What better scarf to write about, than Julia Abadie’s, Plumes et Grelots, one of the many much loved Christmas and Winter scarves.

At the center of this scarf are several quite ornate horse drawn sleighs or carriages.  Horse drawn carriages and sleighs became quite the rage in central Europe in the early nineteenth century.  This came about as affluent Europeans traveled to Russia in particular St. Petersburg, where they would so often fall under the spell of the city’s winter splendor and the beauty of the river Neva.

Charmed not just by St. Petersburg’s splendor, but also the “unusual” means of transportation used by the locals, many Europeans returned home full of inspiration.

These magical excursions sparked the imagination of the good society of Western Europe, which started to commission sleighs in the most luxurious and extravagant shapes although they could only be used occasionally and that many times only for short periods of time during the year.

I cannot help myself but include a link to an ad by Cartier, L’Odyssée de Cartier, which is a short film and ad from 2012.  

Featuring a lovely scene from the St. Petersburg, it is quite appropriate for this time of the year.  

Let yourself be taken away to a bygone era, sleigh rides through a winter wonderland and at last to our beloved Paris…

Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season to You and Your Loved Ones

from Carre de Paris