I never like it when the holidays are over. It means that the best part of winter is over…and winter has just barely begun! So to hold on just a bit longer to the holidays, I leave you with this lovely post by Frank Cierpial from NYC.

By Frank Cierpail
The first time I went to Paris was in the winter of 2007. I was in High School and I had no idea what to expect. I cannot believe I am actually saying this now, but my mother said to me “make sure you go to le louvre!” and my gothic 17 year old self said “What’s that?” Well, I found out what that was and a lot more. I have spent many wonderful summers in Paris since then and the one thing that I love about it is the regularity. Whenever I left Paris, people, places, and things that I love have always been there the next summer, as if they have been waiting for me to come back. New York is the complete antithesis. Every time I return to New York from Paris something else is gone. For example, the summer of 2010 that I spent in Paris was the end of my favorite restaurant “Artepasta”. Artepasta was the perfect New York restaurant; it had the cutest waiters in the city and the best Italian Food for the best price. The city has not been the same since then. But, there are two things in New York that will never change. I started my walk down 5th avenue on 6th avenue between 50th street and 51rst Street at the legendary Radio City Music Hall to see the infamous Christmas tree and the display cases that linger around it. The first window that caught my eye was the window at J Crew. J Crew had a paper maché background with a wreath in the background and mannequins dressed in chic holiday outfits.

The first outfit that caught my eye was this dressy casual outfit. This outfit consists of a shimmering purple top with a shimmering purple tweed jacket and gold buttons coming down the front seams. On the bottom, just a simple pair of dark jeans and a pair of purple heels and in her hand we have a pair of blue gloves. This would be a perfect outfit to meet some friends on a Friday night for some drinks. It is the answer to the infinite question of “How should I dress?”

For some reason, this outfit makes me think of Tom Drake’s character of Jon Truett in my favorite holiday movie “Meet me in St. Louis”. The last time I watched that movie, I wished that I could have every outfit that he wore. I loved his masculine elegance. The outfit consisted of a beige blazer with jeans and a simple black top under. The outfit was completed with a pair of beige shoes and a dark grayish and red checkered scarf.

This display at Saks 5th Avenue was by far the best display of the night. The display used all of the Elements of Design and told a story. I was waiting for the mannequins to come to life and start telling me about their night. Saks 5th Ave had a sequence of scenes from one holiday dinner party that went around the corner. It had some of the nicest dresses I have ever seen. My favorite dress was the red over the shoulder dress. It is a shimmering red dress that splits at the thigh. It shows a pair of red heels on the bottom. They also showed a bunch of chic classic tuxes for men. It was by far the best on 5th Ave. Congratulations to all of the merchandisers who worked so hard to achieve his masterpiece.

Last but not least, the designer that we all love at Prete-Moi Paris ! Christian Dior had a display that played on the popular holiday colors champagne and white and neutrals. In each display case we see an asymmetrical display, which is quite common for brands like Christian Dior. In the display case to the left we have a champagne tinted-crème over the shoulder dress that is the height of elegance along with a Dior purse on the left. In the display case on the right, we have two mannequins one is wearing a very Parisian chic black dress with a ruffle on the chest. The other is wearing a long crème dress that has a beautiful stripe finish on the bottom. Matching purses are on the two mannequins and there is a beautiful Dior bag on the chair on the right of the two mannequins. Hats off to the merchandisers at Dior!

So, what are the two things in New York that will never change? The first one is Fashion. Fashion thrives in New York in all seasons, and the second and most important is Christmas in New York. These two however go hand in hand and side by side. These display cases all helped highlight the holiday season. We can see this in films made generations ago like in the movie The Bishops Wife. There was a scene where Carey Grant and Loretta Young were walking down a New York street and she saw this hat in a display case. She wanted this hat so badly and Carey Grant brought it for her. The way she lit up after she brought the hat filled us with the holiday spirit. Christmas in New York helps New Yorkers and all that have the chance to see it through the year, much like the way Fashion helps us get through life.