Ep 439: When Department Stores Were The Most Glamorous Place To Be

HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Close your eyes for a second and step back to the 1940s. Specifically, New York City in the 1940s. You’re walking down the crowded street with a certain pep in your step because guess what? You’re headed to your favorite department store, Lord & Taylor.

Department stores were not only the places where women shopped but also the places where women had power — power they did not have elsewhere at the time. Julie Satow joins us to talk about her new book: “When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion,” and how women working in department stores in the early 1900s carved new paths for what it means to be a woman at work today.

Takeaways:

• Department stores were not only places where women shopped, but also where they had power and influence.
• Women who worked in department stores had the opportunity to have successful careers and financial independence.
• The women highlighted in the book faced challenges and made sacrifices in order to succeed in a male-dominated industry.

Chapters:

00:00 Department Stores in the early 1900s

6:00 How Department Stores Empowered Women

14:17 Challenges Working Women Faced

23:36 Inspiration for Women Today

30:00 Transition to Mailbag Segment

32:00 Mailbag Question 1: Where do I put the money my kids made this summer?

37:00 Mailbag Question 2: Will closing my business credit card hurt my credit?

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