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What's up with the Ugly Christmas Sweaters?

Forums: Christmas, Ugly Sweaters, Ho Ho Ho
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George
 
Reply Fri 5 Dec, 2014 07:10 am
The "Employee Activities Committee" just announced an "Ugly Sweater" contest
here at the Widget Factory. My cousin, who is hosting the family Christmas
dinner this year wants everyone to wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater. I've seen
advertisements for Ugly Sweaters bearing the logo of your favorite team, and
found DYI Ugly Christmas Sweater kits online.

Is this some ancient pagan custom resurfacing?
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Type: Question • Score: 7 • Views: 2,816 • Replies: 13
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sozobe
 
  1  
Reply Fri 5 Dec, 2014 07:34 am
@George,
I was invited to one maybe six years ago? and I'd never heard of it before then.

It was fun -- scour thrift shops for really bad sweaters at for $1.75 or whatever.

Some people made their own.

Then prizes for the ugliest.

I thought my friend who hosted it made it up, but every year since that first one I've seen a few more references/ other parties, and now it seems to be ubiquitous.
Germlat
 
  1  
Reply Fri 5 Dec, 2014 07:38 am
@George,
Don't play it safe. You have to find the most ridiculous one with the brightest colors ...
0 Replies
 
sozobe
 
  2  
Reply Fri 5 Dec, 2014 07:41 am
@sozobe,
Oh gosh. Check this out:

http://able2know.org/topic/126876-1#post-3508581
Lordyaswas
 
  1  
Reply Fri 5 Dec, 2014 07:51 am
@sozobe,
Brilliant!
0 Replies
 
ehBeth
 
  2  
Reply Fri 5 Dec, 2014 11:04 am
@sozobe,
hey there! Very Happy

Last week I spent some time in Kensington Market - two whole shops were filled with vintage ugly bugly Christmas sweaters. Not so cheap anymore.

I must dig around in the cupboards and see if I still have one. I know I received a few over the years.
0 Replies
 
Linkat
 
  2  
Reply Fri 5 Dec, 2014 12:40 pm
@George,
It is fairly recent (at least from my personal observations) - the idea is that so many people receive ugly Christmas sweaters as a gift - so this gives one an opportunity to actually wear it in a place and time in which it is socially acceptable and even encouraged. Think ugly bridesmaid dresses and now similar type parties.

Now being a competive environment it isn't good enough to simply wear the gift from Aunt Agatha - you need something so over the top there is a new market for ugly sweaters.
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George
 
  2  
Reply Fri 5 Dec, 2014 12:59 pm
They have Montreal Canadiens Ugly Sweaters.
Or is that redundant?
sozobe
 
  1  
Reply Tue 23 Dec, 2014 02:24 pm
@George,
Addendum -- things seem to have changed a bit this year compared to previous years. In previous years, we'd get actual vintage sweaters that were cheap and ugly. As it became more of the thing, the vintage thrift shop sweaters got more expensive.

Throughout, people also made their ugly sweaters. (I had a normal gray sweater that I appliquéd a cat hacking up a hairball; the hairball was a sparkly Christmas ornament thingie.)

No longer. This year, people had cute/ ironic ugly sweaters that they bought new.

Example:

http://www.modcloth.com/shop/pullovers-sweaters/cookie-cutting-edge-sweater
ehBeth
 
  2  
Reply Tue 23 Dec, 2014 03:34 pm
@sozobe,
http://www.cbc.ca/q/schedule/2014/12/23/tuesday-dec-23/

Quote:
The Ugly Christmas Sweater has jumped the shark this year


http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2014/12/23/ugly-christmas-sweater/

Quote:
Attending an Ugly Christmas Sweater party this year? Well, get out of grandpa's attic -- you no longer need to hunt down a genuinely gaudy garment.

With trendy retailers like Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters mass producing kitsch, the ugly sweater has become more commercialized and ubiquitous than ever.

The Atlantic's Megan Garber joins guest host Rachel Giese to chart the change, and why these sweaters are still ugly, but no longer ironic.


http://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/posts/2014/12/Screen_Shot_2014_12_08_at_4.29.24_PM/5c9fcfcb7.png




http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/12/ugly-christmas-sweater/383550/
Kolyo
 
  1  
Reply Tue 23 Dec, 2014 03:40 pm
@George,
George wrote:

They have Montreal Canadiens Ugly Sweaters.
Or is that redundant?


Maybe they'll share them with Bruins fans when you guys are left out in the cold come play-off time. Twisted Evil
George
 
  2  
Reply Tue 23 Dec, 2014 05:05 pm
@Kolyo,
So it's December and you say the Bruins are already out of the playoffs?
0 Replies
 
sozobe
 
  1  
Reply Tue 23 Dec, 2014 05:06 pm
@ehBeth,
Yep, that.
0 Replies
 
Germlat
 
  1  
Reply Tue 23 Dec, 2014 06:00 pm
@ehBeth,
I thought these outfits are simply gorgeous ...doesn't everyone? Ok...maybe only the guy was......only the one on the right...
0 Replies
 
 

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