“When Women Ran Fifth Avenue” is the comprehensive history of the American department stores and the women behind the scenes. Satow’s provides amazing insight into fashion and consumerism from post World War 1 to the 1960’s with fascinating guest appearances from famous American women who needed to look their best.

This book is thoroughly researched and highly detailed, making it both interesting, and somewhat weighed down. The women featured have amazing stories, but also different enough, that flipping back and forth between them on the journey seemed somewhat disjointed and confusing at times. At time, I struggled to maintain a sense of time and place due to side journeys into family life or other characters stories. Despite all of that, it was fascinating book that provided a ton of interesting facts including how Black Friday was started! This is a book best read while taking notes and is a wonderful read for anyone interested in fashion and consumerism in America or the rise of women in the workplace

When Women Ran Fifth Avenue by Julie Satow

Why I Chose It: Books about trailblazing females always grab my attention.

This book took me back to the glitz and glamour of New York City in the 20th Century. This book was expertly researched, and it was organized in a way that felt like a story, not a textbook.

While I know history is tied together, I found it fascinating that this history was so interwoven with WWI, the Great Depression, WWII, etc. The author did a fantastic job of tying all these events together with what was going on in department stores. I loved finding out little things like why revolving doors were added and why things were positioned like they were. The sociological aspect of this book was a real winner for me.

This story was anchored by three women - Hortense Odlum, Dorothy Shaver, and Geraldine Stutz - but the author also highlighted many more women who made their name in the fashion industry. All in all, this was a book that revered women in fashion and highlighted them so that their contributions won’t be forgotten.

If you’re a fan of trailblazing females, glamorous New York City, or fashion history, you’ll enjoy this.

Ok, you need to stop what you're doing and read this book. It's all about Henri Bendel, Lord & Taylor, and Bonwit Teller. What you learn from this book is that at their peak they were run by women. Julie Satow brilliantly describes how they came to be and te struggles and successes they had. This book should be taught in a women's studies class. It would be such an inspiration for young girls to read and learn that women had history that wasn't just taking care of men. She historically shows that when men ran out of ideas on how to run these type of stores that they brought women in to figure things out. There are so many omg I didn't know that moments in this book. Ms. Satow also talks about other women and the stores they ran and the other things created by them that you may not know. I expect that this will be one of those summer books that every local beach town book store will be trying to get copies of for their clients. I truly can't say anything critical of this book except say I wish it was longer!!! Thank you to #doubleday and #netgalley for the ARC! READ THIS BOOK!!!!

What a treat for those of us who shopped Fifth Avenue when these stores were the elite! But even if you didn't buy anything (or even window shop), this meticulously researched history will engage those interested in the business of retail. Hortense Odlum of Bonwit Teller, Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor and Geraldine Stutz of Henri Bendel each had their niche customer but they shared the promotion of new designers, accessible and outrageous fashion and just really neat windows. For all that this is about the business, it's really about the women I was familiar with Stutz, who had a knack for self promotion but not the others. I learned quite about not only about department stores but also about the designers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A great read.

I grew up thinking I wanted to pursue a career in fashion. I grew up shopping in department stores, as well as reading every woman's fashion magazine. I love the title "When Women Ran Fifth Avenue" and was so excited to read. I feel embarrassed to admit that I did not enjoy the book. It felt very dry to me and so much information crammed together that I had trouble concentrating. Reading it felt like a chore, like I was back in school reading a text book. I keep asking myself did I read the same book as the writers who supplied pull quotes? I'm rating it a 3 because it was well researched and a wonderful topic that others should enjoy. But for whatever reason, it was a miss for me.

Thank you Doubleday and Netgalley for access to this arc.

Unfortunately my solo shopping days post-dated the golden age of the select department stores with names that evoked glamor and style. In this book, readers can catch a glimpse of it. You could also watch older movies such as “The Shop Around the Corner,” “Holiday Affair,” or “Bachelor Mother” to see them in action. High end but not quite bespoke clothes (pirating Parisian fashions was common until WWII shut off French haute couture), tea rooms, well paid and highly trained staff ready to find you whatever you needed and then ring you up there (rather than having to chase down a salesperson as we do now) – these stores not only catered to women, they employed them and paid fairly well. Beginning in the late Victorian age, many of these storied and multi-storied places of wonder grew to cover almost any need and lasted through world wars and the depression. Then came the rise of suburbia, cheaper department stores, and discount bargain stores which turned them into stuffy elephants that could no longer pivot with the latest fads. High retail space costs and Covid did for many that had managed to cling to a bit of their former glory.

But there was a time when women – the book focuses on three but many others including forward thinking African American and Jewish women are mentioned – actually ran things. And ran them well. Odlum, Shaver, and Stutz were not only fashionable women but savvy businesswomen who took moribund stores and turned them around. They knew what women wanted, how they wanted it, and gave it to their loyal customers. They also figured out how to get women to want beyond what they needed which is how to really make money. They changed how American women shopped and what they shopped for. They also had salaries and responsibilities that were, at the time, amazing. The background of these women and the stores are interesting and obviously well researched if a bit tedious after a while – maybe a result of an excess of research riches. But it is thrilling to see what women were ably doing in such a cutthroat industry long before the 70s/80s. B

I have never read a book quite like this one before. I enjoyed reading how three women each ran high end department stores and the expertise they had at what they did.
It was fun to step in to their lives and see this side of business that is usually dominated by men. These three women showed other women that if you put your mind to doing a tough job you can do it better than so many others.
Julie Satow was able to pull by the cover and show us how things were accomplished and who exactly was the powerhouse in the department stores. I want to thank the author for giving the readers a look at a world we never have the chance to see.
Thank you NetGalley, Julie Satow and Doubleday Books for the copy of the book When Women Ran Fifth Avenue. This is my personal review.

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.

This nonfiction book tells the story of Hortense Odlum, Geraldine Stutz, and Dorothy Shaver, three revolutionary women in the world of New York City department stores. These women, who helmed Bonwit Teller, Henri Bendel, and Lord & Taylor, helped to revitalize a dying industry by meeting the needs of their ideal customers – women like them.

While each department store was known for something different, their success was all based on the women in charge and their unique business savvy.

Why I Like It: I had fun getting a peek behind the curtain of some of the most well-known department stores in the world. While none of these stores have survived to the present day, it was still nice to learn about their storied history.

"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.

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 and 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."

It's not just the glamor of a bygone era, it was a whole way of life that changed.

Wonderful book. The author did a great job of taking non-fiction and letting it read like a story. I liked getting to follow different women on their journey and compare them along the way. I appreciated that we were able to see the stores from creation to present day and really got the whole picture. I do wish there were a few more pictures to help the reader visualize the stores in their prime but the author did a good job of describing them. It was interesting to see how various women were impacted through the store changes and who women handled their leadership differently, both appreciating and regretting their historical significance. This book would be great for people to learn more about women in historically significant roles but also of the fashion/shopping history of the US.

I loved this. I love history that brings in pop culture and fashion and personality and Satow does just that. I am nostalgic for an era I was at least two decades late for. Highly recommend this for new yorkers and fashion lovers

Thanks to Net galley and the publisher and author for the ARC

Yes!! What a wonderful change of pace from historical fiction to read the true story of three amazing women who revolutionized department stores in America. This book was filled with facts, details, and statistics but read like a novel. The three unheralded women truly made their mark on the American way of life and economy. I will be presenting this book to my book club this week and highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys shopping, fashion, and American history.

Beautifully written and evocative descriptions. I am not going to be able to finish it before my copy expires, but the part that I read was really enjoyable.

I am so delighted I was asked to read and review Julie Satow’s When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion. Satow focuses most closely on Hortense Odlum of Bonwit Teller, Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor, and Geraldine Stutz of Henri Bendel. Although very different, these women represent those who were making their way into corporate leadership positions in the world of Department stores and fashion. Through exploring these lives we gain entrance into the fascinating world of 5th Avenue - watching the evolution of the department store and women’s fashion. The era here is one that I love to read about. For me it evoked feelings of PBS’s Mr. Selfridge which was fascinating to me and of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - I mean, who wouldn’t want her fashion style and access to those clothes?

I was born when these department stores were considered the pinnacle for shoppers, but by the time I was shopping, these kinds of stores were struggling to maintain their relevance (which I learned from this book). To be clear, I didn’t live near 5th Avenue, nor did we have the economic freedom to shop for designer clothing. But, oh, I remember Brody’s - a department store in a nearby small town. I remember shopping there with my grandmother, who had a bit more spendable money. We would descend into the basement of the store where pop music would be playing and the decor was all silver and lucite. Here was the world of the teen shopper. I can even - pretty accurately - describe some of the clothes I got there. I was a bit entranced. I was entranced in much the same way by the contents of this book. I would love to walk the corridors of one of the early department stores. Satow describes the executives, the shoppers, and the facilities in a way that they come alive. The inclusion of a number of photographs enhance the reading.

The ladies that Satow focuses on are charting new territory. Odlum is a housewife who becomes involved at the urging of her husband who bought Bonwit Teller and wanted to revitalize it. Dorothy and her sister Ellie came to New York City on a whim and stayed. Dorothy worked her way up the ladder at Lord & Taylor. She loved her career and was, of course, excellent at it. In many ways Geraldine Stutz had the most difficult job to revitalize Henri Bendel because of the unique structure and small size of the building. She had to be very creative and her ideas were often the stuff of criticism - right up until the point where she consistently succeeded. These ladies had to fight for respect by working hard for much less money than corporate men were getting.

I learned a great deal of history as well. This paragraph will read a bit like a list, but I’d love to whet your appetite to read the title. I didn’t know that the Nazi’s attempted to weaponize women’s hats and fashion. I learned about the circumstances that surrounded the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and the tragic loss of life. For someone who wielded her fashion plates with aplomb, I was also delighted by the history of American fashion as it were - the spying, the thievery, the high stakes copying in Paris. I was unaware of Eleanor Roosevelt’s involvement in its development. Having just visited the Andy Warhol museum for the first time - I was especially interested in reading about his early shoe work for department stores. Other prominent names involved in this era include: Salvador Dali, L. Frank Baum, Amelia Earhart, Jackie Cochran, Christie Brinkley, and Mary Tyler Moore. The history of mannequins and decorated windows are a part of this book. I have vague memories of decorated windows in Pittsburgh department stores.) One mannequin designer often took one of his favorites to social events! I read about the first paper catalog created by Geraldine Stutz to help keep her store relevant. (Evoking for me memories of the yearly arrival of the JCPenney Christmas Catalog) Finally, Satow outlines the advent of the discount department store - Walmart, Kmart, etc. and of course shopping malls are also explored here. These signaled the demise of the department stores. The fall of these department stores and the change in the careers of these three women are also explored. The loss of actual historical buildings like that of Bonwit Teller was a tragic consequence.

Satow concludes that the three ladies that she has featured as trailblazing (2 of whom devoted their entire careers to keeping their stores relevant) would not be overly sad at the demise of the traditional department store. In part because so many other opportunities for women to advance in the corporate world exist now. She also suggests they might be pleased with the democratization of American fashion through avenues like Etsy and social media.I might also add that the current uptick in the appreciation of vintage fashion might be pleasing for the ladies as well. I am new to vintage shopping but am enjoying exploring the clothes from the very eras that this book features. I love having time to create a “fit” that features a vintage piece in what I would consider an updated way. Perhaps now, I can picture myself in the dressing room of one of these upscale department stores just taking it all in. I appreciate Julie Satow’s When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion - excellently researched, well written, informative, and for me memory evoking. Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the Advanced Reader Copy

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