Why We Wear Ugly Christmas Sweaters (2024)

FAQs

Why do people wear ugly Christmas sweaters? ›

Ugly Christmas sweaters have become synonymous with holiday celebrations. They embody the spirit of fun, joy, and lightheartedness that defines the season. By wearing these sweaters, people participate in a shared tradition and contribute to the festive atmosphere.

Well, first of all, an ugly Christmas sweater by definition is any sweater with a Christmas theme that is considered in bad taste, tacky or gaudy. The more embellishments (or the better themed, depending on who you ask), the better.

Although the holiday season remains the most common time to exchange and don sweaters, ugly Christmas sweaters are a worldwide phenomenon for casual wear all year long. From horror movies and mainstream catchphrases to fictional characters and video games, the sky is the limit for what Christmas lovers want to wear.

Originally called “Jingle Bell Sweaters,” these tacky garments were originally perceived to be fashionable at its origin. According to TIME write Allison Berry, the pioneer of this trend is indicated to be Bill Cosby, as he constantly wore designed sweaters on his hugely popular TV program, “The Cosby Show”.

It's appropriate to wear a Christmas sweater during the holiday season, particularly in the weeks leading up to Christmas Day. Ugly Christmas Sweaters are often donned at holiday parties, family gatherings, festive events, and on Christmas Eve or Day itself to celebrate the spirit of the season and spread joy.

The Tradition is still going strong ! While Las Vegas rarely drops below 50 degrees, many grizzlies still follow this little fun tradition of wearing Christmas sweaters. They come in all different, fun, and festive colors. Many ugly sweaters are generally Christmas themed.

Updated on January 09, 2020. An ugly Christmas sweater is any Christmas-themed sweater that could be considered in bad taste, tacky, or gaudy. The general consensus is that the more embellishments—tinsel, reindeer, Santa Clauses, candy canes, elves, presents, etc. —the uglier the sweater.

A Christmas jumper (also Christmas sweater) is a sweater themed with a Christmas or winter-style design, often worn during the festive season.

“Eat, drink, and wear a tacky Christmas sweater.” “I dare you not to laugh at my ugly Christmas sweater.” “My sweaters every day: slay. My sweaters in December: sleigh.”

But during the holidays a winter white outfit can be so soothing against all the noise and color. As long as the textures are different, you can mix shades of ivory and pale gold or silver and winter white. To achieve that tonal look that looks so soft and pretty during a wintry holiday.

What makes a good ugly sweater? ›

The more you can mix up the Christmas theme with weird, unexpected stuff, the more it jars the eye. Dinosaurs, ninja-bread men, or a three-toed sloth all make great non-normative holiday icons. It's the kind of ugly-cute factor that makes people smile and groan at the same time.

But, the modern-day tradition of wearing ugly Christmas sweaters started in the 1980s with the Young Men's Institute (YMI) Club members in San Francisco. The clubmen started wearing festive, ugly sweaters as a joke to see who could wear the ugliest one.

It wasn't until the 1980s that the item hit the mainstream. The shift came thanks to pop culture and comedies, with goofball dad characters like Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold in “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation” turning the holiday sweater into an uncomely but endearing expression of cheer.

Two guys in Canada started the sweater soirees and it quickly took off. The first event was such a hit that parties featuring ugly holiday threads started popping up all over North America. Eventually, being ugly turned into a sport. So every third Friday in December, we celebrate National Ugly Sweater Day.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Day has been celebrated since 2011, and takes place on the third Friday of December. Wearing hideous creations has now become a humorous tradition that gives holiday lovers worldwide a chance to wear their most hideous Christmas sweaters. Gidget Alikpala.

Two friends in Vancouver have laid claim to the first “Ugly Chrismas Sweater Party” in 2002, where it is still held each year in the Commodore Ballroom (they have even trademarked “ugly Christmas sweater” and “ugly Christmas sweater party”).

From Star Wars to sparkly snowflakes the modern Christmas jumper comes in many forms. But the Christmas jumper was not always a festive fashion statement. And it has a long history dating back to traditional workwear in the nineteenth century.