Christmas Jumper Round-up

The return of the Christmas jumper is upon us, and it is bigger than ever in 2014.

Even if you don’t own a Christmas jumper, you will have inevitably seen them whilst wandering around town. The kitsch style of Christmas jumpers is viewed as ironically fashionable, with celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift being spotted wearing them.

Traditionally, these jumpers were viewed as ghastly and treated like some-what of a joke. However, they have witnessed a resurgence of popularity in recent years, with the general consensus being ‘the more ostentatious, the better’.

High street stores such as Top Shop and Urban Outfitters have ample stock of Christmas jumpers, ranging from around £30-£60. However, if you’re after a more high-end look, Ralph Lauren sells a snowflake-patterned jumper for £785, whilst a Stella McCartney design featuring two reindeer goes for £695. But for all you fellow students, don’t worry – we can always rely on Primark to supply us with a cheap and cheerful version for £10-£20!

But, how did this trend even start? My first memory of a Christmas jumper, other than the sadistic teasing of my Dad every Christmas, would have to be Bridget Jones’ Diary. Who remembers when Mark Darcy sported an attractive green reindeer number? Amazon date this trend back to 2011, when they saw an incredible 600% increase in the sale of Christmas jumpers!

Since then Christmas jumpers have become so popular that a ‘Christmas Jumper Day’ has been going for 3 years. This day is in aid of the Save the Children charity, with the idea being that you pay a pound or two and wear your snazziest Christmas jumper to school or work. What’s even more interesting about this is that the government have pledged to match every pound given – meaning donations are doubled! The hashtag #xmasjumperday saw a tremendous takeover of everyone’s timelines on Friday 12 December, with £49,569 already raised.

So, have you got yours yet?