Dillard's (former Ivey's), University Mall, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Exterior entrance facing South Estes Drive, June 28, 2008.

Dillard's (former Ivey's), University Mall, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Exterior detail, June 28, 2008.

Previously on LiveMalls
Dillard's (former Ivey's), University Mall
The Ivey's Archive

Bloomingdale's (former location of Hecht's and Woodward & Lothrop), 5300 Western Avenue Chevy Chase, Maryland. Exterior view from Western Avenue, June 21, 2008.

See also former Hecht's, Chevy Chase

Encompassing 182,458 square feet, the Chevy Chase Bloomingdale's is the chain's newest location in the Washington area.

Since 1947, this site has the location of a department store. Woodward & Lothrop operated here from 1947 to 1995, one of its first suburban locations. When Woodies went out of business, Hecht's took over the store and operated it from 1995 to 2006. Hecht's had planned on replacing the store building with a new one, but its parent company's sale to Federated Department Stores (Macy's, Inc.) changed the course somewhat. Federated decided to rebrand the store as Bloomingdale's and drastically changed the interior design.

From the press release:

The overall design of the store is quite contemporary and contains updated variations of the signature black & white image of the New York City flagship store. Interior design is the product of Mancini Duffy Architecture & Design. The Chevy Chase store features a 40-foot circular atrium topped by a skylight. Glass-enclosed escalators transverse the atrium and enhance the sightlines to all floors. Four, three-story black glass clad columns punctuate the atrium. Balustrades are clear glass and stainless steel.

Black granite and black mirror are used generously, and each major merchandise classification is edged in black lacquered portals and ceiling detailing reminiscent of prosceniums to showcase the product presentations.

Level One has a direct entrance off Western Avenue; separate, direct elevator and escalator links to the underground parking decks; and a future entrance to the open plaza currently under construction at Wisconsin Place Center. Level One houses Cosmetics, Fashion Accessories, Handbags, Women's Shoes and Jewelry, and Dresses, Coats, Swimwear, Luggage and a Fur Salon.

Cosmetics and Accessories dominate the center of the main floor with the unmistakable black & white checkerboard floor that is a Bloomingdale's trademark. Key cosmetic vendors include Bobbi Brown, Chanel, Kiehl's, Jo Malone and Laura Mercier. There are Handbag shops for Marc Jacobs, Coach, Longchamp, Ferragamo and Burberry. The open plan places the vendor shops at the perimeters and brackets the floor.

Women's Shoes is segmented into a series of alcoves, richly appointed with residential furnishings and over-sized beveled mirrors framed in black mirror for further dramatic impact. The walls have over-scaled consoles and open cabinets that give the area an eclectic feel. The assortment is focused on contemporary upscale designer and bridge vendors like Fendi, Sigerson Morrison, Ferragamo, Taryn Rose, Burberry, Coach, Kate Spade and Donald Pliner. The Shoe area opens with a strong presence in the boot and bootie category.

Directly inside the Western Avenue entrance sits Dresses, with its strong focus on social occasion apparel and Coats. Dress vendors include Carmen Marc Valvo, BCBG, Mark Bauer, Chetta B, Laundry and Tadashi. The Coat department is headquarters for one of this season's major trends-- the statement coat, from Burberry, Cinzia Rocca, Hilary Radley, Mackage and George Simonton in an environment of cream and putty with accents of brushed silver and dark wood.

Level Two features Designer and The New View, YES, Sutton, Intimate Apparel and At Your Service.

The first impression of the second floor is dominated by The New View and Designer collections. The center shops are accented in black mirror that brackets and segments the shops. There are full height, windowed alcoves in three locations on this floor, offering glimpses of natural daylight and adding useful backdrops as these are also entrances to fitting areas. Each of the store's 65 fitting rooms has been given careful thought, and been generously sized as are the luxurious seating areas throughout the store.

The Designer area features Armani Collezioni, St. John Collection and St. John Sport, Akris Punto, Sonia Rykiel, Martin Grant, Peter Som and others. The New View will house shops for Burberry, Elie Tahari, Ralph Lauren Black Label, Tory Burch, M Missoni, DKNY and Hugo Boss.

YES is set to one end of the floor yet is more exposed to The New View since even here the collections content has been enhanced to offer the latest style and trends in contemporary apparel. Collections will include Diane von Furstenberg, Theory, Vince, Juicy, Robert Rodriguez, Catherine Malandrino, Alice & Olivia, Milly and exclusive collections including Aqua, Quotations and Portfolio. The area also offers an extensive assortment of premium denim from Rock & Republic, Diesel, True Religion, Anlo, 7 for all Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, Page and James. The merchandise is arranged to allow for a mixing of styles and facilitate easy cross selling. There are large rear-projection screens anchoring the YES area that add a note of animation.

Sutton Studio, the better sportswear area, will offer vendors like Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Lilla P, XCVI, Code Vintage, Revue, Vakko, Love Amour and the store's own collection of Sutton Studio Cashmere.

Intimate Apparel is set directly off Designer/The New View. The design here echoes the Hollywood glamour image that is the hallmark of the New York 59th Street store. Merchandise is set in mirror-accented alcoves appointed with rich yet feminine touches. Vendors include Betsey Johnson, Chantelle, Elle Macpherson, Flora Nikrooz, Hanky Panky, Juicy, OnGossamer, Oscar (Pink) and Wacoal.

Level Three features Men's, the new Home Store and The Registry. Arrival to the top level is under a circular skylight and a carefully balanced mobile by New York sculptor Brandon d'Leo.

The center of the floor is a broad atrium that serves to segment the two distinct businesses of Men's and Home. Men's is set in a series of contemporary statements accented by dark, polished walnut and lighter ash accents. Segmentation distinguishes between the tailored and casual categories. There are shops for Polo Ralph Lauren, Armani Collezioni, and Ralph Lauren Black Label and Canali. More tailored clothing presentations include Boss Hugo Boss, John Varvatos, Burberry, Andrew Marc and Z-Zegna. Bridge and Contemporary collections include Hugo Boss, Marc Jacobs, Helmut Lang and Michael Kors. Men's Shoes are set into one of three full height windowed alcoves and has a masculine, clubby feeling in design and furnishings. In an opposite alcove, an extensive denim shop sets the tone for a more casual and contemporary lifestyle.

The Home Store is an entirely new Bloomingdale's concept, making its debut at Chevy Chase. The area has been designed to resemble a series of galleries with two dark chocolate arched entries distinguishing the space flanked by two huge, 25 feet wide main aisles. Here the merchandise mix has been carefully edited to offer the best of Bloomingdale's assortments, assembled into lifestyle groupings on very flexible floating pads. Barbara Barry, Thomas O'Brien, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein will anchor the corners of the floor and provide an edited mix of their total lifestyle assortment.

Down the center of the two main aisles, tabletop and home accents are mixed with key furniture pieces. There are two major classifications here in the galleries: Casual/Contemporary and Updated Traditional. The center galleries are set on bleached bamboo floors. There are accents of black lacquer and chocolate. Wall surfaces are artist's white. Customers can view a stimulating mix of merchandise in easily relatable settings with all of Bloomingdale's best home designers integrated throughout. Two trend areas complete the total home presentation and will change every quarter. Key domestics vendors include Bellino, Charisma, Donna Karan Essentials, Josie Natori, L'Erba and Sferra 1891.

Across the width of the area, toward the rear, are shops for the kitchen featuring clever gadgets, electrics and cookware, and shops for regency crystal and silver, with walls resembling polished concrete. Key tabletop vendors include Baccarat, Christofle, Faberge, Lalique, Michael Aram and William Yeoward; and in housewares, Alessi, All Clad, KitchenAid, Le Creuset, Nespresso, Shun, WMF and Wusthof.

The Registry is located in the center of the rear wall between the kitchen and crystal shops and houses two distinctly different areas--the very modern "Registry Bar" where couples can update their registry in a less formal, open environment and the more intimate consultation area where couples will enjoy their first appointment. The entryway is lined with lit glass cases that display Bloomingdale's top china, crystal and silver patterns.

Belk Budget Store & Belk II, 1976

Belk Budget Store & Belk II, Charlotte, North Carolina. newspaper advertisement, May 1976. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Ever heard of Belk II? Neither had I, but apparently they were a freestanding version of the Belk Budget Store in the Charlotte area. Check out this ad from May 1976.

Find more Belk memories like this in The Belk Archives

Neiman Marcus, Mazza Gallerie, Washington, DC. Exterior view at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Western Avenue, June 21, 2008.

Neiman Marcus, Mazza Gallerie, Washington, DC. Exterior view along Wisconsin Avenue, June 21, 2008.

Previously on LiveMalls
Neiman Marcus, Mazza Gallerie

Lord & Taylor, 5255 Western Ave NW, Washington, DC. Exterior view of main entrance, June 21 2008.

Lord & Taylor, 5255 Western Ave NW, Washington, DC. Exterior view of Western Avenue entrance, June 21 2008.

This Lord & Taylor is the chain's original outpost in the Washington area. It opened in 1959 in the Friendship Heights/Chevy Chase area and measures 146,000 square feet on two levels, along with its own parking garage. It also contains a Larry Forgione Signature Café on its second level.

Lord & Taylor's Washington store is significant in that it retains many of its original interior and exterior architectural features from the 1950s.

Luxury Shopping at SouthPark, 1988

The 1980s will forever be known as a time when luxury shopping went mainstream. Spurred by economic prosperity and television shows like Dynasty and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, consumption became very conspicuous, with the trappings of of a privileged life (or the faux versions of it) available at any price point.

To wit, here is a montage of a very attractive '80s lady immersing herself in luxury at SouthPark in 1988 for a photoshoot for a local magazine.

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Model shopping for eveningwear at Belk, 1988. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Model shopping for shoes at Thalhimers, 1988. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Model shopping for fur coats at Ivey's, 1988. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

former Woodward & Lothrop, 11th & F Streets NW, Washington, DC. Exterior view, June 21, 2008.

former Woodward & Lothrop, 11th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC. Exterior view with W&L flag shown at center, June 21, 2008.

former Woodward & Lothrop, 11th & F Streets NW, Washington, DC. Exterior view of G street entrance canopy, June 21, 2008.

former Woodward & Lothrop, 11th & F Streets NW, Washington, DC. Exterior view of store nameplate, June 21, 2008.

Woodward & Lothrop was once one of Washington's premier retail businesses. This building served as the department store chain's flagship location from 1887 to 1995, with various renovations creating the lasting form in 1927.

At its peak, Woodies, as it was affectionately called, operated a 400,000 square foot store at this site and over numerous branch stores in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, with a Philadelphia division that consisted of over a dozen John Wannamaker stores.

Increased competition and economic pressures led to the demise of Woodward & Lothrop in 1995, when The May Department Stores Company, parent of nearby rival Hecht's, purchased the chain out of bankruptcy, closing many of its stores and converting the rest to its Hecht's and Lord & Taylor nameplates. Many former Woodies stores were in turn sold to JCPenney, which suffered financial troubles of its own in the '90s and ended up closing most of the acquired locations due to poor sales.

The downtown Washington store, after many failed development plans, has become a mixed-use building, with street level retail and offices upstairs.

Belk, downtown Belmont, North Carlina. Exterior view, sometime in the 1950s. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Find more Belk memories like this in The Belk Archive

Macy's (former Hecht's), Metro Center, 12th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC. Exterior view, June 21, 2008.

Macy's (former Hecht's), Metro Center, 12th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC. View of entrance, June 21, 2008.

Hecht's (former Macy's), Metro Center, 12th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC. View of main floor from escalator well, December 2005. (unknown image source)

Hecht's vacated its circa 1924 downtown Washington store in 1986 in favor of a new location at the corner of 12th and G Streets NW. The store was extensively renovated in 2003.

Now a Macy's location as of September 2006, the building has a direct entrance to the Metro Center station of the Washington Metro.

former Hecht's (now Terrell Place), 7th and F Streets NW, Washington, DC. Exterior view, June 21, 2008.

The Hecht Company moved its Washington location to this grand glass and marble store at the corner of 7th and F Streets Northwest in November 1925.

Hecht's was the first store in Washington to offer national brands. It also boasted the first parking garage and first elevator. Its relatively open policies made it popular among African-Americans as well as the white populace.

A tour of Norman Rockwell's Four Freedoms paintings, intended to rally support for the Allied cause in World War II and the purchase of war bonds, premiered at the store in 1943.

In July 1951, a mixed race group began to picket outside the store, protesting racial segregation in the store's cafeteria. The offending policy was changed in January of the following year.

Hecht's vacated this store in 1986 in favor of a new location at the corner of 12th and G Streets NW (built in 1985 and renovated in 2003). Now a Macy's location as of September 2006, the building has a direct entrance to the Metro Center station of the Washington Metro.

The vacated Hecht Company building, now across from the Verizon Center, was extensively renovated and reopened in 2003 as Terrell Place, honoring Mary Church Terrell's role in desegregating that and other public accommodations in Washington.

More vintage SouthPark, circa 1990

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Store directory, 1988. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of Food Court seating, 1988. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

SouthPark, Charlotte, North Carolina. Alanby outdoors store in Sears wing, 1991. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Find more SouthPark memories like these in SouthPark, circa 1990

Nordstrom, Circle Centre, Indianapolis, Indiana. Exterior view, 2008. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Nordstrom, Circle Centre, Indianapolis, Indiana. Upper level mall entrance, 2008. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Nordstrom, Circle Centre, Indianapolis, Indiana. Exterior view, 2008. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Carson Pirie Scott (former Parisian), Circle Centre, Indianapolis, Indiana. Lower level entrance, 2008. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Carson Pirie Scott (former Parisian), Circle Centre, Indianapolis, Indiana. Upper level entrance, 2008. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Happy Memorial Day from LiveMalls

Belk, Charlotte, North Carolina. Memorial Day Sale advertisement, 1983. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

J.B. Ivey & Company, Charlotte, North Carolina. Memorial Day Sale advertisement, 1983. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Miller & Rhoads; Eastland Mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. Memorial Day Sale advertisement, 1976. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Previously on LiveMalls
The Belk Archive
The Ivey's Archive
Miller & Rhoads, Eastland Mall

Beehive Vs. Spearhead, 1966

J.B. Ivey & Company, Charlotte, North Carolina. Institutional advertisement, 1966. (courtesy of Pat Richardson)

Belk, Charlotte, North Carolina. Institutional advertisement, 1966. (courtesy of Pat Richardson)

Here are some institutional ads for Belk and Ivey's Charlotte stores from 1966.

Notice the difference in location strategies: Ivey's operated a number of branch stores in addition to its downtown flagship, while Belk was still a number of years away from opening branch stores at Eastland and SouthPark.

Previously on LiveMalls
The Belk Archive
The Ivey's Archive

Dayton's (later Marshall Field & Company, currently Macy's), 700 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Exterior view circa 1977. (Robert Hendrickson, from The Grand Emporiums: The Illustrated History of America's Great Department Stores)

When Belk met Ivey's

Belk, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. Exterior façade on Tryon Street (looking north) with Overstreet Mall connection to Ivey's, screenshot from video taken in 1986. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. Exterior façade on Tryon Street (looking south) with Overstreet Mall connection to Ivey's, 1985. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Previously on LiveMalls
Belk’s Tryon Street Façade through the years

Belk, Charlotte, North Carlina. Print advertisement 1986. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Find more Belk memories like this in The Belk Archive

Come feel the excitement at Belk SouthPark

Belk, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. View of escalator well, 1989. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Belk, SouthPark mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. Print advertisement for Design Studio in Furniture department, 1986. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Previously on LiveMalls
Belk, SouthPark

J. B. Ivey & Company (later Dillard's), Eastland Mall, Charlotte, North Carolina. Ivey's chairman George M. Ivey, Jr. poses in front of the soon to be completed Ivey's Eastland store, 1975. (courtesy Pat Richardson)

Previously on LiveMalls
Ivey's (Dillard's), Eastland Mall
The Ivey's Archive