SOFT POWER: “Statement sweaters are huge,’’ says Emmi Sorokin, a men’s image consultant from It’s a Man’s World in Boston. “They’re almost like the new sports coat. Particularly sweaters with hardware or toggles.’’

She advises gents to steer clear from bulky knits. Instead, try soft, thin sweaters that are more body conscious. First and foremost, however, men should stay away from holiday novelty sweaters of any kind.

Zip sweater by Prada, $1,355, shirt by Zegna, $325, shoes by Hugo Boss, $125, at Saks Fifth Avenue, 786 Boylston St., Boston, 617-262-8500, www.saksfifthavenue.com. Casual pant by Transit, $350, at Louis Boston. Tie, $150, at Burberry, 2 Newbury St., Boston, 617-236-1000, www.burberry.com