Nothing conjures up holiday memories (and a few laughs) like an ugly Christmas sweater.
In recent years, donning tacky Christmas sweaters—the kind grandma used to love—has been growing in popularity. There’s even a National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day in the U.S., falling on Dec. 16 this year.
A number of holiday-themed apparel ecommerce companies have cropped up, like TipsyElves.ca, but even large brick-and-mortar retailers are aiming to cash in on the tongue-in-cheek trend.
Hudson’s Bay Company has launched an ugly holiday sweater collection designed by actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg. The limited-edition festive knits arrive in stores on Nov. 1.
According to a press release, Goldberg has a family tradition of donning kitschy holiday sweaters each year. The sweaters incorporate her “whimsical, humorous take on the holidays” and are made with luxury fabrics not commonly seen in a novelty sweater, such as alpaca, wool and cashmere.
“I wanted my love of the holidays to come to life with this ‘ugly’ sweater collection,” said Goldberg, in the release. “There’s no better way to celebrate the season than by wearing or giving an ‘ugly’ holiday sweater and spending time with family and friends, which is really what it’s all about.”
“We are thrilled to include Whoopi in our holiday traditions and launch this collection; we know it will surprise and delight our customers during this special time of year,” said Liz Rodbell, president of Hudson’s Bay and Lord & Taylor.
The eight styles can be found at Hudson’s Bay stores across Canada and on TheBay.com. All sweaters will retail for $179.
