Betty Halbreich was a New York City style icon as the longtime director of solutions at the city’s Bergdorf Goodman department store, where she was a personal shopper for celebrities and styled TV shows.
- Died: August 24, 2024 (Who else died on August 24?)
- Details of death: Died in New York City at the age of 96.
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Betty Halbreich’s legacy
Born in Chicago, Halbreich made her way to New York City as a young woman. She began working for Bergdorf Goodman in 1976. There, she created the position of personal shopper, an innovation that the store’s competitor, Saks Fifth Avenue, already had. She developed a reputation for an infallible eye for fashion. She said – and others agreed – that she could tell if a dress would work for a client before they even had it zipped.
Halbreich’s celebrity clientele included Candice Bergen, Lauren Bacall (1924–2014), Liza Minnelli, and Meryl Streep. She helped choose clothing for stylish TV shows like “Sex and the City” and “Gossip Girl,” plus contributed to the clothing for Broadway shows and the films of director Woody Allen. Halbreich’s status as a Bergdorf Goodman staple was cemented in the 2013 documentary “Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s,” in which she was featured.
Halbreich remained at Bergdorf’s for more than 45 years, still working well into her 90s. She spread her fashion sense far beyond New York City, publishing two memoirs, “Secrets of a Fashion Therapist” and “I’ll Drink to That: A Life in Style.” A third book, “No One Has Seen It All: Lessons for Living Well from Nearly a Century of Good Taste,” will be published in 2025. Halbreich maintained a popular social media presence on Instagram and TikTok, posting regular videos as recently as earlier this year.
Notable quote
“I don’t understand plastic surgery. You know, there’s something really wonderful to growing old and keeping yourself upright. There really is! It doesn’t have to be the worst thing in your life. How can you not face your mirror and see reality? I got up this morning and thought, ‘I really look awful!’ And then I turned the page.” — from a 2016 interview for Into the Gloss
Tributes to Betty Halbreich
Full obituary: Vogue
