An elegant Christmas jumper? Duchess Sophie proved that understated festive knitwear is the way to go

Duchess Sophie’s Christmas jumper proved that festive knits can be elegant and understated.

Right now we’re getting plenty of inspiration from celebrities and royals alike when it comes to Christmas party outfits, but for those days where you don’t want to go all-out with the sparkles and velvet, a Christmas jumper is a brilliant option. It still brings a festive feel to your outfits and although we don’t see as many Royal Family members wearing them, Duchess Sophie has a gorgeous one in her collection. Many people aren’t fans of really out-there Christmas jumpers with light-up detailing and giant Christmas patterns and the Duchess of Edinburgh’s reindeer jumper in 2020 was the perfect understated alternative.

This would be a piece you’d keep in your winter capsule wardrobe year after year as it was primarily neutral. Duchess Sophie wore her jumper when she visited the Shooting Star Children's Hospices charity shop on 9th December and it was black, with long fitted sleeves and a snuggly, ribbed roll neck.

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Running along the top of it was a white reindeer design that made it such a chic take on a Christmas jumper. The reindeer print ran in a single line across the front of the Duchess’ knitwear, with tiny diamond-shaped dots surrounding them. These had the appearance of falling snowflakes and the main section was framed by delicate geometric patterns.

The subtlety of Duchess Sophie’s Christmas jumper is what really made it stand out for us and it oozed sophistication with its minimalist design and colour palette. Although the reindeer motif made it undeniably a festive knit, the monochrome tones and the fact that the pattern didn’t cover the entire jumper made it so much more versatile than other Christmas jumpers we’ve seen.

Duchess Sophie could have styled this with her favourite jeans and boots for an everyday look, but for her visit to the Shooting Star Children’s Hospices Charity Shop she went for a more elevated outfit. The senior royal was there in her role as Patron to help sort items for sale and to dress the window for Christmas and she opted for a comfortable but elegant black midi skirt.

This was easy to move in but had plenty of impact with its fabulous flowing shape and the Duchess looked to have tucked her Christmas jumper into it to create a streamlined silhouette. The bottom hem had a thin line of white piping that echoed the design of her knitwear and she wore a pair of knee high black boots underneath.

Keeping to the monochrome theme, Duchess Sophie layered a black gilet over the top. It had long fluffy lapels that added some textural contrast to her look and it seemed as though the inside was lined in the same material too for extra cosiness. For occasions when you’re not going to be outside for extended periods of time a gilet is great as it helps to keep your body warm, but gives you full ease of movement with your arms and means you won’t overheat.

On really cold days you can also throw on your favourite coat over the top of a gilet for even more insulation. The Duchess of Edinburgh clearly didn’t need this back in 2020 and her Christmas jumper outfit showcased festive knits at their most understated. If you’re looking for something a little different this year, a jumper like hers is such a lovely low-key way to spread Christmas joy.