You’ve seen it many winters: milion of fun Christmas jumpers collected from grandparents’ wardrobes and shamelessly worn to one of those tacky Christmas parties held throughout December. But have you ever wondered what started this strange trend? Even high street retailers have now included their own version of the ugly Christmas jumper. So how did it all start? Here’s the story of what happened.
It all started in the 1950s
Ugly Christmas jumpers first appeared in the 1950s, with the mass marketing of Christmas. They were first known as “Jingle Bell Sweaters”, and featured discreet Christmas-themed decorations. The first Christmas jumpers were not meant to be “ugly”, but rather artistic and cheerful.
The trend had a modest presence in the media until the 1980s when it became popular on television.
1980s and 1990s: popularisation and depreciation
The character who popularised the oddly patterned jumper was Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show. By the end of the decade, it was common for the conductors of Christmas specials to wear them.
By the 1990s, the style had faded, but it never died. The turning point came when Mark Darcy’s character was humiliated in the film Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) with one of the most inappropriate designs ever seen on screen. The designers were hand-knitting one-of-a-kind jumpers!
After that, ugly Christmas jumpers entered the 21st century with renewed strength.
The 2000s: the party begins
Chris Boyd and Jordan Birch started the first Christmas Sweater Party in Vancouver. The idea quickly spread across Canada and the United States, and then around the world. The parties grew into massive events, often benefiting charitable causes.
In 2007, searches for ugly Christmas jumpers began to skyrocket on Google and the trend slowly made its way back into the media.
Celebrities and high fashion come together in the 2010s
At the beginning of the decade, various fashion designers released collections of ugly Christmas jumpers. Soon, retail shops adopted the trend, and today you can buy them brand new instead of rummaging through thrift stores and inherited wardrobes.
Celebrities, TV stars and even politicians have jumped on the bandwagon and made it a common Christmas sight.
Celebrate National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day!
Social media has of course had a huge impact on this trend. Young people started buying vintage knitwear to see who had the ugliest jumper. The internet helped to drive this trend until it went global! Now we even have our National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day.
That’s right! There is an official national day for wearing your ugly Christmas jumper. Celebrate National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day on 21 December by wearing something festive! It’s time to wear your Christmas jumper loud and clear.
In conclusion, don’t hesitate any longer and dare to wear a wonderful ugly Christmas jumper. The Christmas Dream offers a wide range of Christmas jumpers, each one as funny and wacky as the next!