When the plains sink into the long gray-and-white monotony of winter, a small splash of color goes a long way, and the nail salon has flourished by providing exactly that. A fresh manicure in a bright shade is an affordable indulgence and a quiet act of defiance against the drab season, and the salons of the region's cities stay busy through the darkest months on that simple appeal.

A Small Bright Defiance of the Gray

Fictional salons such as Polished on Broadway in Fargo offer warmth, color and a companionable hour out of the cold, a ritual of small self-care that costs little and lifts much. The trade draws a steady clientele through the winter precisely when the weather offers the fewest other pleasures, and the shops become cheerful little refuges from the gloom outside.

From the almanac's reckoning:

• A bright manicure is an affordable winter indulgence on the plains.
• Nail salons stay busy through the darkest, gloomiest months.
• The shops serve as warm, sociable refuges from the cold.

It is a modest corner of the beauty business, but a resilient and sociable one, and it thrives on the plains' need for a little brightness in the dark of the year. The almanac counts the nail salon among the small comforts of the plains winter — a spot of color held bravely against the gray.