[title]
Holiday window displays are a staple of the season in New York. But you're busy buying presents, seeing the sights, sampling our many exquisite hot chocolates. What's to be done? Luckily we've got you covered: we've scoped out all the major players and we're gonna tell you which holiday window display you simply can't miss. With brackets! Buckle up, it's about to get festive.
Two displays enter, one display leaves. Who's it gonna be?
Bloomingdale's vs. Macy's
At last, two of the oldest names in the game have come to duke it out. This is quite a match-up: classic vs. cutting-edge, old-school vs. new-school, and dare I say progressive vs. conservative?
Courtesy Macy's/Bill Waldorf
Courtesy Bloomingdale's/Joe Schildhorn/BFA.com
Holiday Cheer: Not gonna lie, Macy's walks away with this one. Even after dinging them for their exclusively Christian focus, they've still got Bloomie's beat when it comes to celebrating the season.
Advantage: Macy's
Courtesy Macy's/Bill Waldorf
Spectacle: We're at the point in this tournament where all of the competitors are extremely cool and incredibly expensive. It is therefore hard to choose who packs the most wow into their windows. While I'm impressed by the inclusion of so much neon at Macy's and the fun perspective trick with Willow the frankly kind of scary giant dog, I have to give this one to Bloomingdale's for variety and the element of surprise. As Miranda Priestly might say, "Santa Claus? In a holiday window display? Groundbreaking."
Advantage: Bloomingdale's
Courtesy Bloomingdale's/Joe Schildhorn/BFA.com
Concept: As stated in a previous round, the Macy's concept focusing on their "Santa Girl" character is confusing and a little incoherent. Bloomingdale's went for something a little more, erm, nebulous with their "out of this world" idea, and they successfully milk that concept for all it's worth.
Advantage: Bloomingdale's
Courtesy Bloomingdale's/Joe Schildhorn/BFA.com
Execution: This is not Macy's first rodeo. Or their tenth, or their fiftieth, for that matter. Their concept might not be my favorite, but you can't deny the love that has obviously gone into making every inch of these windows sparkle. Bloomingdale's is no slouch, but their concept leaves a little more wiggle room. Macy's is simply immaculate.
Advantage: Macy's
Courtesy Macy's/Bill Waldorf
Winner: Bloomingdale's!
This was a close one, and once again we have to ask: what are we looking for from these displays? I prize originality and variety over an updated version of a classic (tired?) idea, so Bloomingdale's ekes out a victory by a nose. A red, glowing nose.
