Chain Store Ugly Sweaters: Yay or Nay?

It’s that time of the year again, folks. It’s the holiday season, so break out the Christmas tunes, the industrial cookie trays, and the snow boots. Get ready for a month of holiday cheer and happiness everywhere you go that’s hard to escape, even if you try.

But don’t forget about one of the best traditions of Christmas time. One so important that even big chain stores are hoping on board – ugly Christmas sweaters.

Yes, that’s right. It’s time to search in the far reaches of every closet, dresser, or storage container in your house for the perfect sweater. The one so atrocious that you only wear this time of year when you’re hanging out with your family.

But there’s one thing that arises from chain stores selling Christmas sweaters. Are the “ugly” sweaters they sell actually ugly? Or are they cute sweaters masquerading as ugly to try and turn a profit like so many other Christmas traditions nowadays?

Maybe I’m just being weird, but it doesn’t feel authentic to me if the sweater is bought from a big chain store. What’s the fun in wearing a cute sweater to an ugly sweater party?

If you look at sweaters sold at Wal-Mart or Target, they aren’t often ugly. They have cute designs on them, which defeats the purpose of an actual ugly sweater. Though I will admit that a lot of the sweaters sold at these stores are incredibly cute.

Not only does it feel unauthentic, but it seems like these big stores are just trying to ruin yet another Christmas tradition by making it a big marketing scam.

When it comes down to it, maybe my problem with big chain stores selling ugly Christmas sweaters isn’t really about the authenticity, but rather the exploitation of every Christmas tradition that it can get its hands on.