The subtitle tells it all – Glamour & Power at the Dawn of American Fashion. This is a fascinating exploration of the genesis of the great department stores in the US, and how some women at least managed to make it to the top and became leaders and influencers in retail and fashion. They were indeed trailblazers and richly deserve this belated recognition. The era of luxury department stores has gone for ever, but is brought back to life here in this meticulously researched and comprehensive account, accompanied by many fascinating illustrations. I very much enjoyed it and learnt a lot about social history, retail history and women’s history.

A detailed non-fiction book on the women who were so impactful on 5th Avenue.
Here we have a well-researched and structured book on a specific topic and it is deserved to be known.
Much appreciated book.

So do interesting and empowering. As someone who has had backgrounds also in the fashion and retail industry in addition to my book work I found this book so fascinating and empowering to see the how the woman of yore ran their lives.