For Men: Best stylish alternatives to the novelty Christmas jumper

Make sure to give anything too glittery or jangly a very wide berth

Ditch the festive knitwear and opt for something more trendy this season

There’s no excuse for wearing a Christmas sweater, unless of course it’s Christmas Sweater Day (which, by the way, was last week). Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for patterned knits in general, just not the sub-standard festive themed kind.

Unfortunately, scour any bar or pub at this time of year and you'll find grown men, whatever the day, wearing a jumble of Christmassy woollens. And like an army of latter-day Mark Darcy’s from the 2001 film Bridget Jones’s Diary, it can often feel like an all-out assault on delicate eyes. Bah humbug to that.


 If you do go for something warm and woven, keep it trendy (Prada Autumn/Winter 2016)

This doesn’t mean that you have to be a total Grinch about brightly coloured eye-catching knitwear, but you do have to give anything too glittery or jangly a very wide berth. There are few things in this life that look sillier than a grown man wearing a snowman or elf emblazoned across his chest. Basically, you avoid the kitsch.

Stripes are always a first-class alternative. As are blocks of colour and anything printed. And if your chosen Yuletide knit has to include some kind of animal, at least make sure it’s a beast that has a tad more originality than a robin or a reindeer.

Your new off-centre knits also earn you bonus points because of their longevity; come Boxing Day you won't have to immediately consign it to the back of your wardrobe and can bring in the New Year with a wee bit of style.