His and Hers Gifts of Christmases Past

From the 2010 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book

A Tequila party for 75 of your best friends with Colin Cowie for $125,000...sounds like fun for $1666 per person.
A swimming pool sculpture installation by Chihuly for $1,500,000..doesn't everybody need one?

But what I really want is this gift from the 1974 Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog

Yep, his and hers hovercrafts
$3640 for the pair.
Really who wouldn't want those?

Fall 2010 Trend Report - Bring On The Boots

Here in Los Angeles, it has been the season of the lost summer, where temperatures have been more January than July.  It it gray, damp and cold outside this morning, as it has been every morning for the last few months.
So sitting at my computer in sweat pants, a t-shirt and a fleece jacket... just to stay warm, the idea of thinking about cool weather clothes doesn't seem so odd in early August.
and what better place to start than the Neiman Marcus Trend Report
I can skip the pantsuits and the feathers
Ah....but a wardrobe of boots....that's one trend I could go for
and I'd start with these boots

Valentino Bow Topped Boots $1595 from Neiman Marcus

Prada Fur Cuff Boots $1350 from Neiman Marcus

and 

Manolo Blahnik Buckle Boots $1650 from Neiman Marcus

What trend are you looking forward to this Fall?

Neiman Marcus - Is This Any Way To Market?

I have to say that in terms of marketing Neiman Marcus does just about everything right.
They have the stores, they have the goods and they have the sales staff.

Of course being too busy to go into the store, try on the goods and deal with the sales staff
I ordered this evening gown off of the Neiman Marcus website for the VRG gala.

On the website they had only one left in a size 4 and I snapped it up. I'd never bought an eveing gown online before but since I've worn Carmen Marc Valvo dresses in the past, I assumed it would fit. As it turns out the gown was cut a little large and I decided to return it.

Instead of sticking it back in the box and shipping it I decided to quickly pop into Neimans and return it in person and maybe see if there were any other dresses that I absolutely could not live without.

So there I was in the dress department waiting for someone to help me for more than 15 minutes. OK, so what's a little wait. I perused the racks and found a few fancy little cocktail dresses that had my name all over them...and god knows...I have the opportunity to wear fancy little cocktail dresses so often (not) but I am partial to them.

When a saleslady was finally available to help me she told me that because I had purchased the dress online I had to go to the top floor and return the dress to customer service. I was like really?

At any rate I trudged up the escalator with my long gown and returned it and then left the store to go back to my office.

So what's the issue?
If I had been able to return it in the fancy schmancy dress department, chances are that the sales lady would have been able to talk me into buying at least one other dress, and probably three, because there was an awesome sale and as I said before, I wear fancy little cocktail dresses so often, you know because my lifestyle calls for it...(not)
and because I just can't resist them at a good price.

Instead, she didn't didn't get the opportunity to up-sell me and Neiman's missed my business.

I ask you, is this any way to market?