Good taste reigns in an elegant and understated setting, but remember that elegant doesn't necessarily mean sedate. Bergdorf's carries some brilliant lines, such as Marchesa, Narciso Rodriguez, and Carmen Marc Valvo. In the basement Level of Beauty, find a seat in the manicure-pedicure lounge (no appointments) for a bit of impromptu pampering. The home department has rooms full of magnificent linens, tableware, and gifts. Across the street is another entire store devoted to menswear: made-to-measure shirts, custom suits, designer lines by the likes of Ralph Lauren and Gucci, and scads of accessories, from hip flasks to silk scarves.
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