Ruth Ann Johnstone shares her experience in visual merchandising in the Dallas fashion industry. After studying fashion history, design, and merchandising at Texas Tech University and the University of North Texas, Johnstone worked as a “trimmer” at retailer Titche-Goettinger in downtown Dallas, transitioning to a similar position in at NorthPark Neiman-Marcus in 1973 and later working for Neiman-Marcus corporate in downtown Dallas. She describes the department stores and learning and teaching “NM Way” of practicing visual merchandising, as well as preparations for the Nieman-Marcus fortnight events. Broader descriptions of the Dallas fashion industry share the interconnected talents and institutions of people working in merchandising, as well as cultural moments like Neiman-Marcus expansion and the AIDS epidemic.