THE JOURNAL
We’re now well into December. Office-party season, if not in full swing has already swung. Family plans have been made. And bells have been jingled. It’s time we open our wardrobes and dig out the holiday spirit. Christmas movies and end-of-year TV specials have taught us that this means sweaters with reindeer and Santa Claus stitched into cheap red yarn. Think, Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation or Colin Firth in Bridget Jones’s Diary. This is how the holiday knit has been sold to us: ironic, ugly and entirely disposable.
Aesthetics aside, the concept of a festive sweater is romantic at heart. A cosy jumper to wear while we take a few days off from work, connect with our families and reflect on the year that has passed. But at some point around the 1980s and 1990s, the line between cheerful and gimmick was blurred, and the garment became a joke to be worn and thrown away. In 2025, where irony has seeped into every corner of reality and trends move faster than ever, the last thing we want to do is enter the holidays wearing garish novelty knitwear.
But what if, in a reappraisal worthy of It’s A Wonderful Life, the holiday sweater itself was just as considered and authentic as the time of year it represents? Maybe it could also see you into the new year, too.
01. Heritage craft for modern tradition
Intricate design was a part of knitwear long before it meant slapping Rudolph on a Christmas jumper. Aran sweaters, traditionally known for their 3D cable patterns, originated in the Aran Islands of Ireland in the 19th century. Fair Isle knits, which combined different colour threads to create geometric patterns, first appeared in the Shetland Islands of Scotland around the same time.
This was beautiful knitwear crafted for sailors and workers to endure the biting maritime climate. These jumpers would soon be coveted around the world. Modern craftspeople have not only kept these techniques alive but developed them further in the face of a largely trend-driven economy.
One such maker is the Inis Meáin Knitting Company, of the Aran island of the same name. Managing director Marie-Thérèse de Blacam has seen more people begin to appreciate the craft behind the clothes they buy: “I think there is a yearning for real things that have longevity and a deeper meaning and history than just what is a hot trend today and passé tomorrow.”
This approach bodes well for our festive knit. Why opt for a novelty jumper when we can wear something based in real tradition?
02. Making festive look timeless
The goal is to find a knit that embodies the holiday spirit without being imprisoned by it. A sweater that can be worn to the office party and the offsite in February, the family dinner and the casual date.
A subtle burgundy knit is timeless compared to the stereotypical red festive sweater – think a tradition-coded cable-knit sweater by Polo Ralph Lauren or a wool rollneck by SAINT LAURENT. Similarly, deep forest pieces, such as a cable-knit sweater by S.N.S. Herning, will be a lot more wearable than an itchy acrylic version in Grinch green.
Or you might interpret festive to mean something with more contrast and fun. The Elder Statesman is the place for something that is visually interesting with a colour palette that works all year-round, while Fair Isle knits from KAPITAL play with traditional notes.
Details can be even more subtle or abstract. De Blacam cites the multicolour fleck of Inis Meáin’s Boatbuilder rollneck – “It has a fun feel of Knight Rider with old-school Christmas tree lights.”
03. Beyond the crew neck
Your holiday knit doesn’t have to be a crew neck, of course. The best craftspeople bring together fully fashioned knit pieces to create styles that are both fashionable and durable. Inis Meáin knits carpenter cardigans, pub jackets and zip-ups. “A jacket could have up to eight parts to be knitted and linked together,” de Blacam says. “Not many total-look brands or factories bother going to the trouble.”
While knit cardigans have been styled on plenty of celebrities this year, their classic silhouette puts them well above the trend cycle and is endlessly versatile. Something like a wool cable-knit cardigan from Mr P. is snug enough to relax in by the fireplace and light enough to layer with overcoats and jackets through the season. Or take your appreciation for winter fashion to the next level with a shawl collar.
04. A knit for many seasons
These days, so much of the world rushes past us, but our knitwear doesn’t have to. It can be worn this festive season, the next festive season and many more to come – not to mention all the months in between.
“I have plenty of decades-old Inis Meáin sweaters that are still part of my regular rotation,” de Blacam says. “We have a high rate of returning customers, but there comes a point when their wardrobes are full as the pieces generally won’t wear out.”
Quality begins with premium materials, such as cashmere and wool. And remember, the techniques used to make quality knitwear were developed to guide sailors through the harshest of seas. They can withstand even the most chaotic of family festivities.
The ugly holiday sweater is a costume of a time gone by, to be worn by the goofy side character in our favourite Christmas movie, but it doesn’t help us connect with the season. There are far better knits to sit back and enjoy the end of your year in. And if you invest wisely, you’ll be wearing it into 2026 and far beyond that.