How to Wear Your Christmas Sweater all Year

Have you ever wanted to fly?  – I’m sure you would if you were a reindeer. To anyone that have seen the inside of my closet, they know all too well I’m a sucker for an animal motif sweater.  Perfect for the holiday season,  these festive woolies are the perfect pop of cute in any holiday ensemble. However, I wear my reindeer and holiday sweaters all year round. In fact, this one was a very thoughtful gift from my beau for Valentine’s day & when you receive a gift that you love so much – why restrict it to one season?

Layering

In winter, layering is not only stylish – but a requirement. I paired my reindeer sweater with my favorite ruffle oxford. Adding a pop of Christmas plaid amplifies the festive look, without being overzealous. In this same way – pairing with a gingham or solid color would tone done the holiday look. Layering with different colors and patterns allows you to alter the look to meet the season.

Neutral Colors

Neutral colors, regardless of the pattern, are essential to repurposing a look. This gray sweater pairs well with all patterns and seasonal palates because of it’s agreeable tone. Here in Boston, winters are cold and long. So – I wear warm sweaters late into March and April. I usually pair this sweater with my pastel pink jacket for an instant warm, but springy look.

Small Prints

Using small, more intricate prints make the sweater more wearable. For example, fair isle sweaters have intricate designs where festive scenes can be hidden. Pieces with giant snowmen and jingle bells are great for the Christmas Party, but are very hard to justify post holiday celebrations. The same goes for sweaters with merry sayings and quotes – it ties them to a certain time of year which restricts their wear.

The Third Piece

The “third piece” is an item that takes an outfit from good to wow. It’s that statement piece that the rest of the outfit “matches”. In this look, I made the sweater the third piece; as it stands out the most. I used plaid, a festive color, and a statement necklace, to emphasize it’s festive quality. However, a bright colored shoe, a scarf or patterned pants would serve to bring the emphasis to another area of the outfit for another season.

Some seasonal picks that I adore: