Typically, novelty fashion and good taste don’t belong in the same sentence. Remember piano neckties and toe socks? Hideous. Christmas jumpers are no exception; I once almost ended things with a boyfriend when he turned up to dinner one December wearing a knit decorated with a flashing snowman (as in lights, not nudity). Reader, it was enough to put one off their Sauvignon.
However, after last year’s lockdown-tinged holiday period, Christmas 2021 is the season for going to town on festive knits. Global fashion shopping platform Lyst, reports searches for Christmas jumpers are up by 61%, while John Lewis & Partners’ has experienced an 116% uptick in sales from 2019. Just hours after the retailer’s festive advert aired on TV, the featured charity Christmas tree jumper sold out.
In the run up to Christmas, we can expect to see festive knits further boom. While many sit firmly in camp naff, not every style is a fashion travesty. Look hard enough and there are ways of embracing seasonal cheer in a chic way.
In fact, when executed well, a Christmas jumper is one of the most useful items in your festive wardrobe. Wear atop a pair of luxe silky pyjama bottoms on Christmas morning, team with coats and boots for your Boxing Day yomp. They can even work for parties; add one to velvet trousers or sequin skirts for a high/low evening look. Choose cleverly and you can also use your knit to cheer up January.
Here are the Christmas jumper style rules to follow.
