5 Not-So-Ugly Christmas Sweater Ideas
Ugly is as ugly does: Check me out on Fox5 DC pontificating the problematic truth of the Ugly Christmas Sweater phenomenon
Ugly sweaters are problematic.
Before you say Bah Humbug!, hear me out. I fully support any tradition hinged on a “lewk.” Halloween is my favorite holiday! Permission to create an outlandish outfit from my closet and call it a costume? Sign me up.
When the ugly sweater phenomenon took hold in the early aughts, Amazon sold textbooks and Forever 21 was years short of its fast-fashion defining Gadzooks acquisition. In 2002, an invite to an ugly sweater party required a trip to a vintage store, thrift shop or your grandma’s closet. If tacky knitwear sourcing wasn’t successful you'd make your own. How fun! Sure, it was cheesy (and I’ll never get behind an intentionally ugly outfit) but back then ugly sweater parties encouraged creativity and sustainable shopping.
Back when sweaters were biodegradable
Twenty years later, National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day is another landfill-bound synthetic fiber constructed cash grab. Need an ugly sweater? You don’t even have to look! Just follow the carbon footprints to Amazon - or any Target, Walmart, Forever 21, H&M, Old Navy, GAP, CVS...
The Ugly Truth
The ugly truth? Most fast fashion ugly sweaters aren’t sweaters at all. A true sweater is a knit garment constructed of natural fibers like wool, cashmere or cotton. Today’s ugly sweaters are largely polyester sweatshirts (likely made in sweatshops).
Hate to be a grinch but I must remind you that polyester is not biodegradable. While wool, cotton and cashmere will completely biodegrade within a few months to a few years, as a plastic, polyester will take hundreds of years to completely biodegrade.
Reclaiming Ugly
When Fox 5 Good Day DC producer Chanelle sweetly asked if I would wear an ugly sweater for an upcoming holiday fashion segment that happened to fall on National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, I decided to reclaim the holiday to voice my disapproval, inspire a rebellion and - of course - make it fashion. On live TV, #NBD.
Forget Christmas capsule wardrobes, this Friday we're talking about “Not So Ugly” holiday sweater suggestions. Kitschy? Yes. Sustainable? Absolutely. Ugly? Not on my watch, babe.
PSSS… check me out LIVE on Fox 5 DC, Friday December 16, 2022 at 10AM.
What makes a sweater Not-So-Ugly?
Because I took it upon myself to redefine the notion of an “ugly sweater,” I also assigned parameters to keep it festive and to honor the original tradition.
To qualify as a not-so-ugly sweater, each garment is:
Knit! Not polyester
Kitschy vs ugly
Holiday colored or featuring winter themed elements
Sustainable: Vintage, thrifted or pre-owned
5 Not So Ugly holiday Sweater Styles
Cropped Power Cardi - 2022 did not invent the crop top. There are endless vintage variations of midriff bearing cardigans from the 80s and 90s. Keep it festive with metallic embellishments or holiday colors. Keep it kitsch with shoulder pads!
Poncho ho ho- Who needs sleeves when you’ve got these! Pop one of these bygone beauties over an all black (or white) outfit and voila! Grandma approved.
NordicTrack - Nothing says North Pole like an iconic Scandinavian style sweater.
Dr. and Mrs. Huxtable - The original Ugly Sweater style was inspired by Italian brand Coogi. It still has legs, even if they were originally attached to a very ugly dude.
Holiday Cheer Squad - Three cheers for repurposing vintage letterman garb as fashion! Brightly colored collegiate style knits serve full candy cane vibes.
Thrift and Tell
I sourced each of these sweaters secondhand and paid no more than $30 for any of them (including shipping). To find them I scoured Poshmark for “vintage sweaters.” Others were thrifted or found in vintage clothing stores. Every sweater is unique, so don’t try to find these because you can’t! That’s the fun!
You can find your own online using the following search term variations on “vintage sweater:”
Nordic, Argyle or Fair Isle
Grandpa or Cosby
Varsity or Collegiate
80s or 90s cropped
If you don’t have time to order a vintage sweater online, go to a thrift store or vintage clothing shop. If all else fails, ask a friend to borrow an ugly sweater from years past. At least you’ll keep an ugly sweater out of a landfill for one more holiday season and that’s a very beautiful thing.
