The History of Ugly Christmas
Sweaters: Explained.
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.”