Ugly Christmas sweaters... Where did they come from?

The festive trend of wearing Christmas-themed sweaters first began in the 1950s. It was a glorious time when mostly natural fibers were woven into functional clothing geared toward warmth with a hint of holiday style.

In the 1950s, the sweaters were much more subtle than the ones frequently seen today and weren't nearly as popular. The sweater designs consisted of simple images such as snowflakes or snowmen.

Thanks to popular Christmas movies like 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,' the ugly Christmas sweater and other festive accessories became a more outward expression of Christmas cheer.

While the 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' remains a holiday classic, the
nordic knits and festive garb featured in the movie did not yet become the cultural staples they are today.

We can thank the 2001 film 'Bridget Jones' Diary' for contributing to the ugly Christmas sweater revival. When Colin Firth sported a sweater adorned with a large reindeer face and his love interest appeared mortified, the love/hate relationship with the ugly Christmas sweater was forever captured on the big screen.

Image: Miramax / Universal

In 2002, the very first of many ugly Christmas sweater parties was held. Since then, the theme has been revisited at countless family gatherings and office parties. The sweaters evolved into a humorous fashion statement as opposed to a fashion faux pas.

As the popularity of the ugly Christmas sweater grew, so did the level of hideousness. Today's Christmas sweaters are designed with more colour, synthetic fibers, pom-poms, tassels, jewels, and sparkle than our grandmothers could have envisioned.

Families dress up in the same Christmas motif, children and pets included. Here's Jason Derulo and his partner Jena Frumes.

Image: Jason Derulo / Instagram

Once reviled and left languishing at the back of the closet, the ugly Christmas sweater is now used as a force for good. A special day is devoted to it at the height of the Christmas season: the third Friday of December.

If Matt Damon embraces the ugly Christmas sweater, you can too. From being the much-needed icebreaker at a work Christmas party to bringing random people together every third Friday of December, the ugly Christmas sweater isn't going anywhere.

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