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
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#5 I Ordered A Custom Ugly Christmas Sweater
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#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
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#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
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#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
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#17 Best Christmas Sweater
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#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
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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
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#30 Now Is The Time To Find Those Ugly Sweaters. I Found This Gem At My Local Goodwill
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#31 Ugly Christmas Sweater
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#32 My Entry For The Ugly Sweater Contest At Work: "The Human Santapede"
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#33 I Just Got This Sweater Today. How Do I Look?
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#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
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#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
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#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
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#38 Finally, I've Found My Christmas Jumper
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#39 Heading To The Ugliest Christmas Sweater Party
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#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
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#41 She Wasn't Kidding When She Said No One Else Should Bother Trying To Win The Christmas Sweater Contest At Work
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#42 I Just Finished Making My Ugly Christmas Sweater. I Used Dog Clothes And A Pikachu Hat. What Do You Think?
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#43 Finally I Found A Sweater To Fit My Nana
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#44 This Christmas Sweater I Saw Today
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#45 Ugly Christmas Sweater Season Is Approaching
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#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
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#48 A Friend Of Mine Likes To Go A Little Overboard On His Tacky Christmas Sweaters
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#49 I Wore This To Work Today. A Couple Of Colleagues Said "Too Early". I Disagree
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#50 We Had An Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest, And This Was My Homemade One
Image credits: blessedmom07
