Canceled office parties hit Christmas bird sales | Life and style

The ugly birthday The jumper is almost ubiquitous like bad jokes at crackers, but with so many of us stopping to work from home and in the office, seasonal sweaters have dropped sales for the first time in nearly a decade.

Although Lidl’s supermarket chain Microsoft By introducing their own jackets, sales have been slow.

“When the epidemic first appeared in March, we saw an 80% drop in sales overnight,” said Nicklaus Morton, co-founder of the seasonal clothing store. Drunk Elves, Whose biggest sales include Father Christmas recreating a portrait of Kim Kardashian Paper magazine Shoot, and one displays a caricature of saxophonist Kenny J, who is shirtless, with the slogan “Christmas saxophone”

“We have been able to grow every year since 2011 [but] My sense is that in times of economic uncertainty people tend to spend less on nonessential items, ”Morton said.

“A few months ago the level of professional clothing has been reduced, and no one knows if there is going to be a comeback to the office and when these jackets will make less sense in terms of clothing,” says Professor Angela Macrobie of Goldsmiths University in London. “[Before] They indicated the welcome as a temporary escape from the office. “

The ugly Christmas jacket has its roots in the 1960s when televised Christmas shows would see singers like Val Donnecans dress up in comfortable, intricately designed jumpers. By the 1990s, they were given a satirical touch by hipsters referring to celebs like Bill Cosby and Giles Brandreth, for whom wearing wool had become a trademark.

With an emphasis on irony, and a knowledge of humor, she fell into the anti-fashion trend NormcoreEveryday apparel is now standard in fashion, as evident in Vetements customizing the DHL logo for those who desperately want it T-shirt. The retro and anti-style ugly Christmas sweater fits perfectly into the moment.

“It was about some craving for originality, normality, and an acquittal from the relentless demands of fashion,” says Macrobee. Sales peaked in 2010 as Topshop reported a 54% year-on-year increase from 2011 to 2012.

By 2017, Beyoncé was even selling her own clothes while Taylor Swift had an Ugly Christmas Sweater theme His 30th birthday last year. The meaning of that has softened and expanded, and the joke has become more subtle. “They are now resorting to some craving for shared cultural values ​​that are viewed lovingly,” said Macrobee. And that fits in with their role as a philanthropist: this year’s singer Leona Lewis Create a domain that benefits from an animal sanctuary.

Although consumers may have shied away from the ugly jacket, they still buy new Christmas items that reflect more time spent at home: Morton cites an increase in Christmas wear, pajamas and pajamas. “As people become accustomed to the ‘new normal,’ finding joy, optimism and a cause for celebration becomes increasingly important,” he said. “In some ways it might be more important than usual.”