The Christmas jumper has become the funny, almost ridiculous, item of clothing in our wardrobes that we pull out once a year for the much forgiving festive season. Not only do the holidays allow us to watch old movies and stuff ourselves with mince pies, cake and other sweets, we can also dress in cosy jumpers with tacky embellishments, cheesy slogans and motifs of reindeers, Christmas puddings, Santa Claus or snowmen (think Bridget Jones and Marc Darcy).

As the Christmas craze has most definitely come upon us this year, it is the right time to consider what our Christmas jumper of choice will be for this season. As per usual, for all the traditionalists out there, the market is full of options with Rudolphs, gingerbread men and elves. But for the ones tired of the sometimes absurd Christmas aesthetic and with love for a stylish jumper, there are more wearable and chicer choices available without losing the Christmas spirit altogether.

SHIFT has rounded up the Top 10 set to inspire.

1. SAVE THE CHILDREN Bella Freud x Kate Moss sweater at Matchesfashion.com £365

E-shopping website Matchesfashion.com teamed up with Save the Children and asked five London-based fashion designers and their model muses to design a Christmas jumper exclusively for the site, with all the profits going to the charity. SHIFT chose Bella Freud’s collaboration with Kate Moss – a rebellious black jumper with simple white writing on the front reading Fairytale of New York and Punk at the back as Freud and Moss are a couple of punks themselves.

2. SAVE THE CHILDREN Henry Holland x Dree Hemingway sweater at Matchesfashion.com £365

A more colourful option in the same project comes from Henry Holland and his team-up with Dree Hemingway. The result is a pink jumper with red sleeves, each in a different shade, and the slogan Jolly. That’s for the braver ones.

3. MARKUS LUPFER Lara Lip sequined merino wool sweater at Net-a-porter £315

Markus Lupfer and his witty knitwear has become famous by now. His ivory merino wool jumper with frosty white sequined lips was inspired by model Lara Stone’s lips and the gap in her front teeth. This jumper will be perfect for singing Santa Baby.

4. TOD’S Intarsia wool and cashmere-blend sweater £620

A very modern approach was taken at the Italian brand Tod’s with an abstract geometrical take on Christmas decorations in navy or white.

5. & OTHER STORIES Embellished merino wool sweater £79

Meanwhile & Other Stories has made a jumper in black with wide sleeves and high neck embellished with stones resembling the sparks of fireworks. So chic it could be worn to a party.

6. MARKS & SPENCER Stud embellished star jumper £25

Marks & Spencer also took fireworks as its inspiration in the form of thin strands of studs again on a background as black  as the night sky.

7. H&M Embellished jumper £14.99

A revamp with a discreet hint of Christmas also seems to be popular. H&M gave a fashionable remake to a typical green jumper with a collar embellishment bringing mistletoe to mind.

8. 3.1 PHILLIP LIM Embellished wool and cashmere-blend sweater at Mytheresa.com £350

3.1 Phillip Lim brought a grey sweater to life with little black tasselled bows as embellishment that will definitely be fun to wear while unwrapping presents.

9. ASOS Boxy jumper with chunky high neck £35

Even Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones swapped her snowman ensemble for a simpler ivory rib knit for the first shot from Bridget Jones’s Baby, the latest film in the Bridget Jones series that is currently being filmed. So maybe a minimal version by Asos might be appropriate this year, getting rid of all the extras and reducing the seasonal spirit only to its recognisable colour – red.

10. J. CREW Brushed wool-blend crewneck sweater £98

That can also be performed with a pattern, specifically tartan, widely associated with the warmth of Christmas and fireplace like this J. Crew dark red one which will be great to enjoy exactly that.

Published 24/11/2015 at shiftlondon.org