Ugly Christmas Sweaters are big business

News 3 This Morning crew on Ugly Christmas Sweater Day 2016

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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In 2008 someone came up with the idea to declare the third Friday of each December as Ugly Christmas Sweater Day. Before that these tacky sweaters from the past were viewed as obnoxious and packed away or donated to Good Will, never to be discussed again. But now the tackier the better. There's been a huge uptick in popularity for the festive fashions.

Cheesy Christmas Jumper

Last year I was contacted by the folks at Cheesy Christmas Jumpers in the United Kingdom about writing a blog about their merchandise. They mailed me a light up Christmas sweater that I promptly started wearing to Christmas parties, the Lights Fantastic Parade that I co-emcee and even on the news. Because of its "uniqueness', I get a lot of comments on it. 

Star Wars meets ugly Christmas sweater

I didn't want to repeat the same sweater this year, so at the end of the season last year I stumbled upon an Ugly Christmas sweatshirt from Kohls. It has Star Wars characters in the shape of Christmas cookies all over it. With the hype of Rogue One this week, it's been a great conversation piece. I coupled it on air with my Stormtroopers suit from OppoSuits/Shinesty. (The Cheesy Jumper was still worn too, I shared it with a co-worker).

Craftbeericans

And in an upcoming episode of Craftbeericans, my buddy Tom and I don a twosie  sweater his wife picked up last Christmas. These sweaters are very popular and on most sites, they sell out quite fast. Wearing this one and shooting an episode of our craft beer show was a lot of fun. Be sure to check out the Craftbeericans YouTube channel next week for the finished product. 

Ugly Christmas Sweater cookies

Do you sport an Ugly Christmas sweater? Some are pretty pricey online, but you can pick up one at Walmart or Target at a pretty good price. Companies are even making t-shirts and sweatshirts at an even lower price. Pop culture themes, current events and sports teams are part of this new Christmas tradition. Heck you can even buy cookies and design and eat your own.