Best of Etsy: Fun Christmas sweaters

Over the past several years, the Christmas sweater has become a quintessential part of the season. Wearing a wacky, seasonal-themed sweater is a fun tradition everyone can get in on, and we’ve sourced some great ones from Etsy.

We love this playful (and slightly naughty) Christmas sweater from Katy Halter of Elves Gone Wild. You can’t go wrong with a sexy Santa who wants to mingle.

SheKnows Canada: Why has the Christmas sweater become such a popular holiday tradition?

Katy Halter: The Christmas sweater tradition is fantastically popular because it provides hilarious party conversations, and everyone is dressed in equally hideous getups, regardless of gender.

SK: What makes a good Christmas sweater?

KH: The best Christmas sweaters are the ones that are so over-the-top obnoxious or crazy that you can get the whole party laughing as soon as you walk in the door. Factors that help with this include lights, Christmas cats, giant abominable snowmen with toothy grins, oversized Christmas decor of any kind and hey, even a sexy Santa graphic with a suggestive “Jingle Jingle Wanna Mingle?” works!

You can’t help but have fun while wearing this whimsical snowman Christmas sweater by Natalie Opsitnick of TrezChic Vintage.

SheKnows Canada: Why has the Christmas sweater become such a popular holiday tradition tradition?

Natalie Opsitnick: To put it simply, they’re fun! Ugly-Christmas-sweater parties give people a chance to escape the holiday hustle and bustle and share a good laugh over who sought out the tackiest of the tacky.

SK: What makes a good Christmas sweater?

NO: A great Christmas sweater is incredibly cluttered and busy. Think lots of appliques, repeating characters, etc. The more, the merrier! Some sort of background is also definitely a must, whether it’s falling snow, sequin stars or bedazzled trees. Anything that jingles is always a winner too!

What’s better than a hilarious Christmas sweater? One that lights up, of course! You’re sure to get noticed in this light-up sweater, featuring a grinning abominable snowman, by Brett Durkee of Tipit Designs.

SheKnows Canada: Why has the Christmas sweater become such a popular holiday tradition?

Brett Durkee: People love to have fun! Have you ever seen a sad person at an ugly-sweater party? Take a group of people in cheesy Christmas apparel, add some bubbly Christmas music, a little (spiked) eggnog, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a great time! Christmas sweaters aren’t just a fad but a growing tradition that is here to stay!

SK: What makes a good Christmas sweater?

BD: A good Christmas sweater has two distinguishing characteristics: 1) It must be memorable. No one remembers Aunt Jane’s knit jumper she’s had since the Great Depression, but you won’t forget a fuzzy abominable snowman with blinking LED lights around him! 2) It must make you smile! Let’s be honest — nobody looks good in an ugly sweater. If you’re going to look ridiculous, at least spread a little love and make a few people smile while you’re at it!

If you love Christmas and want everyone to know about it, we suggest donning this fabulous holiday sweater from Fabio Molle of Funky Xmas Sweaters. It’s bold, it’s bright, and by wearing it, everyone will know how you feel about the festive season.

SheKnows Canada: Why has the Christmas sweater become such a popular holiday tradition?

Fabio Molle: We are the original European Christmas sweater company, and when we started to sell, not many people wore Christmas jumpers. Since then, we have spent countless days and nights showing people how much fun you can have with a Christmas sweater. We have managed to get our sweaters on celebs such as Scott Disick, One Direction and The Wanted, and they have helped spread the tradition of the Christmas sweater. The movies also play a huge role in the Christmas sweater. Movies such as National Lampoon’s and Bridget Jones bring back nostalgic memories for people and are a high part of the revival of the Christmas sweater.

SK: What makes a good Christmas sweater?

FM: The sweater has to scream fun. If it doesn’t make the people around you smile or cringe, then it’s not a worthy Christmas sweater! They are all about embracing Christmas with your friends and family and letting all of [life’s] worries slip by for a few hours at least.

Mendy Addison of Gizmo Purses created a fun and festive Christmas sweater featuring Frosty. We’re willing to bet it would be a hit at any holiday party.

SheKnows Canada: Why has the Christmas sweater become such a popular holiday tradition?

Mendy Addison: Christmas sweaters give me a big blast of nostalgia from my childhood, when my mom would dress me in big, fuzzy behemoths of garments to keep me warm for the day. Keeping the tradition alive every year is a lot of fun. Always trying to find one better than last year’s getup is exciting.

SK: What makes a good Christmas sweater?

MA: A good Christmas sweater is unique yet festive! Handmade sweaters are the best! Many big retail stores these days are mass producing “ugly sweaters,” but they don’t even compare to one-of-a-kind styles. A great Christmas sweater will make you stand out in a crowd!

Whether for yourself or the cat lover in your life, this handmade holiday sweater by Ben of
Outer Spaceways is sure to start a few conversations. The adorable cat wreath featured on the sweater is handmade.

SheKnows Canada: Why has the Christmas sweater become such a popular holiday tradition?

Ben: I think Christmas sweaters have blasted off due to the over-commercialization of Christmas in the latter half of the 20th century. To me, most of them represent the garish, tasteless part of the celebration of Christmas that make me question how many glasses of eggnog one has to have to think they look swell in one. The ugly-Christmas-sweater phenomenon is proof that I am not alone in this thinking.

SK: What makes a good Christmas sweater?

B: I will attempt to answer your question with another question. Is there such a thing as a good Christmas sweater? I think the more tacky, tasteless or ugly, the better.

You’ll be the hit of any Christmas sweater party you attend this season when you show up wearing this vibrant cardigan by Stacey Silber of Oreomocha Do-over Designs.

SheKnows Canada: Why has the Christmas sweater become such a popular holiday tradition?

Stacey Silber: I think there are two types of Christmas sweaters and two types of sweater wearers. The first type is those people who truly love all things Christmas and find Christmas sweaters to be adorable and fun. The other type is the “ugly Christmas sweater” wearer. These are people who find the sweaters to be tacky or distasteful but [who] delight in the absurdity of the whole thing. The crazier the sweater, the better.

SheKnows Canada: What makes a good Christmas sweater?

SS: This depends on who’s wearing the sweater. If it’s the Christmas lover, then a good sweater will have sweet, charming images of snowmen, reindeer, Santa, teddy bears, Christmas trees or similar Christmas imagery on it. But a good “ugly Christmas sweater” should be bright, silly, have flashy or twinkly adornments… and generally be something most people would be embarrassed to wear out in public.

More on Christmas

Blogger traditions: Christmas decor ideas
Holiday-themed parties on a budget
Christmas Eve traditions to try out