There is something faintly ridiculous about Christmas jumpers but that’s why we love them.
They have come a long way in recent years and many are now vaguely flattering with longer lines, softer fabrics and subtle motifs.
Some are so understated that it may not be obvious at first glance what is and what isn’t a Christmas jumper until a closer look reveals the repeating pattern of a tiny reindeer or striped candy cane.
But is subtle really what we want from a Christmas jumper? Isn’t the real joy in them that they are garish and silly?
Not that long ago, if you wanted a Christmas jumper you had to knit one – and no-one ever actually wanted a Christmas jumper, they were foisted upon them by well-meaning aunts and grannies.
And then something happened, overnight the Christmas jumper was so uncool it was cool, and then it became mainstream, as is so often the case in fashion.
Suddenly the shops were full of the sort of garments we had previously only worn under protest.
Christmas jumper days were organised in offices up and down the land, sometimes to raise money for charity because some people still needed a reason to don something so daft.
But this year is different, we don’t need a reason, we just need any excuse to smile and to feel like things are slowly getting back to normal.
And if wearing a loud jumper with tufts of tinsel, lights and even sound effects is an indicator of normality, then bring it on.
Season’s greetings:
