Christmas jumpers, once thought stylish only by knitting-needle wielding grannies, are enjoying a renaissance in Britain after being adopted as a festive fashion statement by young revellers.
Responding to soaring demand for the colourful creations, vintage clothing group Beyond Retro has opened a temporary store selling only Christmas jumpers (jerseys) in London's trendy Old Street.
"It isn't just hipsters that are doing it now, it's everybody. Office workers to mums, dads, kids buying them for their whole family, everyone is getting involved, and that's what's so exciting," said Ashley Emerson, head of development at Beyond Retro.
"The novelty knit ... has rocketed up the cool-o-meter this season," said department store Debenhams, which has recorded a 200% increase in sales from last Christmas.
Supermarket Asda has also seen sales take off, with an increase of 160%.
While bargain hunters can still snap up cheap festive jumpers - 100% acrylic - high rollers can easily spend more than £200 (about R3645) on cashmere or alpaca garments.
With competition rife to find the most eye-catching knitwear, those incorporating three-dimensional elements, such as Rudolph's nose or Santa's beard, are especially sought after.
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