An accidental Christmas tradition that is well known today is wearing ugly Christmas sweaters. This tradition, one that was not meant to be started, began in the 1950s. Wool sweaters, which were popular long before the 1950s, became a wardrobe staple post- World War II, as outdoor activities became popular. Families began to visit national and state parks during the wintertime and wore the wool sweaters, as wool is highly absorbent and kept them warm in cold and snowy climates. The sweaters were later coined as “Jingle Bell Sweaters”, because they became mostly associated with Christmastime. The sweaters were adorned with some sort of Christmas or wintertime embellishment like snowflakes or reindeer.
The wool sweaters were worn mostly for warmth until the 1980s when movies and TV shows glamourized the sweaters to show mockery to the previous generations who wore the not-so-fashionable garments. Christmas movies like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, showcased the unfashionable sweaters, without knowing just how much the tradition would take off. The new-found tradition of wearing these sweaters around the holidays soon turned into companies like QVC’s latest launch in the 80s and early 90s, selling matching designs for the whole family.
After a good run, the former “Jingle Bell Sweaters” were deemed widely unpopular and not worn during the holidays. But the sweaters saw a resurgence come the millennium. Thanks to mainstream media, the early 2000s resuscitated the tradition, so much so that it is still a holiday favorite today.
Once the media reintroduced the concept of wearing ugly or tacky Christmas sweaters, designers did not hesitate to join the movement. Top designers like Dolce and Gabbana and Givenchy began zeroing in on the market. With luxury brands’ piqued interest came other retail giants wanting to provide similar designs to middle class shoppers. Stores like Target, Macy’s, and Kmart also entered the ugly Christmas sweater scene. With brands creating new designs, thrift stores became a goldmine to those wanting vintage, tacky sweaters, as not long before the resurgence, the sweaters went out of style. Resellers like Salvation Army realized that the before discarded wool sweaters were now highly sought after articles of clothing.
To enter the growing market, craft stores decided to implement a once retired facet to the tradition. Stores like Michael’s and Hobby Lobby began selling sweater making craft kits for everyone to join in on the fun. The kits were filled with fuzzy pom-poms, felt sheets to be cut into designs, googly eyes, and knitting patterns to make an existing sweater into something Christmas-like.
With the growing popularity of ugly Christmas sweaters, retailers decided to implement other holidays that warrant sweater-wearing. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Halloween sweaters have all been added to the market, to include all audiences in the fun tradition.
Today, almost all restaurants, retailers, stores, movies, and TV shows have created their own ugly Christmas sweater designs for fans to wear during the holidays. Work parties, gatherings with friends and families, and holiday photoshoots have centralized the tradition, keeping the once warming wardrobe piece a popular Christmas custom, all these years later.
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Photo Credit: Make an Ugly Christmas Sweater in 5 quick steps