Many Germans have taken a liking to silly sweaters
In Germany, "ugly Christmas sweaters" (from English), the fashion for which came here from Great Britain and the USA, have become a cult and an integral part of winter holidays over the past two years. And the more kitschy and ridiculous your sweater, the more you are in the swim.
But how to explain that Germans, known for their restraint and conservatism, have gone along with such a flamboyant trend? According to Axel Augustin from the Federal Association of German Textile Retail (BTE), when it comes to fashion, Germans are becoming less inhibited, dressing more boldly, and are no longer afraid of experiments in clothing, which is why funny Christmas pullovers are in high demand in Germany.
One representative of the Swedish concern Hennes & Mauritz, the largest clothing retail chain in Europe, explains this trend in much the same way. As she noted in an interview with journalists, Christmas pullovers reflect the anticipation of the upcoming holiday and show that there is room for jokes in fashion.
In the USA, such ironic items have long been in trend, and even Hollywood celebrities love to parade in them. Actress Whoopi Goldberg even released her own collection of "hideous Christmas sweaters." This year, in the run-up to Christmas, many world-class stars have donned funny "ugly pullovers," or rather, their wax figures exhibited at the British museum Madame Tussauds branch in Los Angeles. Among those sporting the outrageous sweaters are British bard and actor Ed Sheeran, American performers Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, and Snoop Dogg.
Even the British royal family keeps up with fashion
30,000 euros is the price of the most expensive "ugly Christmas pullover" to date, handmade with 24,274 sewn-on Swarovski crystals symbolizing stars in the sky, and an image of Santa Claus flying through the air on a flying unicorn. In total, 52 hours were spent knitting this unique sweater, produced in a single copy.
In addition, a matching elegant carved wooden frame is offered – in case the pullover is purchased not as clothing to wear, but as a work of art to be exhibited on the wall. The jumper can be bought in the online boutique of the American brand Tipsy Elves, which specializes in producing and selling clothing and accessories with tacky but invariably positive prints for the Christmas holidays. Whether anyone has already shown interest in the extravagant item is not yet known.
In Germany, among the first celebrities to appear in public in "ugly Christmas jumpers" were footballers Lukas Podolski and Mesut Özil. This caused a great sensation. Today, entire football teams in Germany dress up in matching Christmas pullovers for the holiday. Such ironic uniforms exist, for example, for the German football clubs 1. FC Köln and Bayern München. They decided to acquire them with an eye on the footballers of London's Arsenal.
Incidentally, Arsenal players hold fashion shows and sell Christmas sweaters online, and then donate 20 percent of the proceeds to charity. In Great Britain, there is even a Christmas Jumper Day held in mid-December, when manufacturers of such clothing donate part of the proceeds from sales to the charity Save The Children. It helps children who are victims of violence and military conflicts. So the point of creating silly sweaters is not only to amuse people but also to support those in need.
In Germany, Christmas Jumper Day is not yet held. But Gerd Müller-Thomkins from the German Fashion Institute admits that in two or three years, the situation in this regard could well change. Especially since "ugly Christmas sweaters" are gaining more and more fans among Germans.