Winter is in full swing which means we have now entered peak jumper season. Whilst ugly Christmas jumpers are pretty much inescapable, it's classier Nordic knit cousin is a fabulously cosy and way less garish option for those who want to keep warm in style. This is a must-have item for both those into Scandinavian styling and the consistently cold.

The Origin of Nordic Knitwear

The traditional Nordic sweater features a wide decorative pattern around the neckline which is the same all the way around, meaning that you can wear it either way round and it wouldn't make a difference. It's named from the Icelandic lopapeysa from "Lopa" meaning wool and "peysa" translating to the sweater.

What are Nordic jumpers made from?

The real deal is always made from pure Icelandic wool with both inner and outer fibres that originate from sheep bred over 1000 years in sub-Arctic climates. There's nothing else quite like it in the world and anything manufactured else wear is considered a knockoff, the quality texture of the genuine product is both glossy and water resistant.

The Story behind the iconic Nordic pattern

You won't find many bright colours in these cuddly creations as the wool is mostly used in its natural hues: black, brown, grey and white. Although knitting came to Iceland in the mid-sixteenth century, this style of the jumper wasn't adopted until around the 1950's when they became an invented symbol of national identity following the countries' break away from Denmark. It's argued that the pattern draws inspiration from South American, Turkish and Swedish designs.

Norwegian variants of the Winter staple dates as far back as the 1500s and contribute to some of the most popular designs of the sweater to date. These versions of the Nordic sweater tend to be ever so slightly more colourful than their Icelandic counterparts. Two of the most renowned patterns attributed to this style are the setesdal lusekofte and the fana cardigan sweater.

Nordic Knitwear in Popular Culture

Nordic knit sweaters have been popular for Ski holidays since the 1930s. The 1950s saw the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly wearing these knit classic, right through the 1970s where Nordic knitwear became all the fashion for everyday winter wear.

Ingrid Bergman 1940s

The jumper was originally designed by Anna-Lisa Mannheimen around 1940 and the red edge pattern is a signature look from Swedish born actress Ingrid Bergman.

Grace Kelly 1960s

The ever so chic Princess, and one of the worlds all-time timeless style icons. Seen here in a simple Nordic design cardigan in the late 1960s.

Prince Charles 1980s

It’s not every day you call Charles for some style inspo, but this cardigan polo neck combination is a must-have look for winter in a look that screams James Bond ski holiday.  

Amy Pond in Dr Who 2011

A modern take on the traditional jumper, and the beginning of the craze of wearing festive knitwear on Christmas day. Amy Pond from Dr Who pulls off a take on a traditional pattern from 1930s ski knitwear.

Nordic Knitwear We Love

Nowadays, Nordic and Scandinavian sweater fashions can be seen everywhere from the catwalk to the high street, and everywhere in between. Style them with a pair of high waisted jeans and a sturdy pair of winter boots and you'll have yourself the cosiest ever Winter outfit, ready to tackle the great outside or cuddle up with a book indoors.

Men's Nordic Jumper

Nordic Jumper

The more traditional men's Nordic jumper isn’t just for a weekend of fishing in the icey scandi countryside, they are the perfect winter warmer and a staple wardrobe piece! Whatever era your style falls under, they are a go-to paired with classic wool-blend trousers and high top Converse for the ultimate daytime look.

Nordic Cardigan

Nordic Cardigan

The cosier cousin of the jumper, your cardigan can take any outfit a long way! Go for classic 1960s look and pair yours with a simple polo neck and high waisted capri pants, you can also dress this up for Christmas day and pair with a vintage dress, perfect after Christmas dinner and way too many glasses of Baileys...

Non-Traditional Jumper

Nordic Jumper

The bolder the better when it comes to a non-traditional Nordic knit. Great for everyday wear and enough to brighten up anyone’s cold Monday morning. Pair with vintage Levis and ankle boots for a timelessly on trend look.

Inspired? Read more about the humble Christmas jumper on our ultimate guide and show off your purchased on Instasgram by tagging #beyondretro.

Blogger @livpurvis in one of our vintage Nordic Knits

Words Mary Costello

What's that we hear you moan...? "Not Christmas already, it's only just been Halloween". Here at Beyond Retro HQ we are prepping for the Yuletide festivities and we would hate for you to miss out, so act soon if you want to get ahead of the curve and snap up one of these bad boys! 

Once the embarrassing gift from your granny, the black sheep of the sweater family is preparing for a full fashion invasion, proving there's truth in the phrase 'one person's tacky is another girl's treasure'.  It's the return of the Christmas Jumper and it ain't for the faint-hearted.

We all remember the infamous Bridget Jones scene where Mark Darcy (RIP) turns up in a rather fetching roll-neck affair decorated with a reindeer. The sweater has come along way since the days of Timmy Mallet (who'd have thought he was ahead of his time in the fashion stakes?) and much of this can be attributed to the hipster.

Black Christmas Jumper 

'Ugly Christmas Jumper' parties thrown by undergrads in Vancouver ensured that the competition for the most vile Christmas garb spread like wild fire amongst the urban bohemian youth. Any fans of the popular Danish thriller, 'The Killing'? Well, Sarah sure does rock those fair isle knits and has single-handedly popularized an array of snowflake patterned jumpers.

There's something of a comical irony in wearing sweaters of this variety and, whether it's that or the desire to go back to the home comforts of childhood Christmases, somewhere along the line they've become popular with fashionistas and the mainstream alike.

Green Christmas Sweater

So the ugly jumper has made a come back, bobbles, sparkles and Christmas trees a plenty; offering a generous helping of Christmas cheese to all. The so-bad-they're-good sweaters make for ideal gifts or, let's face it, a little gift to yours truly. 'Tis the season to be jolly, so pull on some festive gear and get ready to spread some good ol' festive cheer!   

Shop All Christmas Jumpers Here!

It may be the most wonderful time of the year but the sheer amount of waste that occurs every festive season isn’t exactly bringing joy to the world. According to WRAP (Waste And Resources Action Programme), every year 500 tonnes of Christmas tree lights are thrown out as are 277,000 miles of wrapping paper, 74 million mince pies, 2 million turkeys and 250 tonnes worth of tree. That’s not even half of it!

But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to drop the festivities and immediately become a Scrooge, far from it! With a little bit of innovation, you can have yourself a merry little Christmas, just with a touch more sustainably. Here are a handful of ideas to keep you rockin’ around the responsibly sourced Christmas tree come December 25th.

Swap The Wrapping Paper For Something Even Cuter

Whilst recycling your used wrapping paper is an incredibly environmentally kind thing to do, getting rid of the stuff completely would be ideal. Trading a potential paper cut infliction for something soft and reusable such as a silk scarf, not only looks fabulous but will be treasured for life (or reused again to wrap your present next year). It’s essentially an extra gift. See our handy GIF for reference of assembly.

Buy a set of three silk scarves from our website, or come into one of our stores to find the perfect pattern yourself.

Ask What They Want

To reduce the fear of seeing your hard sought Christmas present in your local charity shop come New Years, or worse: the bin, have you ever considered asking your chosen recipient what they actually want? Perhaps instead of that kind of cute but totally unnecessary onesie you’ve been eyeing up in a branch of your preferred fast-fashion chain store, they are in dire need of a new sweatshirt after managing to spill red wine all down theirs at the work Christmas party. Think about it.

Shop Vintage And Second Hand

One man’s trash is another one’s treasured Christmas gift! Not only does shopping vintage and secondhand drastically reduces negative impacts on the world around us but the quality of genuine vintage clothing is way better than modern-day high street garb. One pair of brand new jeans uses over 5000 pints of water in the production line, and you don’t need that kind of guilt playing on your mind when there’s delicious food to be eaten and perfect telly to be watched.

Buy Vintage Christmas Jumpers

You’ve probably heard us go on about how vintage is one of the best ways to reduce your environmental impact, but it’s true! And besides, no Christmas is complete without a jazzy jumper. Shop unique throwback styles complete with all the usual trimmings to bring some extra Christmas spirit to your celebration.

Vegan Food Christmas Alternatives

Although meat eaters literally won’t stop going on about pigs in blankets every festive season, raising livestock causes over half of the world’s global emissions and animal farming creates around 18% of all greenhouse gases. Swapping to a nut roast with deliciously seasoned vegetables and a veggie stuffing could warm your stomachs without contributing to global warming.

Sustainable Decorations

Forking out for new tinsel and baubles every year, only for them to be cast away to sit in landfills forever isn’t so jolly. Try opting for something a little kinder like hung pine cones or chains made from recycled paper, even turning your old CDs into baubles. You can even make little gingerbread shapes and attach them to your tree using ribbon!

Gift Vouchers

There’s nothing worse than receiving a present you’d never use, except maybe being the giver of the said gift. Let your loved one choose some goodies for themselves with a gift card, which we have available both online and in store. Waste not, want not.

Cutting Christmas Waste

We live in a society where being 100% waste free is genuinely impossible, but there are a few tricks to making it a little bit better. Cut down on your Christmas waste by donating any leftovers to food banks, downloading the Olio no waste food app and reusing gift bags when possible!

Out With The Old

In the disastrous event of receiving a gift so horrendous and unlike anything you’d ever imagine owning, or maybe your new gift renders an old favourite useless, perhaps you should consider donating elsewhere. Either drop it off at a local charity shop or re-gift to someone who could really need it. And after all, there’s always eBay, Depop, Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree!

Stuck for gifting ideas? Check out our online store and bag yourself or your loved ones the perfect Christmas present from our website. 

Party season is well underway and there's no better inspiration for vintage party wear than the infamous Studio 54.

The former nightclub located at 254 West 54th Street, bang in between Eighth Avenue and Broadway in Manhattan, was the pinnacle of 70's hedonism.

World famous for it's beyond imaginatively themed parties where everybody from postmen and retail assistants would be rubbing shoulders to disco tunes with celebrities and the incredibly wealthy, granted you were dressed fabulously enough to get past the lucrative doormen.

One time Bianca Jagger even rode in across the dance floor on a white horse - totally iconic! 

How To Get The Look

With December being the time for celebrating, whether it be your work Christmas party or New Year's Eve with your very best friends, there's no doubt that it's time to dress to impress and this year we're fully inspired.

Channelling our inner diva, we're into velvet dresses under 70s shearling coats in every colour and statement accessories or shimmering hosiery to match.

It's time to get on your dancing shoes and the higher the heel the closer to God. We recommend the biggest platform shoes known to mankind because le freak, c'est chic. 

Not only does layering up to protect you from the bitter cold (seriously, it's minus two degrees at the time of writing this) but it gives you more of a chance to show off your look and exquisite styling skills. Throw a glamorous jacket over a sparkly vintage roll neck, a silk scarf over a retro jumper or even a raunchy fishnet body under a flared leg jumpsuit. Even making an entrance in a striking faux fur jacket for extra fabulousness wouldn't go amiss. After all, you can always ditch it in the cloakroom when things start hotting up. 

✨Shop party tops ✨

Whilst Studio 54 unfortunately closed down forever following the owner's arrest over tax evasion, it's still possible to party like we're there.

Although arriving on an animal is probably more hassle than it's worth, it's almost necessary to go all out just to keep the spirit of the outrageous venue alive. 

✨ Shop the perfect NYE look ✨

Photographer: Greg Bailey 
Make up: Evie Eden 
Styling/Direction: Charlotte Lewis
Assistants:Mary Costello + Hatti Rex
Models: Chanel Ava Theo 

The Beast from the East hold up a weekend of vintage shopping at our garage sale? Well, we've extended our HUGE garage sale FOR ONE DAY ONLY!