Justin Bieber Puts His Spin On The Christmas Sweater

Justin Bieber performs on "The Today Show" in a Fair Isle varsity jacket.
Photo: Getty Images

Looks like our boy Justin Bieber tried his hand at a seasonal stand-by performing alongside Usher last Wednesday, and no, we're not talking about "The Christmas Song." Along with the resurfacing of seasonal favorites like peppermint and gingerbread and the crisp scent of conifers, the kickoff of the holiday season also ushers in the annual heyday of the ugly Christmas sweater. Oft thought of as relegated to groggy-eyed pajama-clad present openings, sloppy gatherings dripping with eggnog, or your most beloved rosy-cheeked elementary school teacher's themed wardrobe, the classic ugly Christmas sweater is also a favorite performance outfit for many a celeb, including the Biebs.

To be fair, though, we're actually going to drop the "ugly" modifier when dicussing Bieber's foray into the holiday-friendly topper. Sure it just about screams, "HAI, SANTA, I CAN HAZ NICE LIST?" in all its red-and-white-and-Fair Isleness, but there's a subtle varied interpretation Justin is working here that we're aaaallll about. We've noticed the style chameleon has a serious thing for jackets (Exhibits A and B: that MJ-channelling band jacket vest and that all-white snack-hiding look). We ogled that varsity jacket he Insta'ed and cooed at his nod to how it's the closest he's gotten to high school. But this hybrid of a varsity jacket silhouette with the cozy patterned knit of a Christmas morning crew neck has us DUH-ROOLLING and golf clapping and holding hands all "Fah who foraze" in honor of Bieber's ingenuity and style-minded commitment to holiday spirit. Well played.