You can assume that it came about, not as something that one would think could be a trend, but as something only really intended as a joke; a gag statement that someone thought would be amusing at their next holiday party but, in fact, turned out to be something totally unforeseen...

The ugly Christmas sweater that first caught attention a couple years ago a fun curiously has went from cheap low-brow gag gift to buzzworthy holiday high-fashion phenomenon.

While the hipsters may have sparked the trend of the ugly Christmas sweater initially--it's been the reaction of various celebrities through television and social media and the culturally aware general public that has made the itchy holiday sweater an ugly must-own fashion item.

Something that was at its start, bemusing during the holiday season on your local television newscast has spiraled into the mainstream of America. Ugly Christmas sweaters are now popping up in various motion pictures, on television sitcoms, and are a source for fun discussion and flaunting on daytime talk shows such as The Ellen Degeneres Show and Live! with Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan. Recently, Samsung even employed the ugly sweater in their seasonal marketing campaign in a new commercial featuring husband and wife actors Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell, each wearing a 3-D Reindeer ugly holiday sweater.

2014, will no doubt go down as the year, in which the ugly Christmas sweater trend secured its future, and perhaps, even transcended into fashion statement. Event promoters have begun using the ugly sweater phenomenon as a means to create awareness, raise support and even money for their events. Special pay-to-participate gatherings or parties are becoming viral across the United States. Called "Ugly Sweater Parties," participants party hard at selected regional location with others with a passion for the ugly holiday sweater. There are also, year round ugly sweater 5K runs and walks to raise monies for various big name charities nationally and locally. The ugly Christmas sweater has no plans on leaving the current cultural milieu anytime soon.

If you're planning on embracing the trend yourself the important questions one should ask: What works for me and where do I buy it? For those with a more thrifty sensibility; one could visit their local second-hand stores and push their luck at finding something ugly for the holidays. These stores have become hip however regarding contemporary trends and their pricing is now beginning to reflect that understanding. They have also taken to removing and/or holding stock until the next holiday season as well as the trend fluctuates. The best place to find your ugly holiday sweater might be on the internet.

In the last two years, there has been an insurgence of online retailers who had made the ugly sweater phenomenon their main business. And as with any other trend, licensing has begun to rear its (ugly) head too. Yet, it's because of this that one now has the options in the ugly Christmas sweater universe to not only buy their basic ugly sweater with a poorly designed 8-bit graphic of a snowman or Santa Claus, but also sweaters that feature reindeer in sexual positions, and others that integrate your favorite characters from Star Wars as well as those that manage to make the logo of your favorite sports team completely hideous.

These companies are really going that extra ugly mile to offer those out shopping online for that ugly Christmas sweater something worth their money. One company, UglyChristmasSweater.com might be the forerunner in the ugly fashion trend. In addition, to selling an array of ugly holiday sweaters, the Michigan-based start-up has taken the idea of the ugly holiday sweater and transcended it into a whole other surreal realm. Visit http://www.uglychristmassweater.com/ for details

Featuring sweats that light up as well as one that has a 3-D reindeer bursting out of the wearer's chest, the ugly Christmas sweater retailer also has a do-it-yourself ugly sweater design kit and a collection available of high-fashion sequin mens sports jackets which feature on each some type of grotesque Christmas ephemera. The Michigan-based retailer might be the place to start for anyone looking to embrace the ugly trend of 2014.


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Fred Hajjar