Image via: Flickr user tifotter
If you celebrate Christmas, then at some point or another in your life, you’ve undoubtedly received – or have been forced to wear – an ugly Christmas sweater. They’re frumpy, garish, and unflattering on just about everyone, yet we seem them on countless people during the holiday season all the same.
Recently, wearing hideous holiday sweaters has become a sort of hip ironic thing to do, to the point that people are throwing ‘ugly Christmas sweater parties’ to celebrate them in all their unattractive glory. Like the mighty mullet, ugly Christmas sweaters have been elevated to a pop culture phenomenon (check out the awesome gallery at The Daily Green!).
Somehow, guys can wear the most hideous Christmas sweaters and look hilarious, yet most girls end up looking like your dorky 2nd grade substitute teacher who wore holiday-themed turtlenecks under a denim jumper.
So, how do you rock the ugly Christmas sweater if you’re invited to one of these parties? Check out these tips to wear the trend and still look sexy. Of course, you shouldn’t run out and buy one of these polyester nightmares new – get yours at a thrift store or borrow one from a friend or family member. The whole point of this trend is to get at least one more use out of these ridiculous wastes of polyester/cotton/wool/grandma’s sweat ‘n tears.
Images via: The Adventures of Short and Tall + The Daily Green
Choose a cardigan. Layering it over a cute cami puts the spotlight on the sweater and gives you a more streamlined look. It’s hard to find holiday sweaters with a flattering cut – most of them are super bulky and make even petite women look like linebackers – but cardigans, especially if worn open, give the illusion of leanness.
Belt that XXL and wear it as a dress. If all you have is Grandma’s ginormous sequined Frosty the Snowman sweater and it comes down to your mid-thigh, work with it. Belting it keeps it closer to the body so you don’t look like a shapeless blob.
Images via: Badger & Weasel + Flickr user Camels & Chocolate
Wear it with a skirt or layer it over a dress. Show a little leg to make up for all the ugliness on your top half. Leggings and tights look cute and keep it feminine. Whatever you do, don’t wear sweatpants or you’ll look like the Abominable Snowman after stumbling into a holiday convention for secretaries over the age of 55.
Hey, sometimes you’re invited to an ugly Christmas sweater party and all you have available to you is the selection at Goodwill. That’s ok – you can still rock it. Don’t forget that the whole point of wearing an ugly Christmas sweater is that it’s ugly. At least at an ugly Christmas sweater party, everyone else looks stupid, too.
Stephanie, I didn’t think it was possible, but I bow before your ability to make ugly, recycled Christmas sweaters wearable (and dare we say, slightly sexy?). God knows I don’t want terrible pix of me in ugly sweaters on Facebook for the rest of my life!!!!
12/10/08 » 3:31 pm »
Hey no worries! It was actually really cool to see that my ugly sweater went to more use than just 1 party
I love this article. We have one of these parties every year. You are a very talented writer and I love the suggestion of the xxxl sweater as a dress 
Cheers!
12/11/08 » 9:14 am »
that is my charming niece rocking the sweater! there seems to be a rash of white trash christmas parties as well. that seems to be more about external decorations though. fun post
12/11/08 » 9:47 am »
eco chic weekly : The Alternative Consumer
[...] rocks that ugly Christmas sweater you just [...]
12/16/08 » 12:30 pm »
Eco Chic Weekly :: 15th Dec ‘08 | The Green TKR
[...] Eco Chick Eco Chick shows you how to rock an ugly Christmas sweater. [...]
01/13/09 » 5:33 pm »
Are you kidding? Gotta look sexy – always! What else is a gal good for?
11/20/09 » 4:05 pm »
Stephanie,
I love it!!!! Rock your eco-sweaters on the mike’s ugly sweater photo contest. Have a sign in the photo that says something like “make it mikes.” We’d love to see it! Just go to http://www.facebook.com/mikeshardlemonade and go to our “promotions” tab to submit and upload. Can’t wait to see it!!!
12/03/09 » 12:52 pm »