The Christmas jumper is a red herring. The most important jumper in your wardrobe is the January jumper, not the festive one. In January, knitwear is the fourth emergency service. This sounds melodramatic, but just imagine trying to get through January without jumpers. The thought of it makes me shiver.
The January jumper is a lifeline – your friend on a dark morning, your ally on a cold commute. The most important characteristic of it is, naturally, that it keeps you warm. This is the season for proper jumpers, so there is no place for a cropped hem or an openwork cobweb knit. A January jumper needs to be made of sturdy stuff, to keep body warmth in and draughts out, and leave minimal skin exposed. Those are the basics.
But a good jumper will warm your cockles, not just your core. The joy isn’t just in the warmth it brings; it’s in being a reassuring presence. A cosy arm around your shoulders. When the alarm goes off, and you are lying under the duvet, the thought of a January jumper should help make the day feel doable. When the world feels like hard work, a good jumper makes it that little bit easier.
There are at least three main types of January jumper. If you’re going to wear one most days this month – which is my plan – you will need at least two of the three (can’t let personal hygiene slide entirely, people, even in January). First, is the cheer-up jumper, the one that wraps you in a hug when you’re feeling grumpy. Here, I recommend leaning into dopamine dressing, with a jumper in a delicious colour. There will be plenty of time later in the year to show off your taste in exquisitely understated oatmeal knits or to do high drama in black. But January needs joy. And a jumper in Berocca orange or cherry red will give as much of a lift as a vitamin C shot.
Second, there’s the office-worthy jumper, one that’s smart enough for work on days when you can’t face wearing anything non-cosy but need to look sharp. Your friend here is the decorative button. It could go at the collarbone, the cuff, or both, but it really helps. The Seattle rollneck by female-founded British brand Holland Cooper is excellent for knitwear with shiny hardware to lend polish – its cable-knit rollneck is £99.
Last but not least, in the triptych of January jumpers, is the one that works for low-key socialising. A local meal out, the pub, the cinema, that sort of thing. Still worth making an effort for, especially since most nights are sofa nights, so anything else counts as thrilling. Off-the-shoulder knits are having a moment, Phoebe Philo having given them the stamp of approval in her first collection. Philo’s are both eye-wateringly expensive and now sold out, but the Bardot jumper by independent sustainably minded brand Albaray (£65) would be a smart choice. There is something very sensual about bare skin against the texture of knitwear. But to be honest, I can’t always face a bare shoulder in January and often end up reaching for a very high-necked polo neck instead. Generously sized, and accessorised with a mega earring or a statement necklace, a high-necked knit can bring after-dark-worthy drama.
A jumper is an emotional purchase, because the impact on your mood is absolutely the point. Think twice, though, before reaching for marshmallow-soft, cottontail-bunny knits. These are designed to have maximum shelf appeal, but they don’t tend to age well. That candyfloss fluffiness desiccates into something more like dry breadcrumbs after being machine-washed, or from friction inside your coat. Textured jumpers age better. If post-Christmas funds will stretch to it, take a look at the Donegal arans by Moss + Cable, whose sweaters start around £150. January is a challenge, no doubt about that. But in the right jumper, you can pass with flying colours.
Hair and make-up: Sophie Higginson using Curlsmith and Susanne Kaufmann. Model: Selena at Milk. Jumper: Essentiel Antwerp. Polo shirt: Cefinn from Matches Fashion. Earrings: Misho Designs
