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Maybe it’s my love of being ridiculous, but I love ugly sweater presents. It’s by far one of my favorite parts about the holidays. After all, what’s better than an excuse to wear something ugly and go, I swear, it wasn’t my idea. And then have people actually fight over which of their sweaters is the ugliest? What could be better?
So let’s talk about the ugly Christmas sweater (or in my case, ugly holiday sweater). We can discuss how to find, pick, and style your sweater.
Outfit One
ASOS Ugly Christmas Sweater
Aeo Jegging
Everlane The Day Boot
Outfit Two
Ugly Hanukkah Sweater (Similar)
Aeo Jegging
J.Crew Factory Flat
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Outfit One
ASOS Ugly Christmas Sweater
Aeo Jegging
Everlane The Day Boot
Outfit Two
Ugly Hanukkah Sweater (Similar)
Aeo Jegging
J.Crew Factory Flat
The art of the ugly Christmas sweater
Where to find your ugly Christmas sweater
If you want to be really authentic, go to Goodwill or some other thrift store near you. Duh. Where better to get a sweater than going straight to the source of the ugly Christmas sweaters? But just in case you’re short on time or your local Goodwill has already run out, here are a few other options.
Tipsy Elves
Tipsy Elves is like the gold mine of ugly holiday sweaters. It has so many varieties and you can find everything from the mild to offensive. I can even find a lot great Hanukkah sweater options, which is pretty rare.
The downside? The prices are not wallet friendly for something you’re only going to wear once or twice a year.
Target & Walmart
Yes, our favorite saver stores also allow you to let your ugly sweater flag fly. For women, Target even throws in some great sweater dress options. The prices here are far more reasonable as well.
Nordstrom
The variety isn’t as great, but the gaudiness of the sweaters make up for it. Real tinsel, pom poms, jingle bells, everything your heart could desire. The price also definitely varies here
Amazon
As with most things, you have to be careful ordering on Amazon, because many of what look like ugly sweaters are actually ugly sweatshirts and long sleeves. Now, if you just read the title or description, you’ll be fine, but some people obviously don’t.
Amazon does carry products from Tipsy Elves, but the prices are about the same. They do have a decent variety, but again, I feel like I run into more long sleeve shirts than I want to.
How to Pick Your Ugly Christmas Sweater
.It’s easy, right? Yes. Kind of. Maybe not? There are actually some things you should probably keep in mind before you actually buy one.
Saying & Image (on the shirt)
Ugly Christmas sweaters (and all holiday sweaters) have a few pretty solid groups of themes to them: animals, religious figures, funny sayings related to holiday songs, or dressing you like a tree or present. These themes might expand a bit, but they they typically keep to these four. You don’t have to know what you want going in to it, but it helps to keep those things in mind.
Your Crowd
Who are you going to be around when you wear this sweater? Is your sweater going to offend anyone? Seriously think this one through. Some of these sweaters can be mildly offensive to those who are more religious. The majority of them are harmless, but everyone once in a while, an offensive one may pop up. Try to avoid that one.
Occasion
Is it an office holiday ugly Christmas sweater party? is it a friend? This goes back to number two, but as always, keep your crowd and occasion in mind.
How to Style Your Ugly Sweater
So you have your ugly sweater. What do you have to do now? Well….you need to figure out how to wear! The easiest solution (like I did in both of my pictures (is to pair it with jeans and match it to a nice pair of shoes. Again, simple, but easy.
Want to take it a step further? Grab a mini skirt, ankle boots, tights, and front tuck the skirt. Or you could pair them with nice joggers and heels. Go either way, but have fun with it!
I can’t wait to see how you style your ugly Christmas sweater! Make sure you tell me below.
Photos by Alex Good
