This Time It's Personal

Cathy Horyn’s recent article on two acclaimed personal shoppers at Bergdorf Goodman sparked some happy memories.

For when I was in grad school working on my dissertation, I set up a number of interviews in New York—both with the magazine world and the book-publishing houses.

As a grad student I had more imaginative than literal access to polished interview clothing, so I called up Bergdorfs and told them my situation. I was paired with a delightful long-distance personal shopper whose mission it was to find me a suit—just one—that would travel between, say, the hyperfashionable women and men of Conde Nast and the more sensible book editors of midtown Manhattan.

A few days later a large box arrived at my tiny apartment and I moved my novels off the couch so it could have the seat of honor. Inside were three beautifully packaged trouser suits: a purpleish Piazza Sempione, a navy slim-cut Calvin Klein, and something else.

There was also an Anne Klein silk blouse in the most sophisticated shade of light blue. Not baby blue (eeek!), not gray-blue (dull), but a perfectly professional, yet romantic, soft blue.

I must have vetoed the *something else* instantly, and debated between the other two suits for a bit. The PS ultimately lost because of the jacket’s length: even in 1996 a long jacket didn’t feel right.

I went for the trim navy Calvin, and, although I didn’t wear a blouse underneath it, kept the blue silk for good luck. (It’s still in my closet.) Repeat after me: “Nothing comes between me and . . .”

The BG personal shopper definitely worked her magic, because I felt perfectly at home in the Conde Nast offices as well as at the publishing house (with a change of accessories, natch). It was a lovely long-distance shopping experience, and one I’d definitely do again.

Now, if I could only have access to the Chanel collection, as detailed in the article . . .