Along with ice-skating, extravagant window displays are part of the holiday tradition in New York City, with millions of tourists and locals passing by the big department stores every year (turns out out it might actually be worthwhile – a new study suggests that the best displays do in fact attract shoppers). If you’ll be in New York for the holidays, here’s our rundown of the top window displays:

Barney’s is betting big on its Gaga’s Workshop concept, with a fantasy Lady Gaga Boudoir, Gaga’s Cave of Crystals, and an entranceway that feels like you are walking into a deck of cards.

Macy’s Herald Square has dedicated their windows to the Make-A-Wish foundation, merging the fantastic with the futuristic in a white and navy blue series of windows. On-lookers can also design ther own holiday ornament and take it home on their mobile phone.

Saks is accompanying its windows with a holiday light show projection inspired by the book “Who Makes the Snow,” and will feature dresses by designers Stella McCartney, Marchesa and Alexander McQueen.

Bloomingdale’s is revisting its own holiday shopping bags from seasons past as inspiration for this year’s designs.

But perhaps our favorite is Bergdorf Goodman’s “Carnival of the Animals” theme. Windows include a brass metalwork menagerie, a sparkling undersea world of fish made with rhinestones and sequins, and a white upholstered Arctic scene called “Breaking the Ice”.

We love to dress tonally, picking one color and taking it from head to toe, but the problem with tonal dressing is that you’re often restricted to the neutral colors in your closet – grey, black and khaki. One of the reasons we are so excited about the colored denim trend is that you can get a tonal look in a new color, while still enjoying the comfort and fit of a jean.  Start with a great pair of colored denim, here we have the Alice Skinny Coated Denim in Chianti, and look for a pair of shoes that pick up the tones of the jean. Up top, we like a comfortable light-colored shirt, covered by a comfortable sweater in the same tone as the jean. While you can definitely do a top, pants and shoes in the same tone, be sure to break up the color a tiny bit where possible. A contrasting shirt collar, patterned purse, textured belt, coat, or even strong jewelry can do the trick.

Tops: Marni Cardigan, Prabal Gurung Collared Shirt, Slubby Knit Sweat from Top Shop, Allsaints Spitalfields Char Coat
Jeans: HABITUAL Alice Skinny Coated Denim in Chianti
Belt: Reversible Skinny Leather belt by Calvin Klein
Bag: Snakeskin Square Messenger Bag from Zara
Shoes: Isabel Marant Gatsby Pump

Last night nearly the entire fashion industry attended the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala, an annual star-studded gathering also known as the Met Ball.

The usual frenzy around the Conde Nast (well, make that Vogue) sponsored affair was heightened this year because of the designer honored at the event. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty is the forthcoming Met exhibit that celebrates the work of the late Alexander “Lee” McQueen, one of great designers of our time, who passed late last year at only 40. We hear it was the most well attended Met Ball in many years. With everyone from Gisele to Gwyneth, Kate Hudson to Kate Winslet in attendance, this was the hardest ticket in town to come by.

McQueen’s inner circle, still intact, also came together to highlight the work of this great creator, and to usher in the era of Sarah Burton, the Royal dress designer who is taking over the helm for McQueen. Among his collaborators, followers, and muses, Stella McCartney, Salma Hayek, Daphne Guinness, and Colin Firth came out to pay tribute and celebrate Lee. 

At 11pm, party goers moved on to slip into whatever door they could squeeze into. The official Vogue after party at The Crown, hosted by Stella, Anna, François and Salma, proved an even tougher ticket than the ball itself - if you were late, you weren’t getting in. Even Tom Ford was turned away for lingering too long. The McQueen camp headed downtown to Kenmare, where the legendary Amy Sacco was holding court with Sarah Burton. As expected, everyone came together again for a final pit stop at the one and only Boom Boom Room, where Andre Balazs kept the fashion crowd dancing in their Nicolas Kirkwood’s way past 4AM.

Below are five of our favorite looks from the evening.

1. Michelle Williams in a Miu Miu silk dress with gold sequin bird detail

2. Penelope Cruz arrived with (and wore) Oscar de la Renta

3. Christina Hendricks in a rust colored abstract print by Carolina Herrera

4. Christina Ricca in a Zac Posen lace gown

5. Rihanna in black Stella McCartney (and a braid) 

While pictures are all over the web today, Just Jared and Style.com have both put great galleries of the arrivals together.