Ugly Sweaters Make a Comeback at Fleetwood

A renaissance of sorts has occurred in recent years–a rebirth of wool and fleece, cardigans, and pullovers. To the dismay of many, Christmas sweaters have emerged as a new holiday trend. Yet this time, something is different: the wearers of these sweaters are happy to acknowledge their apparel is ugly.

These sweaters, varying in degrees of tackiness, have for many years been embraced by the elderly to display their Christmas cheer. The trend even falls to some middle-aged adults, who sport their reindeer threads to the absolute horror of their teenage children.

“I don’t care for them, they’re pretty terrible,” said sophomore Tyler Angstadt.

Though the strong infatuation with Christmas sweaters, seen most heavily in the nineties, has seemingly died off, a new purpose has called them back into the spotlight.

Holding ugly sweater parties has become commonplace amongst both young adults and adults. Those who choose to attend are likely to find themselves sifting through racks of clothing at thrift stores such as The Salvation Army and Goodwill in search of the most glaring Christmas eyesores money can buy.

Designs range from a simple Christmas tree or two to galloping reindeer and jolly old Saint Nick himself. Harshly contrasting colors and laughably awkward designs abound, raising questions of who in the right mind would even pay a dime for such apparel. But that’s the point: a worthy sweater is one that goes against all rules of fashion and self-respect.

The FAHS sophomore class held an ugly sweater event of their own, but one of a very different type–a competition of sorts. The guidelines were simple: there were jars placed in the cafeteria during lunches labeled with the names of potential victims: teachers Mr. Driesbach, Mr. Palacz, Mrs. Heffner, Mrs. Sahaydak, Mr. Walter, Ms. Nagle, and Mrs. Ackerman.

Students placed money, cash, or coins in the jar belonging to the teacher they would most like to see donning a suitably hideous Christmas sweater. The first round of the competition began on 19 December and ended on 16 December, after which the totals were counted and the top three money-getters determined. The top three then competed starting the following Monday through Wednesday, 21 December.

Once the money was carefully counted, a single winner was chosen. The unfortunate victor of the competition was designated a sweater to be worn the following day during school.

“I think it’ll be a good way to raise money and have a little fun,” sophomore class historian Daquan Brown said.

History teacher Sue Nagle and representatives of the sophomore class hoped to see the fundraiser achieve great success in addition to bringing about a few holiday laughs.