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Christmas is a magical time in New York. From the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall to the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the state is full of festive holiday cheer. Chilly winter temperatures also mean it is time to pull out cozy sweaters.
One of the most beloved winter traditions is the Christmas sweater, or as it was commonly referred to in the 1950s, the 'jingle bell sweater.' These were intricately designed, wool-knitted sweaters that featured color schemes and iconography associated with Christmas in a largely secular fashion. The designs were often exceedingly busy, with nary an inch of space on the sweater left unutilized as a part of the intricate, larger tapestry. These sweaters were the precursor to today’s ugly Christmas sweater.
Many public figures appeared on television during this time wearing these jingle bell sweaters to celebrate the holiday, leading to an oversaturation of the market. This led to a backlash against these garments in the following years, with many people feeling that they were painfully garish and outdated by the 1960s.
In an unexpected turn, though, this only heightened the cultural weight these sweaters held for future generations. In the '90s, the 'ugly Christmas sweater' concept was introduced, as people began ironically repopularizing these designs.
Gone was the overt sentimentality of the '50s, replaced by jaded '90s cynicism, which surprised many by bringing these garments back into vogue. Today, ugly Christmas sweaters remain a staple of Christmas culture, especially with younger generations in metropolitan areas such as New York.
Why Ugly Christmas Sweaters?
The ugly Christmas sweater has become increasingly popular as a cultural and fashion phenomenon in recent years. Many New Yorkers have embraced the quirky tradition through holiday parties, themed events, and festive retail trends. The city's vibrant holiday culture has only further fueled the garment's surge in notoriety, as ugly Christmas sweaters have become an incredibly popular theme and dress code for events of all kinds around the holiday season.
A Tradition That Defies Tradition
Part of this is due to their subversive nature. So many of the most popularized elements of the Christmas holiday are unabashed products of the day's overt commercialization. From the tree to ornaments to lights on the house, all these elements were not inherent to the holiday at its origin but rather pieces that were added over the years to help capitalize financially upon it.
While many people genuinely enjoy these festive traditions in sincerity, the ugly Christmas sweater trend allows for a bit of pushback against the straightforward earnestness of these other trends, acting as a release valve that will enable people to enjoy the different parts of the experience even more.
Buying an Ugly Christmas Sweater
When purchasing an ugly Christmas sweater for an event, the worst thing you can do is not commit to the bit. The last thing you want is to show up at a themed party and have people uncertain if your sweater is supposed to be your ugly Christmas sweater or just part of your general wardrobe.
As such, you want to go all in and visit a retailer such as https://uglychristmassweater.shop/. Here, you will find extravagant, wholly original, over-the-top designs that will position you as the talk of the event in the best ways.
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