Ugly Christmas sweaters have spiked in popularity in recent years, becoming a fun holiday tradition. These are the seasonal wooly sweaters with red, white, or green Christmas-themed designs, such as a snowman, an elf, and a reindeer, that come out in the wintertime. Ugly Christmas sweaters seem to have gained relevance recently, but they have only been around for a couple of decades, according to “A cozy history of the ugly Christmas sweater” by CNN.com.
It is not clear who popularized these garments, but they first appeared in the 1950s. At the time, they were just regular knitted sweaters with Christmas decorations. These sweaters were not considered ugly, but just normal sweaters with Christmas-themed designs.
It was only until later when they got their name, ugly Christmas sweaters, from their flashy designs, bright colors, and corny style. The ugly Christmas versions started to gain traction in the 1980s. However, they were called “jingle bell sweaters” at the time, according to the video History of the Ugly Christmas Sweater by Racked on YouTube.
In the ‘90s, the trend died down because there were more significant events such as President Clinton’s impeachment, the O.J. Simpson trial, and especially the birth of the internet, which distracted people from the trend of ugly Christmas sweaters, according to the video History of the Ugly Christmas Sweater by Racked on YouTube.
Moreover, during that time, the ugly Christmas sweaters did not match in with the fashion styles and aesthetics like the hip-hop style; oversized clothes, baggy jeans, and sneakers; and the grunge style; flannel shirts and ripped jeans.
According to “Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Book: The Definitive Guide to Getting Your Ugly On,” the ugly sweaters regained popularity in Vancouver around 2002, where the first ugly Christmas sweater party was held. Instead of hating its ugliness, people started embracing the comical article of clothing because it was something different.
Big clothing brands like Nordstrom and Asos started jumping in on the trend. Many clothing companies started releasing their own versions of the ugly Christmas sweaters. Now, these sweaters are being sold everywhere. Some places where you can get these sweaters are: Amazon.com, the largest online retailer; tipsyelves.com; and they now sell them at basically any clothing store.
Ugly Christmas sweaters are a fun and light-hearted tradition that the world should continue. They evolved from being weird, and cringeworthy articles of clothing, to a humorous way to express creativity and the holiday spirit. Today, this fun tradition helps bring people together at Christmas, a holiday that celebrates joy, family, and love.