, I did have a car… a real nice one at that.
I had the pleasure of driving a new 2016 Acura RLX for the week of the sale (it was also fashion week, so you bet I was riding in style haha) and it had all the bells and whistles you would expect it to.
I’m not really a car person, but the power and handling of the RLX was pretty sexy, I won’t lie. Dave has had his Acura RSX for 8 years (going strong without any issues), so I’ve always held Acuras with high regard. This one really blew me out of the water though (and seriously had me considering dropping a pretty chunk of change to buy a new one).
Alongside all the bells and whistles most new cars come with now (nav, phone sync, push to start, etc.), here are some things I really loved (and couldn’t believe at first) about the Acura RLX:
- Heated Steering Wheel (fellow Canadians, you feel me – good bye driving with my sleeves wrapped around my hands)
- Jewel Eye Headlights (they literally light up the entire road so you can see it all – I believe road kill rates have decreased haha)
- Head Up Display (literally like a Siri in front of you while you drive, so you don’t have to look anywhere else – it even gives you steering navigation)
- Adaptive Cruise Control (its radar system follows the car in front of you at a set distance and starts and stops appropriately with traffic flow)
- Blind Spot Notification (it lights up on your side windows to let you know there’s a car there)
- Luxurious Interior (this car is literally IG-worthy with its leather seats and modern lines)
Inspired Look: Sleek & Monochrome
The look I’m wearing here is clearly inspired by the sleek RLX. Coincidentally (but not really), this killer white vest is also one of my favourite pieces I picked up from the Nordstrom Warehouse Sale. I wanted the long, sleek lines and monochrome simplicity to speak to how chic, cool, and versatile this piece of machinery is… with a bit of sex appeal too, of course 
Needless to say, I definitely rode to the Norstrom Warehouse Sale in luxury. I almost didn’t want to get out of the car when we got there (although, definitely glad I did because I think I picked up my entire spring wardrobe). The Acura RLX is like like a classic LV tote – it’s there for you when you’re single and cruisin’ at the bar, when you’re carrying diapers with a new born, or for long road trips with a group of buds. I mean to say, it’s not only versatile but it looks like it’ll stand the test of time (or at least your life time 
).
What To Expect: Nordstrom Warehouse Sale
The Nordstrom Warehouse Sale was a toot – I got there a bit late and it was already getting pretty crazy… 100% worth it though. There were rows and rows with goodies. If you’re a person who loves a good treasure hunt, then you’d love this (remember, you still got a day to head over). All the price tags were original, but had a sticker on it corresponding with its new price. I recommend taking a photo of the price list so you can shop and calculate as you go.
Variety definitely wasn’t an issue at all – there was something for everyone (although smaller sizes seemed to diminish first). The designer corner was also a huge hit and is definitely somewhere you want to hit up first. I almost picked up a red Rag & Bone moto jacket for $300 (originally $1200).
I left with 5 new spring pieces (including this white vest) for $200, but that were originally marked as $1000 altogether. STEAL! Can’t wait to style all the pieces. Keep an eye out for the looks coming down! In the meantime, make sure you check out the last few hours of the sale and let me know which pieces you picked up.
Would you travel an hour to the Nordstrom Warehouse Sale?
