Originally called “Jingle Bell sweaters,” the first Christmas-themed sweaters were mass produced in the 1950s when the Christmas holiday was becoming increasingly commercialized.
It wasn't until the 1980s that the item hit the mainstream. The shift came thanks to pop culture and comedies, with goofball dad characters in movies and shows.
In the early 2000s, the first ugly holiday sweater party was held in Vancouver, Canada. All the guests were instructed to wear a hideous sweater, and interest in ugly sweaters was
reborn. Today, the party is still an annual hit and the event routinely sells out the Commodore Ballroom. Not surprisingly, the U.S. picked up on the idea and now there are thousands of ugly sweater parties held all over the nation each year (MENDELSOHN 2022).
Now the iconic ugly sweater has even made its way to high fashion, apart from being included in fast fashion retailers, such as H&M, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s, luxury brands such as Givenchy and Dolce & Gabbana have also debuted the garment in special collections.(Neira 2021)
More examples of ugly sweaters and where to buy them.
Walmart, Target, Costco, Forever21, H&M, Zara, Old Navy, Banana Republic, J.Crew, Macys
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