A Brief History of Ugly Christmas Sweaters
The ugly Christmas sweater tradition started in the 1950s when the Christmas holidays became nationally televised and commercialized. Our parents and grandparents remember those sweaters as “Jingle Bell Sweaters.” Decorated with traditional Christmas motifs, these sweaters were never meant to be ugly. Far from it. These wooly top garments quickly became an integral part of the winter holidays. Their candy cane, Santa, snowflake, reindeer, and sleigh motif quickly became a family tradition. As soon as popular Tv personalities like Andy Williams started sporting cardigan sweaters with Christmas decorations, the popularity of this knitwear surged.
“Jingle Bell Sweaters” did not have an “ugly” epithet when they were popularized. Most of them were hand-made from genuine wool by family members or knitters who would knit a sweater with custom Christmas motifs. These were some of the most favorite Christmas presents in the ‘50s, ‘60s, and the ‘70s.
Why are they called “Ugly”?
Contemporary Christmas sweaters are often made from synthetic fabrics and by knitting machines. They retained the same Christmas motifs, but colors are now a lot more vibrant and amplified. Since fashion is an ever-changing phenomenon, some people find Christmas or Winter holiday sweaters tacky and out-of-style looking.
After a short resurgence in popularity in the 1980s, thanks to Hollywood blockbusters like “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, Jingle Bell sweaters and cardigans fell into the obscurity of almost a decade when in the early 2000s their popularity suddenly rose again. This is when these knitted winter tops got widely known as “Ugly Christmas Sweaters.” In 2002, Canadian entrepreneur Brian Miller founded an online shop by the name of “UglyChristmasSweaterParty.” In a recent interview with CNN he stated that “The moment someone humorously wore the garment, people started seeing the humorous side of it.”
Ugly Christmas cardigan sweaters, are they popular?
Cardigans have become an integral part of our daily wardrobe. This versatile knitted top was even voted the best work from the home garment. Cardigan sweaters with Christmas motifs started appearing in the 1950s when Andy Williams started sporting them on stage and during his Tv appearances. Being a part of our work uniform, cardigan sweaters with Christmas motifs became a garment of choice for many employees during Christmas parties simply because of their fun designs and ease of wear. You can easily put a cardigan on even if you are spending just 20 or 30 minutes at your corporate Christmas party.
Leave a Reply