I'll Drink to That

I'll Drink to That: A Life in Fashion, Straight, No Chaser by Betty Halbreich, 272 pages

Forty years into a career heading up the personal shopping department at Bergdorf Goodman, Betty Halbreich details her life before joining the tony department store in this, her second memoir. She discusses her upbringing as a privileged girl in Chicago, her failed marriage to a hotel heir, and her transition to the working world, the latter of which took place when she was already in her 40s. Yes, parts of Halbreich's life seem a bit charmed (the description of her mother's gift-wrapping station at Christmas is enough to cause injury from eye-rolling), but the frankness with which Halbreich relates her story make this book appealing rather than insufferable. Add to that her dedication to making women FEEL good when they dress, and it makes me wish I had the bank account to visit this 86-year-old straight-shooter at work.