How Did Ugly Christmas Sweaters Get Their Start? Let Us Enlighten You…

Every year on Dec. 20, people from all across the United States celebrate Ugly Christmas Sweater Day. While there isn’t an exact definition of what is considered an ugly sweater, the general consensus is the more embellishments, the uglier the sweater. However, these types of sweaters weren’t always considered ugly. In the 1980s, they were popularly worn on sitcoms. It was around the same time that the Christmas element was added, with “jingle bell sweaters” becoming a mass-produced, hot commodity. As fashion trends changed, so did the concept of ugly versus stylish, and the sweaters were quickly considered tacky and in bad taste. In terms of the trend of purposefully wearing ugly Christmas sweaters, Vancouver, Canada, claims to be the concept’s birthplace. Since 2002, the city has held an Original Ugly Christmas Sweater party at the Commodore Ballroom. Every guest is required to wear an ugly sweater. The co-founders of the event, Chris Boyd and Jordan Birch, even own the trademarks for the phrases “ugly Christmas sweater” and “ugly Christmas sweater party.”