EVELYSS / Guides / Fashion Sense

How to Style a Christmas Jumper: Jeans, Work and Going Out

“The jumper is the joke. Everything else should be dead serious. A reindeer knit with sharp trousers, polished boots and good hair looks witty; a reindeer knit with tinsel earrings and an elf hat looks like a dare.”Her take

Pick a jumper you can actually style

The easiest Christmas jumpers to wear are a proper knit with the pattern worked into it, such as Fair Isle, snowflakes or a single small motif, rather than a thin printed jumper with a cartoon scene or flashing lights. A knitted pattern looks like winter knitwear first and Christmas second, so you'll wear it beyond one party.

Check three things on the hanger. The shoulder seam should sit on your shoulder bone, not halfway down your arm. The hem should land at the hip or just above, so it can be tucked or worn loose. And the knit should spring back when you stretch it gently; thin, floppy knits bag at the elbows by lunchtime.

With jeans: the default outfit

Dark indigo or black jeans make the most of a patterned jumper because they don't compete with it. Straight-leg or slim jeans work with most jumpers; with very chunky knits, a slim leg balances the volume on top. If the knit is bulky, do a loose front tuck, just the middle few centimetres into the waistband, so your waist still shows.

Shoes finish it: leather ankle boots, loafers or clean plain trainers. Add small hoops or studs and leave it there.

For work and Christmas Jumper Day

To keep it office-appropriate, layer a crisp collared shirt underneath so the collar shows at the neck and a little cuff at the wrist. Wear it with tailored trousers, or a knee-length or midi skirt with opaque tights. A blazer or long coat over the top makes it look like a choice rather than a uniform.

If you have meetings, choose a jumper with a small or subtle motif, and keep a plain knit or blazer at your desk for anything formal.

• Desk-friendly: Fair Isle jumper, white shirt collar, navy wide-leg trousers, loafers.
• Skirt option: snowflake jumper tucked into a dark pleated midi skirt, black opaque tights, ankle boots.
• Meeting-proof: small-motif jumper, grey tailored trousers, long camel or navy coat.

For the pub or a casual party

Move the jumper up a level with one dressier piece. A satin midi skirt, leather or faux-leather trousers, or a velvet skirt all look deliberate next to knitwear. Heeled ankle boots or block heels make it evening.

Do your hair and make-up as you would for any night out. A polished face is the quickest way to make a novelty jumper look like it's on purpose.

What not to add

Avoid stacking festive pieces: one theme per outfit. Skip novelty earrings, headbands and festive socks when you're already wearing the jumper. Don't wear it with a printed skirt or patterned trousers, which turns the outfit into noise.

If the jumper has a lot of colour, keep the rest to one or two neutrals that appear in the knit: navy, cream, grey or forest green. Repeating a colour from the pattern in your trousers or shoes ties the whole thing together.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

Knitted pattern over printed, fit at the shoulder, one festive piece only, and everything else as smart as you'd wear without it.

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