Ugly Sweater Party

FUN FACT! The ugly Christmas sweater became a mainstream fashion trend in the 1980s.

However, I wasn’t aware of it until the early 2000’s … my bro, Alex F, invited me to an Ugly Sweater Party. I wasn’t able to attend for one reason or another, then I saw the photos that were taken at said-party. It was one of the few times in my life that I had #FOMO!

I started digging into researching this phenomena.

Pop culture: The character Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show and Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation helped make ugly sweaters popular.
Fashion: The style of the 1980s, which included neon accessories and shoulder pads, fit well with showy sweaters and vests.
Mass production: The first Christmas-themed sweaters were mass produced in the 1950s.

The trend’s popularity faded in the 1990s, but was revitalized in the 2000s:

Ugly sweater parties The first known ugly sweater party was held in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2002 by university students Chris Boyd and Jordan Birch. The party was a hit and inspired similar events across North America.
Cinema The character Mark Darcy in the 2001 film Bridget Jones’s Diary was shamed for wearing an out-of-place sweater, which helped renew the trend.
Fashion designers Italian designer Riccardo Tisci released a series of sweaters for Givenchy in 2010. The sweaters were a hit on the runway, and retailers like H&M and Macy’s began selling their own ugly Christmas sweaters.

Today, ugly sweaters are more than just a holiday tradition. They’re a competitive sport, with people showing off their sweaters at parties, bar crawls, and 5Ks.

NATIONAL UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER DAY

Since 2011, National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day has grown to be an international event. Now occurring on the third Friday of December, the celebration gives holiday lovers worldwide a chance to wear their ugly Christmas sweaters.

#UglyChristmasSweaterDay

In 2014, they partnered with Save the Children in their “Make the World Better with a Sweater” campaign.

Each year, ugly Christmas sweater wearers, decorate, shop, and do their darndest to out ugly last year’s ugliest sweater. Whether they sport the most lights or colors, bells or characters, ugly sweater wearers find the most ribbon and felt ladened sweaters and festoon them with glitter so blinding no Dustbuster invented will capture the wave left behind. The sweaters serve as beacons of light so bright, Rudolph himself will someday be out of a job.

However, don’t be sad. So often Rudolph is featured on many of the sweaters. Elfs, donkeys, snowmen, and many other holiday characters we love and adore find their way to these ugly monstrosities. It’s all part of the fascination with the holiday. So, join in the fun. Celebrate and donate, too.

HOW TO OBSERVE UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER

Try these tips to take the prize:

Animal or cartoon characters with a holiday theme give sweaters a kitsch feel. Think reindeer, snowmen, mice, kittens or elves.
Select ridiculous colors. The more they clash, the better.
Embellish. Scratch that. Over-embellish! Pom-poms, bells, felt, tinsel, or any other glittery, jingly items lying around the house.
Add a collar, dickey, or ruffle.
Electrify it! Put Rudolph to shame and go to the head of the team with bright, flashing lights!
Give it some 80s flair with shoulder pads.

NATIONAL UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER DAY HISTORY

In 2011, ugly Christmas sweater lovers created National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day as a way to lighten up the busy holidays and to show off their absurdly, ugly sweaters. The day has grown in popularity and is celebrated worldwide.

Ugly Sweater FAQ

Q. What is the most common type of ugly sweater?
A. Sweaters come in a variety of styles, but the pullover sweater is most commonly worn for an ugly sweater event. Pullover sweatshirts are also used. A third type of sweater worn for Ugly Christmas Sweater Day is a sweater vest. Incidentally, the sweater vest has its own day called International Sweater Vestival.

Q. How do I win an ugly sweater contest?
A. Well, for those who are the competitive type, it’s important to be creative. You can shop for an ugly sweater, but then you face the risk of your neighbor showing up in the same sweater. Here are a few suggestions to help you wear a winner.

Light it up.

No matter the design, adding battery-operated lights to your sweater will improve your chances of winning.

Add accessories.

Wear the ugly theme from head to toe. Bows in the hair, jewelry, leggings and socks can help put your design on the winner’s list.

Get punny.

Create a sweater that plays on holiday words. For example:

Use faux fur to create a fur tree design. A sad dog dressed up like Scrooge is a bah-hum pug. Glue bottles of santitizer to your sweater with little Santa hats. When people ask, you tell them “I’m keeping it safe with santa-tizer.” An elf with a camera is taking an “selfie.” Add cotton balls to your sweater for a Fleece Navidad. Glue pinecones and sheep to your sweater: I’m pining for ewe. Go gnome or go home. Add spice packets to your sweater for a “seasons greetings” theme. Use mustache puns in a variety of ways: A wine bottle with a mustache = My Secret Stash. I mustache you if you have been naughty or nice. I mustache for your presents.
Start with an ugly base.

In other words, start with a sweater with a busy pattern. Then kick it up a notch with ornaments, glitter, tinsel, or lights.

Turn to pop culture.

UPCOMING NATIONAL UGLY SWEATER DAY DATES:

19 December 2025
18 December 2026
17 December 2027
15 December 2028
21 December 2029
20 December 2030
19 December 2031

F’ugly Sweater + [Partial Bottles of] Vodka Killing Party

Issaquah, WA. Bayne Beer Garden. WCP and I shared a top-tier apartment in the mid-2000’s. The great room that measured 12 feet by 27 feet was the perfect entertaining area, with a panoramic view of I-90 valley. On a clear day you could Seattle’s skyline juxtaposed to Bellevue’s.

It was incredible backdrop for parties; ginormous or small.

One such party was the F’Ugly Sweater, Partial Bottles of Vodka Killing Party on January 15, 2011. WCP and I set up a photo booth, cooked up food, while the party attendees provided all types of vodka that have been partial used at each of the parties over the years.

After killing a majority of the vodka bottles, we wanted to play games that involved physical activity. The first game we played was call Jumpin’ Monkeys. It was short lived, though. We moved on to the game, Guesstures by Hasbro.