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The History of the Ugly Christmas Sweater

Luxury brands like Givenchy and Dolce & Gabbana have also debuted the iconic ugly sweater in special collections.


Daniel Neira
Daniel Neira - Los Angeles
Senior WriterLos Angeles
DECEMBER 24, 2021 11:04 AM EST

If you want to get into the holiday spirit and are wondering what to wear this holiday, don’t forget to check out Christmas sweaters and their history, you will find it super interesting.

The first Christmas-themed sweaters made an appearance in 1950, produced on a grand scale and quickly becoming popular, but it wasn‘t until the 1980s that the unique piece of clothing made a cultural impact, after appearing in different TV sitcoms.

ugly sweater© Istock

The ‘jingle bell sweater’ was known as a chic festive holiday garment adorned with multiple embellishments and patterns, including candy canes, elves, presents, tinsel, reindeers, Santa Clauses, among other decorations.

And while it’s difficult to know how the popular ugly sweater parties started, giving a new meaning and a new excuse to celebrate the holidays with friends and family, the city of Vancouver previously claimed to be the birthplace of the tradition, hosting the first Original Ugly Christmas Sweater party in 2002 at the Commodore Ballroom.

The annual event was created by Chris Boyd and Jordan Birch, and they even made sure to trademark the phrase “ugly Christmas sweater” and “ugly Christmas sweater party.” The pair give back to the community by raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada.

Ugly Sweater© Istock

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 like Givenchy and Dolce & Gabbana have also debuted the garment in special collections.