COVER STORY:
Sweaters that jingle jangle jingle
Jennifer Mellace
Photography by C. Kurt Holter
Winter 2007 Issue
| The staff at Antietam Travel Service Inc. enjoy sharing their cheery holiday spirit by wearing their themed garments each year. From left are Pat O'Beirne, Julie
Shanholtz, Alex Bohn, Amy White, Bill Cleveland, Linda Cleveland, Sandy Heil, Nancy Roberson, Shirley Price, Debbie Riffle and JoAnn Lindgren.
 |
Think about it. Movies poke fun - remember Mark Darcy from Bridget Jones's Diary wearing his affable reindeer jumper? Or, how about the annual "Ugly Holiday Sweater parties" cropping up around the country?
There are photos all over the Internet of these party-goers wearing some pretty crazy sweaters. And, while some of those who attend claim to despise the sweaters they're wearing, maybe (just maybe) they're secretly in heaven for that one festive-sweater-wearing night.
Thankfully, there are those who take great pleasure in the existence of the holiday sweater. Women — and some men — delight in jolly Santas, playful reindeer and ruddy snowmen that adorn the cozy sweaters, vests and sweatshirts. For those who don't care for all the accoutrements, there are scores of stylish "embellished" tops — ones with faux fur trim, beading and sparkly sequins.
The Doneger Group, a leading source of global market trends and merchandising strategies to the retail and fashion industry, has found there's a broader customer profile for these embellished sweaters.
"Metallics, chunky embellishments and sequins are being shown in trendy stores such as Zara, H&M and better department stores," says Gail Barken, a market analyst in knitwear for Doneger.
"Many people use them for desk to dinner during holiday times, as well as evening sweaters and entertaining. And, the consumer is accepting these embellished looks not only for fourth quarter, so the shelf life is much longer."
|
|
