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Eglė Bliabaitė

50 People That Went Above And Beyond With Their ‘Ugly’ Christmas Sweaters (New Pics)

We can’t imagine Christmas without Santa Claus, snow, candy canes, stockings, delicious food, and… ugly sweaters! No holiday season feels complete without everyone dressing up in their gaudiest and most garish Xmas garb. 

Our team here at Bored Panda has traveled across the digital jungles of the World Wide Web to bring you some fabulous inspiration that’ll make you y(e)arn for a wardrobe upgrade. Scroll down to check out the most powerful Christmas sweaters you’ve ever seen. They’re so tacky that they loop back around and become incredibly cool again.

#1 My Parents Combined Ugly Sweater Outfits

Image credits: TrollinPeeps

#2 Happy Holidays

Image credits: MAURY

#3 A 3D-Printed Part Of My Ugly Sweater

Image credits: jah-ray

You’ll probably agree that ugly Christmas sweaters aren’t really all that ugly. They’re funky. They’re a bit bizarre. But they evoke a deep sense of coziness, warmth, and comedy, too. Yes, they’re slightly odd, but that’s kind of the point. 

These sweaters make you embrace the holiday and force you to relax because you’re dressing ‘down’ rather than ‘up.’ You’re not worrying about how you look because everyone around you has committed to the heartwarming silliness. And considering how stressed many people are around the holidays, every reminder to slow down and relax is worth its weight in gold.

#4 My Friend Just Won $100 At His Job's Ugly Sweater Contest

Image credits: nsk09003

#5 I Ordered A Custom Ugly Christmas Sweater

Image credits: jbenz

#6 I Made This For My Work's Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest. It Was Rushed, But Everyone Seemed To Like It

Image credits: Apevian

These sweaters are meant to be cliched and cheesy. The more questionable the design, color, and material choice, the more attention your garb will get

And if your clothes have actual blinking lights or jingling bells on them, then hats off to you—you’ve taken things to a whole other level and know exactly what you’re doing. 

#7 Check Out Today's Christmas Sweater

Image credits: AKBrews

#8 Merry Christmas Everyone

Image credits: Catnip_Picard

#9 I Think It's Safe To Say My Stepdad Won The Sweater Contest

Image credits: Dr_Freshly_Snipes

However, ugly Christmas sweaters weren’t always such a big part of pop culture and our holiday social fabric. There were quite a few ups and downs. CNN reports that they first began making an appearance in the 1950s in the United States, as the commercialization of the holiday began growing. Back then, they were known as ‘Jingle Bell Sweaters’... but they were far more tame.

#10 I Couldn't Resist To Post My Find. Best Christmas Sweater

Image credits: Dazzi13

#11 I Just Got A New Job. They Said To Wear "Christmas Clothes" The Other Day. They All Came In Dressed Up, But Apparently, I Misunderstood It

Image credits: lali002

#12 I Found This Christmas Sweater Just In Time For The Holidays

Image credits: Jay_Aggie

It took a few decades for these sweaters to go mainstream. By the 1980s, the influence of the television and movie industry on the holiday fashion trends was undeniable. Films like ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ made people embrace weird Christmas sweaters at home, as well as at the office.

#13 My Ugly Sweater

Image credits: Rainydaze1406

#14 The Ugly Sweater I Made For My Job's Contest

Image credits: Miroku2235

#15 And Grumpiest Sweater Award Goes To

Image credits: Dinokitty16

However, in the 1990s, the ugly Christmas sweater tradition faded a little bit. The unfashionable clothing choice became, well, actually unfashionable. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that the trend reemerged—reinvigorated with eggnog and Xmas cheer—both in real life and on the silver screen, like in the 2001 flick ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary.’ 

#16 I Made This For My Ugly Sweater Party

Image credits: m4rceline

#17 Best Christmas Sweater

Image credits: BeeDragon

#18 My Boyfriend With His Ugly Christmas Sweater And A Llama I Made For Him

Image credits: slothsarethebest

Brian Miller, one of the authors of the ‘Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Book,’ believes that the spread of this phenomenon is remarkable. “It’s hard to say what triggered the change in perspective, but I think that the moment someone wore the garment in a humorous way, people started seeing the comic side of it, and thinking ‘this thing at the back of the closet could be fun, instead of something awful that nobody wants,’” he told CNN.

#19 I Have The Ugliest Christmas Sweater This Year

Image credits: xDanSolo

#20 I Have Found The Perfect "Ugly Christmas Sweater" For Me

Image credits: StabandDab

#21 My In-Laws Know How To Party In Ugly Sweaters

Image credits: reddit.com

According to Miller, ugly Christmas sweaters eventually became a new holiday tradition and were considered akin to something like mistletoe—ubiquitous, a holiday staple.

Eventually, these holiday-themed pullovers began popping up in retail stores and vintage outlets alike. Businesses saw an opportunity to capitalize on the trend.

#22 My Ugly Sweater This Year

Image credits: Sasquatchiii

#23 We're At An Ugly Christmas Sweater Party And The Audacity Of My Sister Is Sickening. She Better Not Win

Image credits: Kenzi_Joy

#24 Christmas Party In School Today

Image credits: CatDaddy27

The phenomenon became so big that even fancy brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Givenchy threw their hats into the ring. You’d see celebrities embracing the cringe-worthy knitwear, too, from legendary singer-songwriter Taylor Swift to comedy guru Jimmy Fallon. The latter actually ran a segment named ‘12 Days of Christmas Sweaters.’ It’s still alive and kicking at the time of writing!

#25 I Wore This To My Fiancee's Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, For Her New Job. She Was Not As Thrilled As I Was

Image credits: ckabella

#26 My Husband Made This For His Ugly Christmas Sweater Day At Work. That's An iPad Playing The Fireplace From Netflix In His Sweater

Image credits: misterhotpink

#27 They Said That Everyone Will Come With Ugly Sweaters

Image credits: vallinn

We would absolutely love to hear which of these ugly Christmas sweaters you enjoyed the most, dear Pandas. Which ones caught your eye and why? What kind of bizarre Xmas-themed clothes do you have at home? Do you wear them to your workplace around the holidays? Let us know in the comments!

Meanwhile, for some more fabulous fashion inspo that would confuse even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, take a peek at Bored Panda’s previous articles from seasons past.

#28 Mom Asked Brother To Make An Ugly Sweater For A Work Contest. Brother Delivered

Image credits: Ligerq4

#29 My "Ugly Sweater" For The Holidays

Image credits: NOHELP4ME

#30 Now Is The Time To Find Those Ugly Sweaters. I Found This Gem At My Local Goodwill

Image credits: philthyphanatic

#31 Ugly Christmas Sweater

Image credits: ogofbrew

#32 My Entry For The Ugly Sweater Contest At Work: "The Human Santapede"

Image credits: disconaldo

#33 I Just Got This Sweater Today. How Do I Look?

Image credits: ttguitar1967

#34 I Lost A Bet, So I Will Have To Wear This Bad Boy From Christmas Eve To New Year's Eve

Image credits: SabaTheSaber

#35 I Made My Niece An "Ugly" Christmas Sweater

Image credits: Queen_Zombae8

#36 We're Having An Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest At Work. I Found This Gem For $6 At The Texas Thrift. I Really Hope I Win

Image credits: bigbekka

#37 I Ordered This 6 Weeks Ago So I Could Wear It For Christmas. It Just Came Today And I Think It's Mocking Me

Image credits: TacoBellSauceAnswers

#38 Finally, I've Found My Christmas Jumper

Image credits: jennakatekelly

#39 Heading To The Ugliest Christmas Sweater Party

Image credits: tgkhaos

#40 Today At Work Was The American Classic "Ugly Christmas Sweater Day'', And I Wore This Chunky Sweater. Americans Unanimously Declared Me The Ugly King

Image credits: girlmeetsNG

#41 She Wasn't Kidding When She Said No One Else Should Bother Trying To Win The Christmas Sweater Contest At Work

Image credits: Capotesan

#42 I Just Finished Making My Ugly Christmas Sweater. I Used Dog Clothes And A Pikachu Hat. What Do You Think?

Image credits: ennesen50

#43 Finally I Found A Sweater To Fit My Nana

Image credits: ollymurs

#44 This Christmas Sweater I Saw Today

Image credits: Screamformereddit

#45 Ugly Christmas Sweater Season Is Approaching

Image credits: IndigoRuby

#46 This Ugly Christmas Sweater I Made For My Daughter's School Celebration

I had a lot of fun making this and wanted to share it. We even made a matching headband with it. We used felt, ribbon, a bow, and lots of puff balls. I didn’t make the wreath and tree behind her and realized I might have a puff ball obsession.

Image credits: coffeemomster

#47 It's That Time Of The Year Again. Here's The 2022 Ugly Christmas Sweater. Featuring Machine-Knit Sleeves This Year

Image credits: Aesuan

#48 A Friend Of Mine Likes To Go A Little Overboard On His Tacky Christmas Sweaters

Image credits: Herpin_Around

#49 I Wore This To Work Today. A Couple Of Colleagues Said "Too Early". I Disagree

Image credits: warmcrystalwave

#50 We Had An Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest, And This Was My Homemade One

Image credits: blessedmom07

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