You’ve got to love a holiday that comes with its own genre of knitwear.  Unfortunately, Christmas Sweaters have gotten a bad rap, and now the only times you see them are either:

1. On your Great Aunt Muriel.
2. On the receptionist at your middle school.  The one with the big glasses and puffy, permed hair.
3. At ugly sweater parties.

Not fair, I say!

Let’s take a look at some Christmas Sweaters that aren’t that bad.

Not a traditional Christmas Sweater, but totally adorable.  And, I’m sure, super toasty for walks over the river and through the snow.

Boreal by Kate Davies

A 1950s-inspired shape with adorable little reindeer and a neat triangle pattern on the front.

The Perfect Christmas Jumper by Susan Crawford

OK, so this one is definitely Christmas-y.  But, look, you can choose between plum pudding, snowmen, and Christmas Pigs!  (All right, they’re probably supposed to be reindeer, but with their little pink noses, they totally look like pigs.  I suppose you could change their antlers into little pointy ears if you wanted to really run with the whole Christmas Pigs angle.)

Love Yarn Christmas Jumper by Fiona Bennet

But, you know what?  The Christmas Sweater is so earnest, so self-aware, and so uncaring of what people think of it.  The Christmas Sweater knows what it is, and is completely OK with its cheerful tackiness.  I can’t let a post about Christmas Sweaters go by without including an actual, honest-to-goodness tacky Christmas Sweater.    So here you go:

Patons Christmas Sweaters by Patons UK