Dating back to the 1950s, holiday sweaters debuted as cheerful and warm wardrobe staples. They were knitted with care and designed to be cheerful and festive, not ugly. The most popular design was based on Christmas, when sweaters are often adorned with snowflakes, reindeer, and Santa Claus to reflect the holiday spirit. However, as the fashion trend flip-flopped by the late 1980s-1990s, chic style (smart elegance), sleek fabrics, and minimalism dominated fashion. The chunky, vibrant, kitschy sweaters of the previous decades didn’t fit the clean aesthetic completely. People started to view these sweaters as outdated, overly tacky, or too “over-the-top.” In other words, people were more reluctant to wear them because they were associated with the older generation, lagged behind the fashion of preference at the time, and were simply “ugly.” The redemptive shift in perception occurred as people transitioned into the twenty-first century, but unfortunately, not in a positive light. Seasonal sweaters become acceptable once again as they are labelled with humour and irony. What was once considered festive and stylish took the role of a laughing stock by modern fashion standards. With many “ugly” sweaters featured in pop culture, where most characters wearing garish sweaters usually played a humorous role, these sweaters got cemented as a source of entertainment during the holiday seasons.
The deliberate embrace of ugly sweaters as a humorous feature led to the rise of ugly sweater parties. The earliest one ever reported happened in Vancouver, Canada, in 2002. This event turned the once unfashionable item into something iconic for celebration, especially during the Christmas season. People who hosted and attended the party were found to wear the oldest, most outrageous holiday costumes, often from scavenging thrift stores or creating their embellished designs. Some started adding DIY touches, like gluing on actual Christmas bulbs, tinsel, and battery-powered lights. (Because if your sweater doesn’t light up, are you even trying?) Some sweaters became truly bizarre in an attempt to show off at the party, such as carrying the load of a 3D reindeer head poking out of your chest or ones equipped with wine pouches for convenient sipping. Major retailers seized the opportunity to market their products. They created “intentionally” ugly sweaters with exaggerated holiday themes, pop culture references, or funny slogans. Brands like Star Wars and Marvel began releasing limited designs of, for instance, Darth Vader in a Santa hat or the Hulk smashing through a Christmas wreath.
Ugly sweaters add a playful, engaging element to holiday celebrations, where every guest can participate if they want to, encouraging self-expression and creativity. They could evoke memories of family gatherings and childhood, particularly the sweaters people received as a “gag gift.” Parties and contests could be hosted as a fun way for people to connect and network together, and many organizations have used ugly sweater themes to raise funds for charity. Despite many ugly sweaters being eye-popping creations, people love them as a lighthearted tradition. It could be an instant icebreaker without you having to say a word or a trigger for nostalgia that goes back to simpler times. And let’s not forget that Christmas sweaters can no longer make people laugh. You could also be making a difference by raising funds for a good cause in those competitions and events.
Today, the ugly sweater phenomenon has evolved into a global tradition. There are official, national Ugly Christmas Sweater Day celebrations annually in December, and competitions are conducted in schools, public institutions, or large companies for the “ugliest” designs. They have even made their way into history books. In 2017, a company called Tipsy Elves created the world’s largest ugly sweater, measuring 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide and 11 feet (3.3 meters) tall. In 2021, more than one thousand people in Ireland gathered to break the Guinness World Record for the largest ugly sweater party to have ever taken place. Even though ugly sweaters were a tragedy in fashion and style, they have become a more widespread symbol of creativity and the icon telling the story that being a little ridiculous sometimes brings you sheer joy. As fashion trends come and go, people’s opinion of beauty changes rapidly, but ugly sweaters remain an everlasting element during holidays that could bring everyone closer for the sake of appreciating or laughing at others' costumes. Regardless of whether you are wearing an ugly sweater ironically or embracing it wholeheartedly, one thing is clear: the uglier, the better.
References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLfBV5wYI3M
https://www.cnn.com/style/ugly-christmas-sweater-holidays-history/index.html https://www.uglychristmassweater.com/pages/ugly-sweaters https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ugly-christmas-sweater-history-1.6666864
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/holidays-celebrations/g63072282/history-of-ugly-christmas-sweaters/
