Students make the holidays more quirky with festive attire

With the holiday season underway, ugly sweaters with snowmen, Santa Claus and reindeer fill the racks at thrift stores.
Uptown Ragstock manager Janet Kolterman keeps the store stocked with ugly sweaters for adults and teenagers alike. Ugly holiday sweaters provide an alternative for students and adults for themed parties as well as dressing for school.

“Every year we have kids buying the ugly holiday sweaters, but this year we’re having adults buying them too,” Kolterman said “I think teenagers have made them more popular”.

The trend is becoming more widespread through age groups, according to Kolterman, and also becoming competitive.
“I’ve had many people come to the store and buy ugly sweaters for what they call ‘ugly sweater parties’, and they’re always trying to find the tackiest sweater to show off,” she said. “They wear them in an ironic and funny way”.
For junior Thomas Djerf ugly sweaters are a good alternative for holiday apparel.
“They’re funny and also festive, I really want to get one for Christmas time,” Djerf said.
The halls of high schools have seen the “Crosby sweater” (sweaters with bright colors and busy patterns) trend and now the trend extends to the holiday themes.
“I don’t think that the Christmas sweaters are that big of a jump from the other ugly sweaters that people have already started wearing,” Djerf said.
Ugly sweaters add a twist to traditional garb as well as a good natured competition to the holiday season.