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When Women Ran Fifth Avenue
When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion | Julie Satow
7 posts | 4 read | 14 to read
A glittering, glamorous portrait of the golden age of American department stores and of three visionary women who led them, from the award-winning author of The Plaza. The American department store: a palace of consumption that epitomized modern consumerism. Every wish could be met under one roof - afternoon tea, a stroll through the latest fashions, a wedding (or funeral) planned. It was a place where women, shopper and shopgirl alike, could stake out a newfound independence. Whether in New York or Chicago or on Main Street, USA, men owned the buildings, but inside, women ruled. In this hothouse atmosphere, three women rose to the top. Hortense Odlum of Bonwit Teller, Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor, and Geraldine Stutz of Henri Bendel's took risks, innovated and competed as very different kinds of career women, forging new paths for the women who followed in their footsteps. In the 1930s, Hortense came to her husband's department store as a housewife tasked with attracting more shoppers like herself, and wound up running the company. Dorothy championed American designers during World War II--before which US fashions were almost exclusively Parisian copies--and beyond, becoming the first businesswoman to earn a salary of more than $1.5 million. And Geraldine re-invented the look of the modern department store in the 1960s, and had a preternatural sense for trends, inspiring a devoted following of ultra-chic shoppers as well as decades of copycats. In When Women Ran Fifth Avenue, journalist Julie Satow draws back the curtain on three American women who made twentieth-century department stores a mecca for women of every age, social class, and ambition. This stylish account, rich with personal drama and trade secrets, captures the department store in all its glitz, decadence, and fun, and showcases the women who made that beautifully curated world go round.
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review
Hillea2
Mehso-so

It‘s more like a textbook than what I‘m used to with non-fiction but still some really interesting history nonetheless.

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Librarybelle
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Pickpick

While parts of this nonfiction dragged a little bit for me, this is a remarkable look at the age of fashion and stores in NYC in the 20th century and a few of the women who led department stores and specialty shops. It makes me feel a bit nostalgic for the department store of yesteryear—I vaguely remember places in the 1980s that closely resemble the stores described in this book. A fun, informative read.

Leftcoastzen Great review! I really enjoyed it too. 3mo
Librarybelle @Leftcoastzen Thanks! I‘m glad you liked this one too! 3mo
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Leftcoastzen
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Pickpick

Very readable nonfiction about women who were powerhouses running department stores! Their attention to detail both in business & the creative side made them better at it than most men even in an era w/ fewer career women. Also,a book delightful in the details of the golden age of department stores, the windows, the special events.Key insights how looking for ready to wear that was as stylish as French couture developed the U.S. fashion industry.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome photo ❤️ 4mo
59 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Leftcoastzen
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When you have way less time to read than normal is exactly when the library hold comes in !🙄😁

Aims42 Haha! Exactly 🤨😆 4mo
youneverarrived Always the way 😆 4mo
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ChrisBohjalian
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Give @DoubledayBooks Julie Satow and all the stars. I am LOVING “When Women Ran Fifth Avenue.” You will, too! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

24 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Aims42
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Pickpick

If you enjoy fashion, New York City and strong women, this is the book for you! I will admit my inner business nerd loved all the business gossip, but I‘d say that took a backseat to all the fashion and designer names being dropped. This is a very easy to read non-fiction book that never once put me to sleep, in fact, I wanted to keep reading to see how things progressed for the three women we follow in this book.

Aims42 Themes: Easy to Read Non-Fiction, Women in Big Business, NYC History 6mo
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Aims42
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Have I mentioned lately how much I love getting #bookmail 🤩🥳🙌 This one sounds soooooo good! I watched the author give a virtual talk last month and I‘ve been impatiently waiting for this day to arrive 😆 I‘ll be starting this today during lunch. Squeeeee!!!

jlhammar Sounds fantastic! Love that cover. 7mo
Aims42 @jlhammar I love the cover too, it looks even more striking in person. For me it checked all my favorite boxes; fashion, history, women kicking butt and taking names 😁 7mo
42 likes2 comments