Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy for me to read and review. I loved this book. It took me back to the days when I shopped at many of the stores mentioned. I still remember the fabulous shoe selection at I. Miller and the passage way of unique shops at Henri Bendel. What I didn’t know about was all the amazing women that ran these stores. it was interesting hearing how they climbed the corporate ladder well before many women have since done so. I also learned more about the demise of these stores, including the recent one of Lord & Taylor. I highly recommend this book to those that love New York City, the retail world and shoppers of these past renowned establishments. The book is easy to follow and fast pace. I listen to an audio version of it. Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to read this.

When Women Ran Fifth Avenue, by Julie Stow, is an absolutely fascinating look back in time at the women who essentially created the modern retail industry. It seems like a lifetime ago, but I remember when a visit to a department store felt like an event. This book focuses on a period I didn't get to experience personally, but definitely made me feel nostalgic for. And the women- wow. In a time when there were very few acceptable careers open to them, they blazed their own path. So inspiring! Satow is a brilliant researcher and storyteller. Highly recommend!!!

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.

History is complex, and When Women Ran Fifth Avenue shows that during the postwar period, this is true as ever. Not all women were housewives, spending their days cooking and cleaning and taking care of babies.

Instead, here are ambitious women who have helped developed the postwar consumer culture; their work directly contributed to the growth of the department store and American capitalism. Hortense Odlum shows that this historical trend could even occur in the midst of the Great Depression (So much, therefore, for the single narrative). Dorothy Shaver shows that American culture is shaped by fashion, as her influence in the New Look wave cast a wide influence over the country. Geraldine Stutz showed how female ambition was cultivated and became a key to American consumer culture.

I don't have a background in fashion or business history, so I had never heard of these three women before. Many Americans haven't, and that's the shame that Satow uncovers. These three women who helped develop a part of American life that was central to consumerism for so many decades, and yet their stories have been collectively forgotten. As Satow argues, their work may be changing now; in the 21st century department stores don't bring in shoppers as they used to, and the businesses these women oversaw are but historical memories. Still, the book makes us think about just how influential individuals can be on a society as a whole, and should make us ponder who else's story may be as influential but left out of the larger narrative?

Absolutely loved this book. It is historical but doesn't read like a text book - instead it brings the women to life as well as the times that they lived in. I loved reading all the details about the department stores (for fans of shows like Mr. Selfridge) as well as powerful women. They were all so different and treated their situations so differently as well. Anyone involved in retail business would also love this book!

Highly recommend for a book club pick as it is fun, interesting, and leaves loads for discussion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for and ARC of this book. #sponsored

Focusing on three women who ran high-end NYC department stores, the book brings to light their importance, innovations, and influence. With lots of background details about the industry, it's an absorbing read.

Love this book learning about the women powerhouses that ran the elite NY department stores. Shopping at them all with my mother brought me back to a special time in my life. I really wish we knew these women’s stories then. It would have been life changing to have them as role models letting young girls then it was possible to have more than teacher, secretary, nurse as the only career choices. I’ll recommend this to everyone.

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.

Julie Satow has written a fascinating look at these famous New York Department stores introducing us to the women who were in charge.Ive spent time in the modern version of these stores Henri Bendels was so unique so exciting to shop in.I really enjoyed getting to know the women who ran and brought the beauty and glamour to these department stores.#netgalley #doubledaybooks

Reading this book conjured images for me of shopping with my mom and grandmother when I was a young girl. I loved learning more about the women behind the famous departments stores. I enjoyed Satow's descriptive writing and appreciate all the research the book includes. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I adored this book. I've never been to New York, but I remember a time when department stores were so much more than you see now. The history and the woman who led the way. It's interesting that most of the stories you'd read would center around the men. This book gives us the strong, smart, and interesting women. Julie Satow wrote a masterful book that flows like fiction, but spins the tale of old New York, glamour, and the times of the grand department store.
Thank you to Doubleday Books, the author, and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.