By Heidi Buyak
Was it an act of rebellion? Was it attention-seeking behavior? Universal consciousness? (Or is that only for good ideas?) Anyone who has seen one knows this wasn’t a good idea. In fact, this idea was just plain questionable and sometimes fuzzy, adorned and illuminated.
It’s the ugly holiday sweater and it knows no depths.
Where did this idea come from, you (or may not) may wonder? Scrooge could probably tell you that festive holiday knitwear goes back to Victorian times and it’s probably what made him, well, him. The Boston Globe in 1896 had an advertisement for “Christmas Sweaters in a great variety of colors and stripped effects” and in 1900 a West Virginia store advertised “Boys’ Christmas sweaters in fancy stripe or plain.” Sometime in the 1930s, someone added jingle bells. Cute little bells, still within the realm of elegant. In the 1950s, along came Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with a little jingle bell collar, which, compared to today, was still considered in good holiday taste.
So, when did it all go so ho-ho-horribly wrong?
That would be the 1980s. Big hair, big shoulder pads and big loud, chunky, tacky holiday sweaters. Imagine, snowmen riding in open car trains, Santa sledding the sky with his reindeer (wearing bells of course), and a tree losing its lights that actually blink—and now picture it all on one sweater.
Somewhere, someone’s grandma is saying, “Oh! It sounds so festive!”
These cheesy sweaters were even peddled on a popular 1980s family-friendly sit-com, where all problems were solved in 22 minutes by a good-natured dad who proudly wore a variety of such retina-stinging fiber creations. The end of the ‘80s saw the ugly sweater take a vacation…in a movie about a hapless dad—in his sweater—taking his family on vacation and stringing holiday lights on a roof. Hilarity ensued. In the 1990s, the fad waned, but only for a little while.
Sadly, what goes around comes around and the ugly sweaters are back, nostalgically, playfully and cozy but definitely not seriously. (Were they ever?)
In the 21st century reboot of this garish tradition, two people in Canada found a way to make these things useful. They hosted an “ugly sweater party” and helped raise money for a friend’s cancer treatments. The idea caught on and now you can find ugly sweater parties everywhere, from the small office variety, to house parties, to great big parties that support charities.
All this excitement has even led to its own holiday: National Ugly Sweater Day is on December 15 this year.
You say you don’t have an ugly sweater? Well, according to some statistics, 23% of us will buy an ugly sweater for an office gathering, family photos, or a house party. I bet they go great with jeans, or for a real retro look, pull out those old red and black buffalo-check stirrup pants and black flats!
Haven’t been to an ugly sweater party yet? Fear not! Nine percent of us will be going to our first ugly sweater party this year.
Not sure where to get an ugly sweater, but really want one? Most big box retailers in Holly Springs will be glad to help you find the perfect one.
If, however, that’s more embarrassment than you can handle, there are several online options from handmade to machine made. One online source that I found (uglychristmassweaters.com) made $5 million in just three years selling nothing but.
Still not sure you want to spend your hard-earned money on one? Well, if you’re feeling holiday crafty, you could always create your own unique design. Go to your local thrift store and get a sweater there—you might even find an actual ugly sweater! Or look for just a basic sweater or sweatshirt. Then go to any craft or hobby store and look for garland, ornaments, nutcrackers, whatever strikes your holiday fancy, and begin sewing or gluing all your doo-dads onto your sweater or sweatshirt.
Remember, whether you make or buy your ugly sweater, you have to know your audience. These are supposed to be offensive but in a playful way. Make people groan, laugh and slap their foreheads; annoy your friends and co-workers and make them smile at the same time. Mess with their minds and moods—but never their beliefs.
So, during this season of giving, don’t forget that “someone special” on your shopping list who desperately deserves an ugly sweater!
For more info:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/ugly-christmas-sweater-history
https://nationaltoday.com/national-ugly-sweater-day/
https://superlabelstore.com/blog/how-to-make-an-ugly-christmas-sweater/f (Photo from 2023 Worlds)
