In the Window: A Holiday Stroll Down Fifth Avenue

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'Tis the season to take in all the holiday windows our fine city has to offer while you're off doing your shopping (or while you're not off doing your shopping because you have no job and no money, but you go out to all the shops anyway because you don't think it'll be depressing until it totally turns out to be and you stop at the liquor store before you go home and sit silently in the dark clutching your $9 magnum of merlot?What, just us?)

Anyway, some windows on that famed Fifth Avenue stretch in the 50s stood out—we liked Cavalli's shockingly restrained, sort of '80s displays featuring giant illuminated white boxes wrapped in rich red bows and surrounding Cavalli-clad mannequins and lit-up abstracted pine tree illustrations. We also liked Versace's not-at-all-restrained golden windows and Cartier's classic building-as-gift box motif.

H&M majorly cheaped out by using a slew of cheesy gift/storage boxes one can buy at just about any close-out store in the suburbs to store old VHS tapes; but Diesel went all out by building a series of light bulb-lined golden arches framing Diesel-clad dummies. A little bit Chanel, a little bit McDonald's, and whatever, because we wouldn't turn down a little more of both those particular brands in our lives.

Both Nine West and St. John embraced the official colors of non-secular seasonal joy—pink and purple—while Lacoste went all icy with a series of silver, white, and transparent crocodiles framing models and forming wreaths and borders. What can we say about Kenneth Cole? A million flat-screen TVs aren't going to make us want to go in there. At least Gap is trying—they finally fell into plaid by replacing their classic (read: stodgy) navy with a red, seasonal tartan. Lastly, we're loving the black-tie-meets-Yale looks and disco ball Christmas trees at Tommy Hilfiger, even though it's all at Tommy Hilfiger.
· In the Window: Twinkle the Snowflake and Saks [Racked]
· In the Window: Bergdorf's Crazy Pet Tricks [Racked]
· Macy's Unveils Holiday Windows A Week Early [Racked]