It’s the party season’s must have fashion purchase, writes Lisa Haynes as she reveals why everyone needs to invest in a Christmas jumper.

It was love at first sight.

I remember the date well: September 2011, and it was London Fashion Week.While street snappers were taking pictures of stylish catwalk attendees in Prada coats and Louboutin boots, I was ogling, erm, a Christmas jumper. Premature, yes. Unjustified, no.

Expertly worn by super-stylist Caroline Sieber, it was fluffy, it was starry, and it featured polar bears.

After a two-month wait, I finally tracked down “the” festive jumper of dreams in Topshop and let out an embarrassing victory whoop in the middle of the busy flagship store. Christmas had come early!

Two years on and I’m still in love with it, partly because I can only wear it for a couple of months of the year, so it still has the novelty factor. It makes me smile and it makes other people smile, which are the essential ingredients for a festive woolly.

I’m not sure exactly when the Christmas jumper became so cool, but it has. It’s not quantifiable like a catwalk trend, but, every winter, the fad for novelty knits just keeps snowballing.

Even high-end designers are jumping on the sleigh bandwagon. Last year saw the likes of Alexander McQueen, Matthew Williamson and Burberry customise incredible one-off knits for a charity auction to highlight Save the Children’s annual Christmas Jumper Day. This year’s takes place on Friday, December 12, and I, for one, can’t wait. Visit jumpers.savethechildren.org.uk for more information.

For something less exclusive, just about every high street store has rails of Noel novelty sweaters featuring festive slogans, reindeer, snowmen, penguins and Christmas puds.

This year, they’re all singing, all dancing... You’ll find jumpers that light up like Blackpool illuminations at the touch of a button, there are sweaters that sing you a Christmas carol on demand, and then there are 3D numbers with squeezable red Rudolph noses or swinging metallic presents on trees.

My style tip? Embrace this tinsel-season trend completely. Fashion sense should go clean out of the frosty window. In fact, leave it at the wreath-laden door.

When it comes to Christmas jumpers, the sillier the better.