In Style

Elaine Mack is the head personal shopper at Bergdorf Goodman. This former URI English major, who loved Professor Warren Smith’s Shakespeare classes, has excelled at Bergdorf for more than 37 years.

Elaine, who has been named one of New York City’s Best Salespeople, was trained in sales by Andrew Goodman, son of Bergdorf Goodman’s founder, at the store then located in White Plains, N.Y. She is the go-to person for women who desire up-to-date, beautifully designed clothing. Elaine shops for a coterie of diverse clients, knows their preferences, knows where they have to appear, keeps them advised on trends, and helps them to achieve their style.

Elaine works three fully booked 12-hour days a week, starting at 7 a.m. She favors clothing by Akris, Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, and many of the talented younger designers. She likes fresh takes on classic elegance, quality fabrics, superb tailoring, and meticulous attention to detail. When a designer comes out with something really great, Mack says she just has to select it for her clients.

Elaine’s work has been noted in the media. In a 2006 article about high-end retailers differentiating themselves through the work of personal shoppers, Business Week quoted her as saying that “personal shoppers save you time and make you feel like queen for a day.”

In an article on Jackie Kennedy Onassis, The New York Daily News quoted Elaine’s anecdote about receiving a request from Jackie to assist one of her friends select the proper clothing for an important appearance. Elaine still treasures Jackie’s note thanking her for her help.

In 2010, Harper’s Bazaar sought Elaine’s suggestions for unusual but inexpensive gifts for an article on post-recession gift giving. And in 2011, Elaine’s peers chose her to receive the Best of the Best award from Bergdorf Goodman’s parent company, the Neiman Marcus Group.

Ask and some of the most world’s most beautifully dressed women will tell you, “Elaine Mack is my long-time personal shopper.”

—Sally Adams ’66, M.A.‘68