Ugly Christmas Sweaters: Bring it on!

So, lots of employers have fun things to do at the holiday season. They might have dinners, or lunches, raffles and games, holiday parties, and yes, for some, the dreaded ugly sweater day! I say embrace it with gusto, and have fun. My sweater lights up! I cannot wait to wear it proudly and have some laughs.

So, what is the history of this phenomenon? I did some digging, because after all, its pretty weird. Two men stand out in the entertainment industry for wearing them, and turning them into fashion statements. Cliff Huxtable on the Cosby Show wore them, and Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Christmas helped get the ball rolling. That was back in the 80’s though. They seem to have grown to have a life of their own way after that. So, what caused it?

Someone must rolled in a second hand store like Goodwill, and found an ugly sweater and decided to turn it into a party. In 2001 parties popped up with ugly holiday sweaters as the theme, and here we are now. Its such a phenomenon that a book has been written about it, stores have dedicated their inventory to these seasonal items, and websites are also up and tell you all about how to have a great ugly sweater party! Fashion icons are horrified by it, but I bet they have secret ugly sweater envy!

Added to the mix is that this is not a North American fashion statement. Others have gotten in on the act in the U.K. Colin Firth in Bridget Jones Diary sports one his mother bought him at a party in the movie.

I find it funny that most everyone is not rushing to take the actual credit for starting this seasonal trend. Our good friends in Canada though don’t have a problem with chiming in, and saying it started with them in 2002. Vancouver has a party every year in the Commodore Ballroom call the Ugly Sweater Affair, and yes, bingo, the dress code is an ugly sweater! Two guys in Canada have actually trademarked the phrases, “ugly Christmas sweater,” and “ugly Christmas sweater party,” in Canada.

Lets face it, no matter what or who started it, this ugly sweater thing has turned into big dollars for many people. Parties, stores, and more have centered specialty businesses around it and have made some significant revenue from it. Regardless of the business part, I will wear my ugly sweater proudly and have some fun with it! I say bring on the ugly sweaters, and I hope my new employers give us a day to wear them, and maybe a party?!