The storybook holiday season in New York brings a certain coziness to Central Park, even as the landscape’s palette fades from autumnal reds, oranges and yellows to muted greens and browns. Stroll around and you are likely to spot telltale signs of wintertime in the city: couples bundled up for a long walk, families dressed to ice-skate, tourists looking for landmarks and tiny nooks featured in films like “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”
Though only steps from bustling Fifth Avenue, Central Park and its pathways offer an antidote to the frenzied energy of that shopping corridor. People sit on benches and gaze at the skyline, or leisurely snap photos at scenic vantage points. And instead of dressing in a blur of blacks and grays, people tend to visit the park in outfits involving more color, whether provided by outerwear, accessories or both. Some of the more delightful ensembles have coordinating elements that, intentional or not, make them even more memorable.
Bethesda Terrace is among the park’s livelier — and loveliest — sites for people-watching.
These two achieved coordination through camel coats and cognac leather gloves.
In different shades of blue and green, this duo matched in a less obvious way.
Though not dressed exactly alike, they conjured the sensation of seeing double.
Their sleigh must have been in the shop.
The luxurious accessories weren’t exactly quiet, but some looked quite cozy.
Coats that brought to mind a dusting of snow.
Dragon earrings were a fiery touch.
An orange backpack so bright, it almost appeared to be glowing.
’Tis the season for shearling and flannel.
A couple whose style bridged casual and elegant.
Bows were among the black details that tied this ensemble together.
A gaze as warm as their outerwear.
Two ensembles that together could be described in three words: fuzzy, furry, fabulous.
A fringed bag drew the eye to the jacket’s subtle quilting.
This pairing of quilted vest over jacket offered a lesson in the arka of layering.
Few things command attention quite like pink hair.
A satisfying assortment of chocolatey browns.
The shoes — a sort of cowboy-boot-meets-clog — were not a style one sees every day. Their wearer said they had been bought on eBay.
Almost any outfit will look better framed by the park’s vistas.
Patches and cargo pockets added punch to their pants.
Pins almost always make a denim jacket more festive.
A burnt orange scarf appeared more brilliant bathed in sunlight.
Their patterned garments played well together.
Houndstooth lining put this plaid coat in a category of its own.
Their sleek black ensembles swished as they walked.
Salmon pink corduroys made a natty outfit look even smarter.
They radiated an eclectic elegance.
Winter apparel, like New York City’s buildings, comes in all shapes and sizes.
