Somewhat paradoxically, Christmas is both one of the most stressful and most relaxing times of the year. When rushing to decorate, send cards, prepare food, and find presents, it’s easy to feel that the clock is ticking rather faster than usual. But the serenity that comes once everything is done is hard to beat. If you end up with time to spare, we heartily recommend watching a classic Christmas film. Here, we have selected three modern classics that most of you have probably seen at least once, but that are well worth watching again.

The Holiday

Rom-coms and Christmas films are two genres that often collide. Add one of Jude Law’s best performances as the charming Graham, and you have a modern Christmas classic for everyone to enjoy. To prepare him for the role, director Nancy Myers sent Law a list of old Clark Gable films to watch, which may well explain how he approaches the role. His laissez-faire, British style is however the polar opposite to Gable’s classic tailored suits. With his soft, knitted jumpers, loosely knotted neckties and scarves, the character’s style is as simple as it is stylish.

Bridget Jones's Diary

After a horrendous New Year party, Bridget Jones decides to turn her life around – this year she will succeed in quitting smoking, drinking less, and finding Mr Right. What follows may not be a traditional Christmas film but contains a lot of festive celebrations. Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy has a way of creating a festive outfit that is somehow both extremely stylish and completely awful is just one of the reasons this film has a given place on our list. If you want to emulate his style, you have two options: The first is dusting off your suit and donning a Christmassy tie, preferably adorned with snowmen and reindeer. The second, which we think is the more advisable, is to throw on a heavy-knit, grey rollneck under a navy blue coat, and top it off with a casually slung grey scarf.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

A mix-up at the airport means that Kevin is once again separated from his parents just before Christmas. For Kevin, this means he needs to spend the days leading up to Christmas in New York. We follow Kevin as he tries to navigate the island of Manhattan, armed with only a credit card and a duffle coat. The film is loaded with New York romanticism, from the check-in desk of the classic Plaza Hotel to the gigantic Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Centre, and Kevins visit to FAO Schwarz, the USA’s biggest toy shop (renamed to Duncan’s Toy Chest for the film). Get comfortable on the sofa and let yourself be whisked away to a Christmas in the city that never sleeps.