8 Ugly Holiday Sweaters That Are Actually Kinda Cute?
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The holidays really are the most wonderful time of the year. Not because they offer us an extended excuse to shop for weeks on end. Not because they provide the assurance that we’ll finally be able to check off everything on our wishlists. And not because they tend to bring with them a plethora of tasty treats. But because during the holidays, it finally becomes socially acceptable—nay, socially encouraged—to wear as many ugly holiday sweaters as we can get our hands on.
The ugly holiday sweater is a beautiful thing. It’s incredibly cozy. It’s occasionally cute. And it’s inherently practical. But its chief purpose isn’t form or function. It’s fun. When we shop for clothing, we’re usually trying to solve a problem and look good doing it. We want to stay warm while looking hot. To assemble an outfit that’s layered but not terribly obvious. To find a shoe that’s equal parts professional, stylish, and comfortable. Rarely are we encouraged to throw caution to the wind and wear the strangest item of clothing we can possibly find.
The holiday season—more specifically, the ugly holiday sweater season—offers us the chance to do just that. There are no cares about aesthetics. No concerns over how many ways we can wear that thing we just bought. Just good, old-fashioned fun—delivered at the hands of one seriously delightful knit. (Or at the hands of, like, 30 seriously delightful knits. Practicality went out the window the moment you decided to wear something excessively strange—why limit yourself now?)
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Urban Renewal Vintage Holiday Cardigan
This sweater has it all—Christmas trees, presents, hearts, stockings, and, thankfully, buttons. The chunky cardigan is giving us major Taylor Swift energy, and has a design that’s just ironic enough to wear in an actually cute ensemble.
Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Oversized Weekend Wrap
Ok, this isn’t technically a sweater—more of a cardigan in our eyes—but we’d be remiss if we didn’t include this incredibly comfy option in here. It’s the closest thing you’ll get to an office-acceptable blanket that you can wear with you from the cafe to your cubicle.
Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Oversized Weekend Wrap
BerryGo Women’s Long Sleeve Knit Pullover Sweater
This $20 find is giving us a vintage feel with all of the benefits of contemporary time. After all, it can ship to your house in a few days.
Reindeer Sweater
Ugly? This sweater? Nah. This Anthropologie number brings style to holiday garb. Though a reindeer is front-and-center, the knit design is shockingly chic and looks like it could be worn from the runway to the driveway. Wear it for a subtle Christmas-y nod.
Reindeer Sweater
Mean Girls Feliz Navi Squad Christmas Sweatshirt
‘Mean Girls’ fans will know: This sweatshirt is so fetch. It pictures the iconic quartet wearing what might be the most iconic Santa Claus costume rendition known to man. Buy a few of these for your squad and roll up to the holiday party pretty in pink—just make sure it’s a Wednesday.
BP Crafted Sweater
If a warm hug were somehow transformed into a design, it would be this sweater. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood when you’re wearing this funky and bright style.
Tinsel Holiday Sweater
Sometimes subtle just isn’t in the cards. When you’re feeling like a present yourself, why not look like one? This tinsel-towed shirt is sure to be a hit at any holiday party you attend.
Tinsel Holiday Sweater
Office Sweatshirt
Any ‘Office’ fan will happily don this hilarious sweatshirt that quotes one of the best Christmas specials that’s ever aired. Take Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute—and their antics—with you wherever you go.
