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John Lewis has arguably done more for the modern British Christmas than any other shop, and not only because of the advert. The festive knitwear here is at the sensible, well-made end of the market – jumpers you buy once and keep, rather than jumpers you buy and bin.
What you are paying for is the quality of the knit and the consistency of the fit. Wool and wool-blend Fair Isle, cashmere-mix cardigans, lambswool with a single embroidered motif, and children’s festive knitwear that will survive being handed down to a sibling. The own-brand lines are quietly excellent value for what they are, and the department-store model means the proper knitwear labels sit alongside them for comparison.
It is also the most reliable place on this list for the understated Christmas jumper – the one you can wear to the office in the first week of December without declaring anything. If that is what you are after, look at the fine-gauge knits with a small motif rather than the novelty rail. And the January sale is genuinely a sale, so a festive jumper bought on the 28th at a serious discount is a perfectly respectable bit of planning for next year.
