Christmas Sweaters, not Ugly at All!

When I was a kid, I loved wearing red and green for Christmas, and I hunted Hallmark Christmas and holiday pins at every card store and gift shop.  We didn't have Christmas sweaters.  I wish we did. One friend of mine had a very cool blue jumper with carolers appliqued around the bottom.  They were of felt with sequins like the Bucilla ornament kits of the 70s and 80s.  I love these, too, and my mom would always buy me a new kit in July to create.  I wore red plaid kilt skirts and green velvet jackets for Christmas. One year, I had little red leather boots to go with my finery.  We bought it all on sale at great department stores.  Christmas sweaters began to show up in our neck of the woods around twenty years ago. I loved them because of the detail.  They were pricey and most were handmade. I chose one from Peru with actual little dolls sewn on.  I chose a farm scene so I could wear it all year.  A short sleeved Three Little Pigs sweater from Peru soon followed.

One favorite has great rhinestones and gold beads sewn all over like necklaces on heavy gold chains. I love it.  My parents said I could have it if I could try it on.  This was no small feat; I had just fallen down the stairs at work, and my left arm was in a sling.  Movement was hell; I had a bad case of bursitis and a shoulder injury.  Somehow, I got the sweater on, and it was mine!

Since then, I've been a big fan of these sweaters.  The trick is to buy the on sale, look in thrift shops, haunt consignment stores like Ragstock, try The Discovery Shops of The American Cancer Society, and Goodwill.  Pair them with plain skirts and slacks; keep the holiday jewelry to a minimum, but a holiday pin looks terrific with them.  You can find everything for well under $10.  Hit the after Christmas sales for next year's bargains, but I like to wear mine through January, and if it's Angels, February.  I have an Echo silk scarf emblazoned with Victorian scraps in pastels that I wear all year.  I waited and waited, and bought it half price at Nordstrom's many years ago.


Above all, don't call them Ugly Sweaters!  They aren't.  People who parody them are mean spirited; they are jealous and have holiday issues.  These sweaters are often imaginative and intricate.  They make people smile and showcase imagination the way a good album quilt or crazy quilt do.  Here are some great examples.  Etsy.com is a great place to find them, and so is Amazon.  Here is a gallery of some fun ones; all photos are public domain images.