It’s that time of year again! Christmas shopping, holiday parties, snowy weather, and of course… ugly Christmas sweaters! This hilarious idea has become so popular, there are actually companies like Tipsy Elves who started their company exclusively selling goofy, crazy, and ugly Christmas sweaters.
And as the pet-parenting trend grows and grows, there are more products on the market just for our furry friends. What a time to be alive: you can now buy an ugly Christmas sweater for your dog. Whether you’re looking for silly, serious, cute, or just plain ugly… you can find it all online. And now, you and your pup can even go to an ugly Christmas sweater party as twins!
Where Did the “Ugly Christmas Sweater” Trend Begin?
“Ugly Christmas Sweater” parties are fun and silly, but where in the world did this trend start? Well… to figure that out, we’re going to have to take a trip to the past.
1950s
It all began back in the 1950s! These cozy, warm, pullover knit sweaters were actually a popular trend, and were referred to as “Jingle Bell Sweaters.” They weren’t meant to be ugly. We just see them as ugly and ridiculous today because they’re such an old style. But back in the ‘50s, this type of sweater was totally normal, and actually very stylish.
1980s
These types of crazy sweaters weren’t really famous in the media until the 1980s. That’s when you saw Mr. Huxtable wearing them on The Cosby Show. And again you would see them showing up in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when Chevy Chase wore them. These sweaters weren’t worn because they were cool or popular but instead just because they were festive around Christmas… and a little over the top.
2000s
This trend calmed down a bit in the 1990s, but then popped back up into the media when Colin Firth wore a ridiculous Christmas sweater in the movie Bridget Jones’s Diary in 2001.
As far as we know, the first official “Ugly Christmas Sweater” party was held in 2002 in Vancouver, British Columbia. The idea of wearing these ugly Christmas sweaters out of humor skyrocketed and became widely popular across Canada and the U.S. These parties were often in support of charity causes.
2010s
In the 2010s, you started to see celebrities wearing them publicly to be funny, which furthered this social phenomenon. From then on, it became almost a competition to see who had the ugliest Christmas sweater. Crazy, right?
Back in the early 2000s, if you went to an ugly Christmas sweater party, you’d have to first raid your parents’ closets or scour every aisle at Goodwill to find the perfect sweater to wear.
But now, it’s such a popular trend, you can order them online from TipsyElves.com, UglyChristmasSweaterParty.com, Amazon.com, and so many others. Not only that, you can find these crazy types of sweaters in Walmart, Target, or your favorite store at the mall. Everyone has jumped on this Christmas sweater bandwagon!
When is National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day?
Of course, as with anything that’s popular, there is a National Day of celebration for it. National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day is held on the 21st of December. And every year on this day, social media blows up with the craziest, ugliest, most lit-up, and most outrageous Christmas sweaters to help celebrate the holiday season.
With our pups being such a big part of our lives these days, companies are now making ugly Christmas sweaters for your dog too! Some even make matching Christmas sweater sets for dogs and their owners.
The 8 Ugliest Matching Christmas Sweaters for You and Your Dog
Speaking of matching Christmas sweaters, we found you the 8 ugliest Christmas sweaters for you and your pup to wear together with pride! You’ll be the envy of everyone at your Ugly Christmas Sweater parties this year.
- Matching Dog Family Christmas Jumper
This ugly Christmas sweater is a matched set for a dog and their owner. It’s a classic mostly red sweater with vintage-style designs, deer, gingerbread men, and even little fuzz balls attached.
- Matching Pet and Owner Christmas Sweaters: Rad Reindeer
If green is more your color, this sweater is for you! It’s mostly a solid, dark green color with snowflakes and a giant goofy smiling deer face. Of course, it comes with a matching sweater for your pup.
- #followme Matching Christmas Pajamas for Couples, Dog and Owner
This is one you can get for the whole family! Mom, dad, and the kids can all wear matching black and red shirts with “peace, love & joy” written on them, and black pajama pants with candy canes all over. And your dog’s sweater vest will match everyone’s pajama pants.
- Christmas Matching Ugly Sweater Holiday Pine Trees
This is another great Etsy find. The sweater is a teal color with various shapes, styles, and colors of pine trees all over it, plus snow falling all around. And the dog version of this sweater even has tiny sleeves!
- Matching Dog and Owner Ugly Christmas Sweater: Pink Hearts & Snowflakes
If you’re looking for something super girly… we found it! This sweater is a “Barbie” pink with snowflakes and hearts all over it. And the adorable matching dog sweater not only has tiny sleeves, but it even has a little hood, drawstrings, and zipper down the front.
- The Great Yukon Sweater for Pups + People
Looking for something more manly? This matching sweater set for you and your pup looks like something Mr. Huxtable would have worn himself. It has a white background with red and black old school patterns and shapes. Plus a row of black moose. And your pup’s sleeveless sweater will look just the same.
- Llama Alpaca Cactus Christmas Print Ugly Sweater Matching Pet Owner Set
This cream-colored sweater has pictures of llamas, alpacas, and cacti wearing Christmas hats and scarves. And the matching dog sweater for this one is a pullover sweater with little sleeves.
- Matching Dog and Owner Ugly Christmas Sweater: Santa Faces
This ugly Christmas sweater set sports a very busy and attention-getting pattern. It has a black background with tons of Santa faces, hearts, gift boxes, pine trees, snowflakes, and “HO! HO! HO!” written all over it. The dog sweater for this one is another hoodie style with drawstrings and a zipper front.
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