Call Scrooge if you want to but we’re not big fans of tacky mens Christmas jumpers. You can be festive – hell, even jolly – without wearing twinkly, captioned knitwear that says, “Tickle My Baubles”. Unfortunately, this is a message lost on a nation where there’s at least one Banter Claus lurking in every office.

In one year alone, the US bought an estimated six million on novelty mens Christmas jumpers in the run-up to the 25th. And perhaps even more alarmingly, for every four garments purchased, one went in the bin shortly after. That’s not just bad news for good style, it’s beyond the naughty list as far as the environment goes.

Sustainability might be the latest buzzword in fashion, but unlike ‘dadcore’ and ‘man bun’ it’s one that actually carries some weight. In 2020, fashion’s throwaway culture emitted 92 million tonnes of waste. For perspective, that dwarfs the amount produced by international flights and global shipping combined. The answer: buy less and buy better. To which the time-honored tradition of the novelty festive jumper is the very antithesis.

So forget heading to the high street the day before your office Christmas party and picking up something even Noddy Holder would squirm at. Instead, invest in something tastefully wintery, well-made, that can be worn right through to spring, this year and beyond.

We’re calling it the everlasting mens Christmas jumper. Here are our favorites.

Fair Isle Jumper

Nobody does knitwear quite like the Scots. And here’s the proof. Fair Isle is a tiny wee island within the Shetland archipelago. Not much happens there, which might be why the locals traditionally keep themselves busy by making knitwear. And not just any knitwear, because Fair Isle is also the name of a local technique that allows intricate patterns to be spun into garments. It’s colorful, timeless and pretty festive looking too.