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When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A glittering 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. • “Ms. Satow’s carefully researched book is compulsively readable: I found myself dashing through it like a novel. She portrays the women with verve; we get a glimpse into their lives, as well as a sense of what it was like at each of these retail meccas.” —The Wall Street Journal

The twentieth century American department store: a palace of consumption where 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. In the 1930s, Hortense Odlum of Bonwit Teller came to her husband’s department store as a housewife tasked with attracting more shoppers like herself, and wound up running the company. Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor championed American designers during World War II–before which US fashions were almost exclusively Parisian copies–becoming the first businesswoman to earn a $1 million salary. And in the 1960s Geraldine Stutz of Henri Bendel re-invented the look of the modern department store. With a preternatural sense for trends, she inspired 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 visionaries who took great risks, forging new paths for the women who followed in their footsteps. 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.

From the Publisher

Get ready to fall in love with the trailblazing women who ran fifth avenueGet ready to fall in love with the trailblazing women who ran fifth avenue

Hortense Odlum transformed Bonwit Teller into a financial powerhouseHortense Odlum transformed Bonwit Teller into a financial powerhouse

Dorothy Shaver championed American fashion designersDorothy Shaver championed American fashion designers

Geraldine Stutz revolutionized department stores in the swinging 60sGeraldine Stutz revolutionized department stores in the swinging 60s

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Doubleday (June 4, 2024)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385548753
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385548755
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.2 x 9.65 inches

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A glittering 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. • “Ms. Satow’s carefully researched book is compulsively readable: I found myself dashing through it like a novel. She portrays the women with verve; we get a glimpse into their lives, as well as a sense of what it was like at each of these retail meccas.” —The Wall Street…

Customers say

Customers find the book an excellent source for research into this era and topic. They also find the content fun and fascinating. Readers describe the writing style as very well written and easy to read.

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  1. Lori

    The best written history I’ve ever read
    It was a delight to read this book — it’s researched and written so very well. I’ve read zillions of history books and this is the most well done I’ve ever read! The topic is totally fascinating too!

    Lori

  2. Linda Reads

    Study of the fashion industry on Fifth Avenue, NYC with emphasis on three main women
    As a well-written archival study, I give it four-stars. As a reader of less academic works, I give it three-stars. I expected something entirely different from this book which is on me. It is definitely a well-researched study of how women played such a contribution to the success of fashion and thereby Fifth Avenue in that era. I was truly blown away with the lives of the principal women’s lives explored: Hortense Odlum, Geraldine Stutz, Dorothy Shaver and her sister Elsie. There were several other women of note and no less impressive in their endeavors.Just some random thoughts:Interesting to see in many photographs that the executive women had cigarettes sophisticatedly held in their hands. Obviously, a sign of the times;Fascinating how differently Hortense accepted her success from the other women;With few exceptions, the women improved their respective stores beyond what the men before them had done;One thing was clear, no matter how successful these women were, they were paid far less than their male counterparts;There were lots of interesting and incidental factoids and pictures; especially enjoyed the gossipy parts the most;Coincidentally, these incidental facts sometimes left the narrative with many shifts in content which was distracting. Segue here, segue there…There were some quotes of the time that could have been written today they were so “au courant”Maxey Jarman, Geraldine’s mentor, “if women are any good, it’s because they are women, not in spite of it”Overall, I think this is an excellent source for research into this era, this topic and/or these people. This gave me real insight into a time and place that is fascinating to me while coincidentally feeling foreign. At the same time, in the quote from “The Wall Street Journal” it referred to “dashing through it.” Well, if that meant skipping pages, I concur. Again, this was an interesting book but not one I expected. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

    Linda Reads

  3. Steven Zimbelman

    Fun and fascinating!
    Wow this is a fun and very informative read!Recommend it highly….

    Steven Zimbelman

  4. Gail Moore

    It is difficult to follow
    The information was interesting, but the format/editing was herky-jerky and confusing. One minute you’re in 1969 and without warning your next sentence will be placed in 1898. I get that she wants to lead up to the history of her subject; her editor could have done that more gracefully, I think, than we see here. In fact, I think most of the problem stems from poor editing. I knew one or two players mentioned in the book and being in NYC myself, we met briefly. It just isn’t compelling reading and though I did finish it, I was glad when it ended.

    Gail Moore

  5. Lewis Freifeld

    More than a book!
    Take a trip back in time and feel that you have been invited to be a part of the early 20th century landscape in an arena where women actually were given an opportunity to demonstrate their business acumen when unfortunately this wasn’t commonplace. It is more than a book but rather a chance to “walk in their footsteps” and share the ups and downs of their accomplishments. I still have some more reading to do but the writing is magical and flows like a novel that you don’t want to put down.

    Lewis Freifeld

  6. Kindle Customer

    An interesting slice of history
    While this isn’t my typical area of interest, the lives of these women stand out both for their time and how they moved our civilization forward.

    Kindle Customer

  7. Robyn Bolle

    Excellent Book!
    Enlightening, fun and just goes to show you Women ROCK! I had no idea how Fifth Avenue shops actually came to fruition. It was exciting to get to know the women who were behind making Fifth Avenue, Fifth Avenue. How their lives were impacted and how they changed. No merchandising experience but knowing what women like to wear. A worthy novel.

    Robyn Bolle

  8. Ann Carol

    A delightful trip through time
    Thank you Julie Satow for the journey and development of the Manhattan core of famous shops and their complex development. Women really could shine and invent (often on the spur of the moment,”) their way to great success. The “glass ceiling” was shattered in many cases, but in modern times still exists. I lived and shopped in Manhattan, on a budget but enjoyed visiting these stellar stores with my husband or friends, caught up in the magic of the artistry of these shops but never rarely aware of the drama behind the scenes. This book surely should be a required read in business courses across the board. An enjoyable read.

    Ann Carol