MC2 Saint Barth Christmas Sweaters: Cortina, Après Ski and Christmas Vacation

There is a precise moment when a sweater stops being a garment and becomes a uniform: the two weeks between Christmas and Epiphany, between a set table and the first chairlift. MC2 Saint Barth's winter capsule is born there, and it can be recognized from a distance - the embroidery on the chest, the soft cashmere blend, and a name that is not a code but a place: Cortina, St. Moritz, Courchevel, Cervinia.

Vacanze di Natale: the line that gives everything its name

It is the heart of the capsule, and the reference is the one you have in mind. The Heron Light models feature the «Vacanze di Natale» embroidery on the chest in the men's version; the New Queen line reinterprets it for women in lurex jacquard, black, white and pink. Alongside them are the editions released only once: the Merry Christmas with The Simpsons print, and the Bergen Cortina Natale '83, which cites the exact year.

These are the pieces that disappear first, and it is the only thing we feel certain enough to say: only a few garments arrive in each color, and they do not come back.

Cortina, St. Moritz, Courchevel: sweaters named after places

The broadest part of the assortment is the geographical one. The Cortina embroidery comes in several interpretations - from the Heron crewneck in a cashmere blend to the green jacquard postcard, and even «Amo Cortina da un pezzo», the line that everyone in the boutique reads aloud. St. Moritz comes in forest green and the Bombardino «Top of the World» version, Courchevel in jacquard with Uncle Scrooge, Cervinia in the beige postcard version. And then there is Les Alpes, with its intarsia.

Après ski and Bombardino: the after-ski ritual

MC2 has built a small family around the moment that comes after the descent. The Après Ski embroideries appear on the cashmere Heron and the Heron Light; the Bombardino comes in a Snoopy version and one with the Alpes embroidery. There is also «Save Money for Après Ski», the category's motto.

If you are looking for the ski-week sweater to wear all day, not just on Christmas evening, look here: the materials are the same, with embroidery that still works in February.

Men and women: how the assortment is structured

Let's be clear, because it changes the choice: this capsule is overwhelmingly for men. The women's section is the New Queen line, in a cashmere blend with lurex jacquard. Many women, however, buy the Heron in a small size and wear it oversized: it is a choice we often see, and it works because the Heron already has a relaxed fit.

The materials, plainly stated

Most of these sweaters are made from a cashmere blend: not pure cashmere, and we say so because it is the difference you feel in the price and in the washing machine. Some Regent models are made from merino wool. The exact composition is always listed on the individual product page - it is the only place where it is right to check it.

If it is a gift

Nine times out of ten, in December, it is. And the problem is not the model: it is the size, which you almost never know for an adult. Two things we say at the counter and that apply here too: the Heron has a regular, slightly relaxed fit, so your usual size works and, when in doubt, go up one; and if you get it wrong, it can be exchanged - better an exchange than a sweater left in the wardrobe.

If you are still deciding, our men's gift ideas and women's gift ideas pages focus precisely on this.

The rest of the knitwear

This page collects only the holiday and mountain capsule. If you are looking for an MC2 Saint Barth sweater without a Christmas theme - Regent crewnecks, Bond turtlenecks, year-round playful embroideries - the right page is MC2 Saint Barth knitwear. For the rest of the winter wardrobe, there is men's clothing, and the full brand is available at MC2 Saint Barth.

We are authorized MC2 Saint Barth retailers: what you see on the page is what we actually have in store, in Roccapiemonte, since 1917.

For the rest of the holidays - what to wear for Christmas with the family and on New Year's Eve, and why it is worth buying both by December 20 - see our Christmas and New Year's Eve outfit guide.