Roman Holiday - Part 1 of 3 - A Christmas Gift

Episode Synopsis:  It's Gossip Girl’s first (only?) Christmas themed episode!  If she doesn't celebrate, does that mean Cyrus is Gossip Girl?  Just a thought.  Dan and Serena struggle with finding each other the perfect gift, as Serena naturally wants to throw money at the problem, while Dan wants to give his Penthouse Princess a prezzie on his Brooklyn budget.

Blair’s anticipating the holiday with a hunger usually reserved for pie: Harold is  returning to New York!  But uh-oh...French lover Roman is in tow. Queen B furthermore lives in fear that Chuck will confess their sordid liaisons to Nate, thus “ruining” the “perfect love” she shares with her ex-ex.

Blah blah something about Rufus and Allison, and Lily is forced to make a decision about Bart. Is he human?  Do his chips need upgrading? Is that machine that replaced his heart as useless as it seems?

It’s winter in NYC, which means we get a glimpse of Dan’s snazzy outerwear, instead of just another LL Bean version of the St. Jude’s uniform.

I think we might have seen this jacket before, and I like it even more this time around—the scarf is very cute on him.  The combination doesn’t make it to chic or sophisticated but it’s a step in the right direction.

Oh Dan, I just wish you would stop searching through Rufus’ laundry for his discarded plaid shirts.  And are those maroon colored jeans?  Serena needs to tell him that yes, there is such a thing as being too hipster.

I swear we’ve seen this particular combination on Dan before—in fact, it looks suspiciously similar to a shirt that Rufus wore—but I am certain this is a repeat.  Rather than complaining about this, I’m actually glad to see at least one of the characters maintaining the façade that this is supposed to be real life.  Only in a fantasy world would you wear something once and discard it.  Or maybe if you were on Real Housewives or Keeping up with the Kardashians.

I liked the pattern of this button-up then, and I still like it now, though I am still befuzzled by Dan fashioning himself as the next Mr. Rodgers.  This one is a little better than the striped monstrosity from “Hi, Society,” but not by much.

To deliver Serena’s Christmas present, Dan throws on what must be Rufus’ jacket.  It looks downright lumberjack, which we all know is Rufus’ forte.

It’s not as horrible as it could have been—Dan has youth and the careless attitude that seems to elude his father.  However, if it was really December in New York and supposedly freezing, why is the cardigan not buttoned and the jacket wide open, exposing our dear Humphrey to the elements?

Vanessa gives Dan the best Christmas gift she could—not embarrassing him horribly when she shows up at the St. Jude’s and Constance-Billard Holiday Bazaar.

Of course, since it’s Vanessa, she can’t wear a single piece of clothing that’s un-embellished.  This red scarf, which I do like, and which does look good on her, has some gold sheen to it, as well as an assortment of beaded fringe.  But the simple black jacket is good, and the plain gray stripe shirt she’s wearing underneath evens out the rest.  Plus, her hair and makeup are about as good as they ever get for Vanessa.

Even this outfit she wears to work in the café is a significant improvement.

If you must mix patterns, this is the way you should do it.  I like the subtle purple stripe of Vanessa’s shirt and the flattering jeans. However, I’m not sure how I feel about the leopard print wrap sweater.  From the front, it’s a surprisingly wonderful piece to see Vanessa wearing.  Then you look at the back, and you realize that this is still Vanessa, which means every single compliment is accompanied by about a dozen caveats.

I don’t see why the shrug part was entirely necessary.  It really ruins the whole sweater.

 A simple gold necklace, her normal, ugly gold hoops, and a few bangles complete the look, which is surprisingly understated for Miss Abrams.  Let’s face it, she’s never going to leave the bangles—I challenge you to find any outfit where she isn’t wearing at least one bangle.

Not surprisingly, Serena is initially hesitant about Vanessa’s offer to help select Dan’s Christmas gift, and who can blame her?  It’s not like Serena’s got the greatest taste in the world, but she’s still heads and tails above Vanessa.

Another super cute, yet undeniably sophisticated Serena van der Woodsen school uniform.  I love the muted red of her suede jacket, and the loose tie with the pin.  You can’t see the rest in the above picture, but it’s paired with a short plaid skirt, navy tights and knee high brown boots.  Plus, her hair is absolutely stunning.

Later for Christmas shopping, Serena changes into a figure-hugging stripped sweater dress.

I'm honestly not not a fan of this —horizontal stripes, even in a nice shade of pink, aren’t very flattering on anyone, even if your name is Serena.  The gray tights are hideous.  Nobody should ever wear gray tights, which is a rule I've laid down before.  Keep up, Miss van der Woodsen!

The one positive of the ensemble is the navy blue wool coat and her long blonde waves.  Gorgeous!

She makes up for the sweater dress fail by wearing the most stunning dark crimson sequined tank dress to Eleanor Waldorf’s Christmas party.

I know I point out Serena’s unfortunate affection for sequins frequently, but the party is the right place to wear them.  She gets it right (for once)—though even I have to admit this is more than just right.  The whole outfit is flawless.  I love the fit, and the shade of red with her coloring.  Even the layered delicate gold necklaces are understated and lovely.

Is it any wonder that Dan’s rendered nearly speechless when he finds her surrounded by fake snow?  I don’t think she could have picked a better Christmas present for him.

Christmas morning, Serena makes the walk of shame home and changes into this.

Yeah, that’s exactly what you wear for opening gifts with your family.  At this point I would ask if Serena has any notion of propriety, but then we already know the answer to that one.  It’s not even that it’s ugly—it isn’t, it’s a gorgeous negligee.  I don’t know if I would have paired it with a baby pink robe, but that’s beside the point.  My issue is more with the appropriateness of what she’s wearing during this particular occasion.

Jenny and Eric are on hand to help their siblings find the perfect Christmas gift for their loved ones.  Jenny in particular seems to know exactly what Christmas attire calls for.

This black and white houndstooth coat is stunning on her, and what an adorable red knitted cap!  I don’t even care that the entire Constance-Billard choir is wearing the same hats; it still looks brilliant on her.  Eric Daman did a great job with red in the wardrobe this episode.

This particular outfit is less successful.  The shirt itself is not awful—I like the knit detailing on the neckline.

But those plaid pants are just utter fail.  Good thing the Queen B didn’t see her rival wearing those.  That's prime blackmail material.

Yes, this is two plaids, but I can’t help but think Jenny looks adorable. The plaid hooded jacket with the cinched waist is very flattering on her.

Plus the leggings with the contrasting socks paired with boots are really cute.  She looks like a much younger, slightly less sophisticated version of Serena. And yes, I mean that as a compliment.

Christmas morning, she even wears the same two colors as Serena does, except Jenny’s pajamas are night and day from her older doppelganger.

I know I use the term “cute” in conjunction with Jenny way too often while writing blogs, but there’s no other word that fits this particular ensemble.  It’s so Jenny and so adorable.  In fact, I think I had pajamas similar to those when I was her age.  A great, age-appropriate touch of realism.

Eric shows up to the Waldorf’s Christmas Party wearing a much-improved version of a typical Dan outfit.

He too is wearing a cardigan (or is it a sweater?  I can’t tell), but it works here, plus I love the maroon color with the white shirt and brownish-gold tie.

Plus, his hair looks excellent--one of the few times it actually looks good through four seasons.

He apparently got the memo, unlike his sister Serena, that early-morning family occasions aren’t the time to wear as little clothing as possible.

What an adorable plaid robe—I love his casual t-shirt because it's just the sort of thing a teenage boy would sleep in.

A Marlins jersey?  What was Bart thinking?  I hope Eric stuffs it a drawer and forgets he even owns it.