Bloomingdales

Bloomingdale's is an upscale chain of department stores owned by American multinational corporation Macy's, Inc. It is one of two divisions owned by the company, with the other being the mid-range Macy's.

Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side. The pair were sons of Benjamin Bloomingdale, a Bavarian-born salesman who had lived in North Carolina and Kansas, and settled in New York City. In 1872, the Bloomingdale brothers opened their first store at 938 Third Avenue, New York City.

In 1886 came the visionary move uptown to 59th Street and Lexington Avenue. The store expanded steadily and by the 1920's, Bloomingdale's converted an entire city block.

By the 70's, everyone was stopping by 59th Street and Lexington Avenue for a look - including Queen Elizabeth. People came to see and to be seen. Once there, they were dazzled by the cutting-edge fashion of designers like Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis and Norma Kamali, who got their first truly big opportunities at Bloomingdale's.