More than Christmas parties and cookies, Christmas sweaters are becoming the ‘it’ factor of this festival’s celebrations. Over the last few decades, sweaters have made it to the top spot on the list of Christmas fascinations. The new kid in town has become an instant celebrity. And we can see why. It’s colorful. It’s tacky. But, it’s an essential part of the celebration. Keep reading and find out about the crazy yet cozy history of ugly Christmas sweaters.
How did it all begin?
Though the trend of ugly Christmas sweaters is a fashion of the eighties, the idea of wearing colorful, flashy, and weird Christmas sweaters was a much older fashion trend. Originally known as “Jingle Bell Sweaters”, these sweaters portraying Christmas themes first came onto the market in the 1950s. It was the time when Christmas-themed holiday was getting more and more commercialized and they made a big boom in the market. Every family in North America had at least one holiday photo that showed people wearing matching sweaters with Christmas-themed bold imagery. Soon the streets of the country filled with people wearing weird sweaters and cheering in the crowd.
The mainstreaming
It wasn’t until the 1980s that the iconic “Jingle Bell Sweaters” became the talisman of Christmas parties. All credit goes to Bill Cosby and Chevy Chase, who made these ugly-looking wooly pullovers the mainstream of Christmas celebrations. The eighties television was dominated by the two actors weaning on sweaters with bold colors and abstract patterns. They became synonymous with the era’s trends and turned the fashion world upside down.
Fallen from grace
The booming trend of the eighties became a dormant fashion trend in the 90s. The grunge fashion of the nineties was probably so dominant that it overshadowed the others. It was the decade of mineralization and the use of more down-to-earth colors and Disney characters. The bold type probably couldn’t survive in front of the prince charming, and was sent to a kingdom far, far away. They, however, didn’t die.
Fashion reincarnated
The new millennium brought many hopes and turned old dreams true. This was a new era – an era of boldness and confidence. The jingle bell sweaters were brought out of hibernation. This gallant deed was done by Chris Boyd and Jordan Birch from Vancouver. They were knights in shining armor who saved the ugly Christmas sweaters’ fate by throwing the first-ever Christmas sweater party. The hosts were looking for a vintage sweater party that found an unexpected way to fame. They definitely did not know that this little casual party could become the talk of the town. The trend of ugly Christmas sweaters soon spread to every corner of the world.
So ugly, it’s beautiful
The second decade of the 3rd millennium was the magical era for the ugly Christmas sweaters as they found a path into haute couture. In 2010, the first-ever ugly sweater collection was launched by the Italian designer Riccardo Tisci, followed by Dolce & Gabbana. The ugly Christmas sweater had then become the singular theme of the fall and winter collections of many fashion brands including H&M, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s.
So if you want to upgrade your fashion game, an ugly Christmas sweater is a must. Check out our fun Xmas sweater collection today.
