Study by Marks & Spencer’s Shwopping initiative reveals exactly what Brits will be wearing on Christmas Day

Almost half of the nation (45%) will spend Christmas Day embracing their inner elf by donning novelty festive fashion items of clothing

Three in five (60%) Brits will choose to opt for comfort over style this Christmas with most of us dressing down for the big day.

New stats revealed today show that the nation is divided when it comes to our Christmas Day dress code with comfort and fun key to most people’s festive togs of choice.

A massive 60% of us choose to dress down on the big day with one in four (28%) admitting to staying snug in pyjamas for the duration. However, we do make sure that we get into the Christmas spirit whatever we’re wearing with nearly half the nation (45%) donning an array of novelty gear to help celebrate.

The ever-popular Christmas jumpers pip Santa to the top of the tree when it comes to festive fashion but there are some surprises – with 26% of us adopting the key role of Father Christmas by sporting his famous red suit.

The five most popular novelty outfits are:

•Christmas jumpers 27%
•Santa suit 26%
•Reindeer antlers 24%
•Tinsel ticklers 13%
•Reindeer leggings 6%

Novelty or not, it’s no surprise that the comfort seekers amongst us have a main requirement when choosing their dressed down garb – one in ten (11%) state that an expandable waistband is part of their key criteria when looking for their Christmas Day lounge wear.

However, as the Shwopping by M&S survey also reveals, over half of us (51%) condone these ‘one-wear wonders’ to the back of wardrobe come Boxing Day and one in eight (15%) chuck them straight in the bin. M&S and Oxfam are calling the nation to think twice about doing so and shwop their festive clobber instead.

Joanna Lumley, Marks & Spencer’s Shwopping and Plan A ambassador, said:
“We can ensure even the most novelty of Christmas outfits is given a new life this Boxing Day, by Shwopping, not binning, festive fashion items giving a better Christmas for those who really need it and spreading the loving spirit of Christmas even wider. Your unwanted jumper can do so much good for those in need, so don’t just furtively chuck it away with the wrapping paper and cracker novelties: shwop it, and bring joy to a complete stranger.”

There are some of us that still love to dress to impress on December 25th too. One in three (30%) of us make a real effort by pulling out all the stops and dressing up for Christmas. And it’s Mums who steal the Christmas catwalk crown – 33% of us deemed our mums the most festive fashion proud, leaving dads & aunties languishing at the bottom of the league:

Most Fashionable Festive Family members:

• Mum33%
• Daughter14%
• Grandmother7%
• Dad 3%
• Auntie3%

This December, M&S and Oxfam’s Shwopping initiative is calling on the nation – as it is the season of giving – to ensure no clothing ends up in landfill by shwopping and not binning these unloved items of festive clothing in stores nationwide. It has been revealed that during the Queen’s eight and a half minute speech alone, nearly 16,000 items of clothing will be sent to landfill.

Since its launch in April, Oxfam has received over 6 million items of clothing thanks to Shwopping, worth over £4 million for the charity. All money raised by Shwopping is used to support Oxfam’s projects around the world working to alleviate poverty.

For more information on Marks & Spencer and Oxfam’s Shwopping initiative visit www.marksandspencer.com