Get Ugly

Today is your chance to look so bad it’s good. It’s National Ugly Sweater Day which is celebrated annually on the third Friday of December.

My mother loved holiday sweaters so much that she didn’t limit the celebration of this holiday to just one day. She donned some of the most festive, ho-ho-ho-horrendously flashy sweaters and outfits for each day of December. Some were covered with poinsettias, others had shiny ornaments, and all were pretty gaudy. But she loved them. At the church and neighborhood holiday parties her friends thought she was the most chic chick in the room. She would have loved this holiday, but we would have had to explain the “ugly” part gently to her.

Like gingerbread houses, stockings, and Hallmark movies, ugly Christmas sweaters are a staple of the holidays. There is no word in the English language that I could find to describe something that is both ugly and beloved. But in French, it’s jolie laide, and in Japanese busakawa. Pug or shar pei dogs are so ugly they are cute, so why not sweaters? Jolie Laide! Busakawa! Bring ’em on!

You probably have a friend, neighbor or co-worker who, just like my mom, can hardly wait to show off their ugly sweater collection during the holidays. So, just for grins I thought I’d show you mine by digging up a list of some of the ugliest sweaters to grace the silver screen and television. Check out what I’ve come up with and see if you can think of more. This should be fun.

Ryan Gosling in Lars and the Real Girl

I adored this movie. Of course, even in an awful sweater, Ryan Gosling is still hot!

John C. Reilly in Stepbrothers

Reilly’s sweater had pompoms all over it.

Colin Firth in Bridget Jones’s Diary

Although Colin may be Bridget’s Mr. Darcy, this sweater didn’t help him…or maybe it did.

America Ferrera in Ugly Betty

Oh Betty. Poor Betty. Why should the holidays be any different for her when it comes to tacky?

Dead Guy in Die Hard

Guess he was “caught dead” in that sweater.

Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Clark Griswold does is all!

Jim Carey in How the Grinch Stole Christmas

You would kind of expect poor taste from a Grinch, but oh my, this outfit is hideous.

Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski

…and the Dude abides.

This just proves that you can’t keep an ugly sweater in the closet forever, they were made for flaunting holiday spirit everywhere. You have to admit, today, and every day, being ugly has its own charm.

Warm holiday wishes on Ugly Sweater Day!

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