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When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion
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 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.
The American department 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.
295 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2024
About the author
Julie Satow
2 books202 followersJulie Satow is an award-winning journalist and the author. Her new book, When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion will be published on June 4 with Doubleday. Her first book, The Plaza: The Secret Life of America's Most Famous Hotel, was a New York Times Editor's Choice and an NPR Favorite Book of 2019. She lives in New York City with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
May 19, 2024
To say that I am not the audience for this book would be a massive understatement. 13 years of Catholic School, and then right into the Army after that, means fashion is my ultimate weakness. I know my belt should match my shoes or something. I digress. Julie Satow would need to do a lot of work to make When Women Ran Fifth Avenue appealing to my brain. Somehow, she did it!
Satow follows the career paths of three main women of fashion in New York throughout the early to mid-1900s. Each woman gets her own part biography and then a look at the changes she made to the fashion industry but mostly focused on their specific employers at the time. Interspersed are some smaller chapters on different people and topics related to the fashion industry but not the overall narrative. Satow writes all of this quite well by never leaning too hard into any one thing. Some of it is biography but also business, fashion, and personal relationships.
Another interesting aspect is Satow's willingness to tell the whole story. There is a version of this book where it is marketed as a celebration of feminism with inconvenient details papered over. Satow doesn't hide from the fact that one of her main characters disavows her business career later in life. It makes the narrative more interesting and let's the reader draw their own conclusions when given the whole story. Needless to say, (but I will anyway) Satow did the impossible. She made a fashion book even I could enjoy.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by the publisher.)
Satow follows the career paths of three main women of fashion in New York throughout the early to mid-1900s. Each woman gets her own part biography and then a look at the changes she made to the fashion industry but mostly focused on their specific employers at the time. Interspersed are some smaller chapters on different people and topics related to the fashion industry but not the overall narrative. Satow writes all of this quite well by never leaning too hard into any one thing. Some of it is biography but also business, fashion, and personal relationships.
Another interesting aspect is Satow's willingness to tell the whole story. There is a version of this book where it is marketed as a celebration of feminism with inconvenient details papered over. Satow doesn't hide from the fact that one of her main characters disavows her business career later in life. It makes the narrative more interesting and let's the reader draw their own conclusions when given the whole story. Needless to say, (but I will anyway) Satow did the impossible. She made a fashion book even I could enjoy.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by the publisher.)
March 11, 2024
Unbelievably comprehensive and interesting, Julie Satow's meticulous research paves the way for a thorough look into the history of department stores and the women who ran them, influenced them, and created opportunities for so many other women. So interesting and well done!
June 28, 2024
I liked the historical details about department stores, including the innovations in the three featured stores. Unfortunately, I had no interest in the three featured women, and there was a lot of biographical material. I skipped that when I could, but it’s harder to do when listening to an audiobook. 3.5 stars
March 10, 2024
Satow takes us behind the scenes of some of the most glamorous department stores that ever existed in the United States and the women who ran them and made them great.
In an era when women were relegated to wife, teacher or nurse, these amazing women created stores that changed the way women shopped and dressed.
Satow’s book tells the stories of Hortense Odlum of Bonwit Teller, Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor and Geraldin Stutz of Henri Bendel.
These women were pioneers in the field of retail, and they helped create the modern department stores we know of today.
August 8, 2024
Objective and rather fascinating topic of the department store era and the women who excelled in creatively fashioning an industry and running it through decades of innovation. The mall and the corporate conformist machine brought it to an end, but this meticulously researched and accessible book has revived a time and experience that I really knew next to nothing about.
July 6, 2024
Loved!!!!! This was my July audio book and I FLEW through it. Fun fact about me I have a degree in fashion merchandising and spent a lot of time in school studying the retail landscape/history. This was right up my alley. It’s a history of the golden age of department stores in Manhattan and the iconic women who ran them. So good. Informative and entertaining I loved it.
June 16, 2024
There were parts of this that I found riveting, but it’s extremely heavy on personal biography, and the content I expect most of us were looking for—the history of department stores in this era—suffers as a result.
Some ancillary background on the women central to the story is fine, but I would have greatly preferred that more of this was dedicated to their professional innovations.
And while most of the women are worthy if not terribly intriguing subjects beyond their roles on Fifth Avenue, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with someone like Hortense. Like RIP baby doll, you would have loved Harrison Butker. Ick.
The best parts of this are more focused on shop innovations and backstory on things like the history of mannequins. I would have loved more on that and less of, say, Hortense actualizing her own personal success and then turning around and condemning women who came after who were trying to do the same.
This flows better and is more consistently readable than The Plaza, but it has a similar problem in that it fails to focus satisfactorily on the material that makes most readers take an interest in the book.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Some ancillary background on the women central to the story is fine, but I would have greatly preferred that more of this was dedicated to their professional innovations.
And while most of the women are worthy if not terribly intriguing subjects beyond their roles on Fifth Avenue, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with someone like Hortense. Like RIP baby doll, you would have loved Harrison Butker. Ick.
The best parts of this are more focused on shop innovations and backstory on things like the history of mannequins. I would have loved more on that and less of, say, Hortense actualizing her own personal success and then turning around and condemning women who came after who were trying to do the same.
This flows better and is more consistently readable than The Plaza, but it has a similar problem in that it fails to focus satisfactorily on the material that makes most readers take an interest in the book.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
July 7, 2024
I made it through this book but was a bit disappointed in it. As others have shared, it was heavier on personal biography and there was not as much of a fashion history element as I’d hoped. Covering three women’s lives in one book was quite an ambitious undertaking, so it felt a bit choppy and I found myself feeling far less interested in their biographies than I was in the fashion merchandising innovations to which they each contributed at times. These parts of the book were interesting, but unfortunately felt like mere accessories, or endcaps, if you will.
February 23, 2024
I don’t read much nonfiction. Typically, I gravitate toward historical fiction to educate me about the past. But it certainly is true that there are somethings you just can’t make up! This journalistic account was riveting in a way a novel never could be. It is a well-documented story of the evolution of the American department store, told through the lens of three remarkable, dissimilar women. It was an eye-opening account of fashion, women in the workplace, free flowing creativity and the history and mores of the time.
I didn’t grow up in New York City but memories of my childhood came rushing back as I read. My mother took me to The CITY to school shop once a year. While our mainstays were Gimbels and Alexanders, rather than Lord & Taylor and Bonwit, we always took a peek inside the grander places. And we looked forward to the delight of Lord &Taylor windows at Christmas.
In my hometown, the stores didn’t have the elegance of the stores of this book, but even so, they were welcoming. It was like entering a world of possibility. My grandmother took me to one unforgettable store. The make-up counter featured dozens of jars of powders in various shades of browns, purples, rose and the saleswomen made up a powder or foundation perfect for your skin, right on the spot. I hadn't thought about that in years.
I was enchanted with the inventiveness of what the featured stores had to offer women.
The book centered on three department stores: Bonwit Teller, Lord & Taylor, and Henri Bendel. All were bastions of male control and flailing until the women in this account took over. While their backstories, personalities, and ambitions were all different, the impact they had was the same. This was woman country and respect and understanding of both shopper, designer, and worker would bring success.
The three featured innovators couldn’t have been more different. Hortense Odlum, a contented housewife and mother was called to Bonwit Teller by her husband and his business associates to make changes that would attract more shoppers and in short order was at the helm; Dorothy Shaver, an elegant innovator created a space for American designers in a time when American stores only copied French designs and became the first American business woman to earn more than a millionaire’s salary; and fashion editor, Geraldine Stutz, re-invented the look of the modern department store and had a keen sense for trends and forecasted style, making her and her store both unique and incredibly successful.
The book meticulously documents the rise and fall of the department store in context of the times—the biases toward women in the workplace, racial inequities and inroads, the changing times and how they impacted the success and ultimate failures of these women. Rooted in the lives of these three women, the story unfolds to give us a snapshot of this history. It made me want to click my heels and walk through their doors, have a cup of tea and savor where we were when shopping was an event.
My only negative comment is the title. I’d like something more reflective of the style and courage of these women.
Highly Recommend.
My thanks to Doubleday and Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I didn’t grow up in New York City but memories of my childhood came rushing back as I read. My mother took me to The CITY to school shop once a year. While our mainstays were Gimbels and Alexanders, rather than Lord & Taylor and Bonwit, we always took a peek inside the grander places. And we looked forward to the delight of Lord &Taylor windows at Christmas.
In my hometown, the stores didn’t have the elegance of the stores of this book, but even so, they were welcoming. It was like entering a world of possibility. My grandmother took me to one unforgettable store. The make-up counter featured dozens of jars of powders in various shades of browns, purples, rose and the saleswomen made up a powder or foundation perfect for your skin, right on the spot. I hadn't thought about that in years.
I was enchanted with the inventiveness of what the featured stores had to offer women.
The book centered on three department stores: Bonwit Teller, Lord & Taylor, and Henri Bendel. All were bastions of male control and flailing until the women in this account took over. While their backstories, personalities, and ambitions were all different, the impact they had was the same. This was woman country and respect and understanding of both shopper, designer, and worker would bring success.
The three featured innovators couldn’t have been more different. Hortense Odlum, a contented housewife and mother was called to Bonwit Teller by her husband and his business associates to make changes that would attract more shoppers and in short order was at the helm; Dorothy Shaver, an elegant innovator created a space for American designers in a time when American stores only copied French designs and became the first American business woman to earn more than a millionaire’s salary; and fashion editor, Geraldine Stutz, re-invented the look of the modern department store and had a keen sense for trends and forecasted style, making her and her store both unique and incredibly successful.
The book meticulously documents the rise and fall of the department store in context of the times—the biases toward women in the workplace, racial inequities and inroads, the changing times and how they impacted the success and ultimate failures of these women. Rooted in the lives of these three women, the story unfolds to give us a snapshot of this history. It made me want to click my heels and walk through their doors, have a cup of tea and savor where we were when shopping was an event.
My only negative comment is the title. I’d like something more reflective of the style and courage of these women.
Highly Recommend.
My thanks to Doubleday and Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2024
I really enjoyed this well researched book about three women who each ran the big three department stores in NYC. Some appointments to managerial positions were almost by accident, others grew into their jobs.
These women not only took over the helm, they increased profits by changing the store from top to bottom. Little shops within the store dedicated to designers, companies and style. Women loved it.
Personally, it brought back wonderful memories of my HS girlfriends and I, taking the bus in from NJ to shop or look, at these major stores. While Saks overwhelmed me, Bonwit Teller was just the right size. (I’ll never forgive The Donald for buying Bonwit just to tear it down and put up Trump Tower.)
If you love history and fashion, plus the marketplace, you’ll definitely want to read this fantastic book.
Thank you Edelweiss and Doubleday.
These women not only took over the helm, they increased profits by changing the store from top to bottom. Little shops within the store dedicated to designers, companies and style. Women loved it.
Personally, it brought back wonderful memories of my HS girlfriends and I, taking the bus in from NJ to shop or look, at these major stores. While Saks overwhelmed me, Bonwit Teller was just the right size. (I’ll never forgive The Donald for buying Bonwit just to tear it down and put up Trump Tower.)
If you love history and fashion, plus the marketplace, you’ll definitely want to read this fantastic book.
Thank you Edelweiss and Doubleday.
April 30, 2024
I loved this one - a pure delight from beginning to end as well as super informative.
Find this and 392 other books coming out between May-October 2024 on the new Literary Lookbook: https://forms.gle/8Zo8XEcuFTMgzmQt7.
Find this and 392 other books coming out between May-October 2024 on the new Literary Lookbook: https://forms.gle/8Zo8XEcuFTMgzmQt7.
April 25, 2024
I received this book through GoodReads First Reads.
Lots of interesting facts, three women ahead of their time - intelligent, hard-working, visionary. I wish these stores still existed!
Lots of interesting facts, three women ahead of their time - intelligent, hard-working, visionary. I wish these stores still existed!
June 27, 2024
Such a well researched book - I loved learning about these women 🥰
August 26, 2024
Super interesting read about women in the fashion industry in NYC starting in the 1920s and ending today. The author does a great job describing the heyday of the department store and how American style came to be. Very fun!
June 1, 2024
Another absolutely incredible book by Julie Satow. I loved it.
April 5, 2024
I finished "When Women Ran Fifth Avenue" a few days ago, but wasn't sure how to write up my thoughts immediately because the book was so much more than I anticipated it to be.
Julie Satow gives us an incredible book that gives us a front row seat to the lives of Hortense Odlum of Bonwit Teller, Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor, and Geraldine Stutz of Henri Bendel, taking us from the 30s through the 60s. It isn't all glossed over, but does show us how not everyone loved their job and there was some struggle from some as to how they managed to work in that time and be the exemplary wife and mother that was expected of them. Sad how that is still a thing...
This book is more than just a bio of women in business, it also is a glimpse into a world of retail that no longer exists. Do I romanticize a little? Probably. But to read about the innovative practices and environments created back then, well, they still feel groundbreaking because none of it is in practice today. The care for employees is just mind boggling. Strings attached? Of course, you better behave. But actual benefits and care? Gasp! On site doctors? Gasp! A level of customer service and creativity that doesn't exist now, but the consumer of that time is also sadly a thing of the past. However, that doesn't stop me from wishing we'd have risk takers in charge again who would show you can do something different and better and raise the bar instead of "industry standard"...but thats another talk.
Fascinating to read with vignettes of history of other retail locations throughout as well as plenty of photos. Not out until June, but definitely worth picking up for all of you history and especially vintage shopping fans.
Julie Satow gives us an incredible book that gives us a front row seat to the lives of Hortense Odlum of Bonwit Teller, Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor, and Geraldine Stutz of Henri Bendel, taking us from the 30s through the 60s. It isn't all glossed over, but does show us how not everyone loved their job and there was some struggle from some as to how they managed to work in that time and be the exemplary wife and mother that was expected of them. Sad how that is still a thing...
This book is more than just a bio of women in business, it also is a glimpse into a world of retail that no longer exists. Do I romanticize a little? Probably. But to read about the innovative practices and environments created back then, well, they still feel groundbreaking because none of it is in practice today. The care for employees is just mind boggling. Strings attached? Of course, you better behave. But actual benefits and care? Gasp! On site doctors? Gasp! A level of customer service and creativity that doesn't exist now, but the consumer of that time is also sadly a thing of the past. However, that doesn't stop me from wishing we'd have risk takers in charge again who would show you can do something different and better and raise the bar instead of "industry standard"...but thats another talk.
Fascinating to read with vignettes of history of other retail locations throughout as well as plenty of photos. Not out until June, but definitely worth picking up for all of you history and especially vintage shopping fans.
May 10, 2024
Thank you to @prhaudio for the gifted ALC.
3.5
This was such a fun and interesting book to learn so many aspects of department stores, womens clothing, business women etc.
For example, it was women that really helped department stores thrive once they introduced fashion forward clothing rather than run of the mill basics. Or perhaps putting the hats right by the entrance to help them sell more. The creativity of women and the understanding of what women really want to buy and shop for allowed many opportunities for them in NYC.
This had so many stories, it followed a few specific, important women who made impressive changes to the industry. I began to lose track of all the connections between all the names, but it wasn't really important. I did find the book to be chock full of little details that were interesting but also tedious at times.
3.5
This was such a fun and interesting book to learn so many aspects of department stores, womens clothing, business women etc.
For example, it was women that really helped department stores thrive once they introduced fashion forward clothing rather than run of the mill basics. Or perhaps putting the hats right by the entrance to help them sell more. The creativity of women and the understanding of what women really want to buy and shop for allowed many opportunities for them in NYC.
This had so many stories, it followed a few specific, important women who made impressive changes to the industry. I began to lose track of all the connections between all the names, but it wasn't really important. I did find the book to be chock full of little details that were interesting but also tedious at times.
August 21, 2024
Excellent research. Learning the stories of the stores I used to frequent before they closed their doors forever just makes me appreciate the items I was able to purchase there.
When I first moved to NYC, Lord & Taylor was my go-to. In later years, Henri Bendel became my favorite store. I still carry the handbags I curated from the store.
I appreciate the stores even more now that I know that women were the reason for their success. It's funny how when men took over, trying to dictate what women wanted, the stores ultimately failed.
This book was well researched, and there was so much information. I absolutely loved learning the history of NYC fashion on 5th Avenue.
When I first moved to NYC, Lord & Taylor was my go-to. In later years, Henri Bendel became my favorite store. I still carry the handbags I curated from the store.
I appreciate the stores even more now that I know that women were the reason for their success. It's funny how when men took over, trying to dictate what women wanted, the stores ultimately failed.
This book was well researched, and there was so much information. I absolutely loved learning the history of NYC fashion on 5th Avenue.
July 24, 2024
This book is a window into the world of American fashion and the women who helped shape it and the sadly disappearing world of department stores. They're all fascinating women in their own rights, but reading about the work they did in times when women were often overlooked and ignored is downright inspiring. These were women who had to fight the men who constantly denied them their achievements and recognition, yet they still did the work and stood out for doing it incredibly well.
I like how the timelines of all the women are slightly interwoven in a narrative that's non-fiction with a feel of a fictional retelling of how the women came to be leaders of American Fashion. It's not a dry listing of facts, but a human story of women who lived captivating lives.
Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the enlightening read!
I like how the timelines of all the women are slightly interwoven in a narrative that's non-fiction with a feel of a fictional retelling of how the women came to be leaders of American Fashion. It's not a dry listing of facts, but a human story of women who lived captivating lives.
Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the enlightening read!
August 11, 2024
Thank you to @DoubleDayBooks and @PRHAudio for the copies to review.
I absolutely loved this one, it was incredibly informative and the audio was the way to read this, it was fantastic. I remember loving to go into department stores as a kid, especially Macy’s (f/k/a Foley’s) as my grandmother worked there until she retired. I knew very little about how they actually worked, just that I was fascinated by them and wanted to work in one when I grew up (spoiler, I never did). I enjoyed the stories of both the department stores in here as well as the history of the three women behind Bonwit Teller, Lord & Taylor, and Henri Bendel. This was told in a way that kept my attention the entire time, and I definitely recommend it.
I absolutely loved this one, it was incredibly informative and the audio was the way to read this, it was fantastic. I remember loving to go into department stores as a kid, especially Macy’s (f/k/a Foley’s) as my grandmother worked there until she retired. I knew very little about how they actually worked, just that I was fascinated by them and wanted to work in one when I grew up (spoiler, I never did). I enjoyed the stories of both the department stores in here as well as the history of the three women behind Bonwit Teller, Lord & Taylor, and Henri Bendel. This was told in a way that kept my attention the entire time, and I definitely recommend it.
May 20, 2024
This is a very enjoyable history of department stores through the lens of three female executives whose careers covered most of the twentieth century. They had impressive tenures when that was extremely unusual and the way they individually regarded their careers says a lot about the times. The book is very well researched and is an engaging read. I would recommend to readers who like histories on the time and place.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.
September 2, 2024
3.9 Very well-researched and interesting historical account of 3 big department stores and the women who ran them. These women were incredibly savvy, smart and talented in different ways which led to the success of their stores. Also daring and determined, they set a good example for women of their time and beyond. Pace was slow at times but still glad I read it though I likely won’t retain the minute details.
March 19, 2024
As a lifetime shopper who was around for most of the heydays of these stores, I found this nostalgic and very interesting. I’m always amazed to look back to see all the restrictions that were put on women not that long ago.
July 19, 2024
Absolutely loved this!!! I love retail, I love department stores, I love NYC, history and WOMEN. Suchhh a great non fiction read especially for the fashion lover and had tons of great historical photos as well. I could deep dive this topic all day
July 31, 2024
In a time (early 20th century) when women’s jobs were limited to teaching, nursing and waitressing, the rise of retail and department stores offered a new field where they could develop real power.
August 7, 2024
Satow effortlessly portrays the glamor and allure of department stores, and the book is very detailed and well-written.
August 12, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed the book; the historical figures and stories were very interesting. I think the only issue I had was the fact that the book jumped around time lines a little. I wasn’t always sure what decade the current story was in. But, it was a good read. I would recommend it.
August 16, 2024
I loved everything about this book. We get to learn about so many different people in the retail world, and deep dive into 3 trailblazing women’s lives.
Read
August 26, 2024Sad to DNF this one. It started out as a really interesting history of department stores and the women who really had an impact in shaping them. But it got too heavy into biographies of a bunch of women and strayed from Fifth Avenue. I have other books calling to me on my TBR pile.
September 2, 2024
The book I just finished reading was a very detailed and very informative book about how women became successful powerhouses on fifth avenue and the means in which they went to achieve this goal
Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews