Twelve Things I Never Knew About Clothes Until I Became a Personal Shopper for Barneys
The five-shoes-per-season rule and other secrets from New York’s holy grail of fashion retail.
In the ‘90s era of must-see TV, Barneys New York was immortalized as the city’s retail holy grail. Seinfeld’s Elaine spent an entire episode obsessing over a discounted dress. Titular characters Will and Grace would plan their social calendars around markdown events. The store was referenced so frequently in Sex and the City, it dedicated its holiday windows to Carrie Bradshaw one year.
And while sitcoms may have lost the battle to streaming apps, the shopping behemoth has so far weathered the storm of internet shopping. Its 200,000-plus square feet of space—filled with 1,400 luxury brands—remains an essential destination for Upper East Siders and passport-toting stiletto-hounds alike. And the store’s personal shopping division still offers one of New York’s ultimate conveniences: free styling services for clients with loose wallets and tight schedules.