The Uglier the Better (Sweater Edition)

Written by Quinn Diedrich

The holiday season is officially upon us and—with another Wisconsin winter approaching—so is sweater season. I’m not referring to the frustrating chase of the ever elusive ‘perfect’ aran wool, cable knit, roomy yet well fitting, thick but not-too-chunky sweater that Harry wore when he met Sally. Rather I mean the beloved ugly Christmas sweater, of which, the only criteria is to bring a little more joy and laughter to the season by allowing friends and family to mock each other relentlessly.  In appreciation, let’s unravel how the beautiful tradition of ugly sweaters came to be.

1950s-60s

The 1950s and 1960s saw the classic winter wardrobe staple adorned for the first time with subtle festive motifs. It’s thought that this charming little innovation was in part due to the growing commercialization of the holiday season, but it could hardly be predicted that these humble beginnings would morph into the joyously tacky tradition we know today. Thank you, capitalism?  

1970s-80s

Holiday sweaters weren’t safe from the counterculture fashion movement of the 70s or the “bigger is better” mindset of the 80s. Quaint was replaced with kitschy—think cartoonish candy canes and trees—and any idea of an understatement was thrown out in favor of bold colors and obnoxious patterns. Protruding ribbons, tinsel, and sequins qualified this era’s garments for top contenders in today's ugly sweater competitions, although the term ‘ugly’ hadn’t yet been attached to these knitted masterpieces.  

Early 2000s

We’ll ignore the 90s, given that the decade sucked the fun out of festive sweaters, and move onto the early 2000s when ugly made a comeback and was officially recognized.  Pop culture was hit by a wave of nostalgia, and these gloriously gaudy Christmas sweaters were pulled out from storage or off thrift store racks. Finally, they began to be celebrated as deserved, with “Ugly Christmas Sweater” parties and competitions, as well as iconic appearances in holiday movies.

2010s-Present

The continuation of the ugly Christmas sweater’s popularity through the 2010s and the present day has transcended the trend into tradition. Social media allows people across the world to share their increasingly crazy finds or even DIY creations. As the masses embraced the ugly, retail chains and even designer brands such as Stella Mcartney and Jean Paul Gaultier followed suit. However, this might be one instance where your weird uncle’s outfit beats any couture runway creation. I mean, we all know the one rule of the Christmas sweater by now: the uglier the better.

Edited by Hana Razvi, Olivia Daly, Katherine Rubinstein, Sophia Buckholtz,