Put On A Christmas Jumper!
Let's clear this up, once and for all. If it's woolly and has long sleeves, it's a jumper! Sorry, my side of the Atlantic is showing. Anyway, this month Elisabeth Hobbes talks about Christmas jumpers/sweaters, and the systemic sexism inherent in the seasonal aisles.
I’m not a fan of the festive sweater.
Gender divisions never seems more obvious than when faced with a rack of pastel coloured, sparkly ‘Jingle Belles’ and ‘All the Tinsel Ladies’ sweaters for women, while men at least get a bit of fun with Darth Vader saying ‘Luke, I am your Father Christmas’ or pictures of HGVs transporting soft drinks. I like a nice Nordic knit and would happily live in my ski wear from mid-November to March, but I’m just not that into sequins or cuteness.
Oh, the sequins! So uncomfortable! And whoever came up with tinsel cuffs and collars should be strung up by the baubles. That might be the real source of my aversion, in fact. I don’t tend to wear jumpers indoors as I get overheated too quickly, and if I’m outside in winter they’ll be hidden under a coat. There isn’t any point suffering a rash brought on by appliqued robins when no one is going to even see them.
I’ve only ever made one exception to the festive wear rule and that was the t-shirt I spotted in the supermarket (mens’ aisle, unsurprisingly) last year because it was the first one I’ve seen that made me genuinely laugh. It combines two of the things I do enjoy – bad puns and rock music. It doesn’t make me too hot and I can wear it with jeans but it still only comes out on Christmas Jumper Day or at the school fair with a cardie that can be buttoned or not depending on temperature.
I present: Spruce Springsteen.
Elisabeth Hobbes' medieval novels are no stranger to the Christmas Season. Learn more about her and her books at her website, or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.
How do you like your Christmas Jumpers/Sweaters? Cosy or comedy? Meme-tastic or traditional? Comment below or share pictures with our Twitter.
