The evolution of the ugly Christmas sweater has become a wonted part of the holiday season, along with sparkly wrapping paper and cringe-worthy mince pies, BYU-Hawaii students said. Recognizable features of the ugly Christmas sweater include a ridiculous amount of the colors red and green, a laughable depiction of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowmen, Christmas trees, or any kind of uncomfortably tacky design.
Michaella Stone, an undeclared sophomore from Arizona, exclaimed, “I am a fan of the ugly Christmas sweater fad! There's only one time of the year to wear these horrendously, tacky Christmas sweaters and be socially accepted, so why not?
“These warm, cozy garments are now being reinstated from their origins in your great aunt Ada’s closet and your second grade teacher’s wardrobe to the selves of big-name clothing stores like H&M and Nordstrom.”
Myck Miller, a senior in communications from Washington, DC said, “I think that it is hilarious, and I always have a fun time with my friends finding the ugliest sweater. My sweater is a picture of Santa Clause doing the ‘dab’. This is one that I recently bought due to the fab that was the dab last year.”
Mikaela Tauiliili, an alumna in accounting from Samoa, said “nay” to the ugly Christmas sweater trend. “I think those are something that are supposed to be gifted to you. If you purposely go out and pick the ugliest Christmas sweater, then it defeats the purpose. But I think they’re funny.”
The sweater as an apparel has existed since the late 19th century, but the ill-flavored holiday adaptations have sprung up in the last several decades. In fact, as appointed by TIME Magazine, “Bill Cosby was a modern-day pioneer of the trend and is revered as an ugly sweater icon. Thanks to Cosby, as well as Chevy Chase in ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,’ these sweaters experienced a resurgence until their popularity faded as the 90s began.” Jimmy Fallon even started a Christmas segment called “The 12 Days of Christmas Sweaters” on his late night show.
However, in the last decade, the trend has picked up once again. According to the “Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Book: The Definitive Guide to Getting Your Ugly On,” there was a noticeable rise in ugly sweater parties around 2001, and the tradition has proliferated since.
Stone said she does not own an ugly Christmas sweater. “If I had an ugly Christmas sweater, I would want as many patterns on it as possible, maybe even have some bows on it with some fake lights.”
Tauiliili does not own one either, but she said, “Mine would have a lot of sequins. You know the ones that have something 3-D attached to them? Yeah…no, I wouldn’t want anything attached to it, but something with ugly sequins, and even some pom-poms.”
TIME Magazine stated, “Whether or not it constitutes a fashion faux pas, the ugly Christmas sweater rouses an undeniably warm and fuzzy feeling as it conjures up memories of home and childhood. It’s also quite cozy and practical in chilly winter weather. After all, holidays are often fraught with anxiety about the financial drain of gift-giving and the copious amounts of family interaction. What better way to de-stress than to throw on an obnoxious sweater and have a laugh?”
Writer: Leslie Owusu