Christmas jumpers are becoming more and more acceptable in the so-called ‘fashion world’ as years go by. If there had to be a food metaphor for every clothing item out there, they would probably be paired up with something like tomatoes or mushrooms. You either love them or hate them. What many people don’t realize though is that, in both scenarios, your opinion on them mostly depends on what they’re paired with.
They’re being sold at all sorts of clothing shops: from Primark to Jack Wills, and worn by all kinds of different people. Until recently, anyone who considered themselves relatively fashionable wouldn’t even dare try a Christmas jumper on in a shop, let alone buy it. Wearing one is no longer something you reluctantly do for your Grandmother’s family gathering, for the sole purpose of taking that seemingly content, yet forced family photo. The market’s supply for them is increasingly seeing a higher demand, but there’s different kinds and they’re not all weighed equally.
Presuming the goal is to walk into the forum without looking like you’ve worn your little brother’s art project on you, bold jumpers aren’t the answer
You’ll never be short of options as these seemingly warm gems come in printed or embroidered patterns. When deciding to buy a Christmas jumper, you cannot merely rely on what looks ‘cute’ on the shelves, but what will look good on you. A thick, yellow, knitted Christmas Jumper with a printed snowman in the center of it may look adorable when thrown onto a mannequin in M&S. However, just because it looks good on a plastic and unrealistic representation of the human body, doesn’t mean it won’t make you look ridiculous.
Presuming the goal is to walk into the forum without looking like you’ve worn your little brother’s art project on you, bold jumpers aren’t the answer. There’s a very fine line between a striking patterned jumper and a glittery hot mess, but it’s a risk you should be willing to take- for the sake of festivity. What has perhaps helped in making Christmas jumpers more mainstream and socially acceptable is possibly the desired look of an urban bohemian-hipster.
If you want to play it safe and are willing to look as generic as it can get in Exeter, then wearing an oversized Christmas jumper with leggings would be the look you should be aiming for. Similarly, Christmas patterned cardigans look just as good when paired with relatively neutral colours; in either case, it would be advised to avoid a clash of bright colours in your outfits. Alternatively, if you chose to wear your Christmas jumper with nothing else on, whilst avoiding the unbearable hassle of cohesively pairing it with an outfit, I wouldn’t blame you. Nor would I mind. Besides, Christmas is ‘the season to be jolly.’