Betty Halbreich

Betty Ann Halbreich (; née Samuels; November 17, 1927 – August 24, 2024) was an American personal shopper, stylist, and author known for her career at the New York luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman, where she served as Director of Solutions. Her 2015 memoir, titled I'll Drink to That: A Life in Style, with a Twist, was featured on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Early life Halbreich was born Betty Ann Samuels in Chicago on November 17, 1927, to Morton Samuels and Carol Freshman, who divorced shortly after her birth. Her stepfather ran department stores and her mother owned a bookstore. Originally she wanted to be a painter or cartoonist, and she enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago. She attempted suicide and was admitted to a mental institution. Upon recovery, she began seeking employment, and worked in a series of designer showrooms on Seventh Avenue and later for Chester Weinberg and Geoffrey Beene before being hired at Bergdorf Goodman in 1976 as a sales associate.

In 1997 she wrote the memoir Secrets of a Fashion Therapist.

In 2013 she was featured in the documentary Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's, which raised her public profile. She remained a salaried employee of Bergdorf Goodman until her death. Beginning in her sixties, she was in a long term relationship with Jim Dipple. She died from cancer at a hospital in Manhattan on August 24, 2024, at the age of 96.