The Case for the Christmas Jumper
Few items come with as much baggage – and little of it good – as the Christmas jumper. Usually a poor fit (stretched and shapeless or uncomfortably snug); frequently with a dire pattern and crafted from something with the same flame retardant qualities as a bonfire. Often bought under duress for a work social event and worn with the same joie de vivre one might expect to find in an hour-long passport queue.
The problem is that it’s easy to then discount all knitwear worn around this time of year, when in fact it should be a wardrobe staple. Trust us on this: the best elements of the Christmas Jumper can be retained, but flipped into something more stylish, if you just choose carefully and correctly. The anti-Christmas-Christmas Jumper, if you will.
Firstly, there’s the simple element of comfort. We live in a glorious country with frequently inglorious weather, and if you’re braced for potentially months of cold, rain, mist, drizzle and a general blanket of meteorological greyness, then a baggy handknit is perfect. Comfort, breathability, layering, decently water-retardant – there’s a very good reason why these things were originally the preserve of fishermen and farmers.
If you’re still haunted by the ghost of bad Christmas jumpers past, start by experimenting with texture rather than pattern. A cable crew neck adds depth to a layered outfit, with the cashmere in the yarn ensuring it’s super-soft to touch. Bolder, but still classic is a Fairisle – the finely gauged geometric pattern nods to the season, but won’t look ridiculous the minute Boxing Day arrives. Similarly, the Shetland is a timeless classic – a bit Ivy League, a bit Paul-McCartney-getting-his-head-together-in-Scotland-post-Beatles – and while the obvious options are a dark green, deep navy or a rich port, more adventurous gents could make it work in yellow, orange or a soft pink. Like pattern, a pop of colour says ‘party season’ without saying ‘forced fun.’
A bit of pattern and colour also makes knits far more flexible than you might remember. In finer fabrics like a cashmere mix, cardigans work well as an additional layer to add more weight to
your jacket; shawl collars look great with an oversized raglan sleeve overcoat; roll neck jumpers can have a manly hint of Das Boot when you wear them big in Donegal merino, but go for a more fitted option in a lighter knit and they smarten up with a sports coat or blazer.
The case for reclaiming the Christmas jumper starts now. Lean into colour, pattern, texture and quality and it’s an investment piece that won’t just get you through the festive season, but will
last for the years ahead. Reclaim the eye-catching, strokable, super-soft jumper from the nylon novelty scrapheap and have a very stylish Christmas.
