This time of year, most shopping lists include holiday attire like cocktail dresses for women and navy blazers for the guys. But there’s one piece of holiday garb that you might have overlooked – the “ugly sweater.”
The ugly-sweater craze, made popular by television shows like the “Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon,” has been on the rise steadily since 2012 as shoppers across the country have gotten into the act by hosting their own ugly-sweater Christmas parties. In fact, the overly patterned, loud-colored sweater kick has evolved into a multi-million dollar industry.
Our friends at the Mills at Jersey Gardens, the state’s largest outlet center with 200-plus stores, report that between 2012 and 2015, Internet searches for or related to “ugly sweaters” grew a whopping 2000 percent. In fact, as this trend continues to gain footing among all ages and demographics, it’s actually becoming a challenge to find the perfect ugly sweater during the month of December. To make these popular but unattractive garments available to one and all this holiday season, the Mills at Jersey Gardens is actually billing itself as this year’s “ugly-sweater headquarters,” with more than ten retailers offering the sweaters.
Consumers can join the ugly-sweater movement, especially if celebrating National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day on Wednesday, December 15, by shopping this trend at discounted rates at these Elizabeth outlet stores:
• Marshall’s
• H&M
• Old Navy
• Century 21
• Mandee
• Forever 21
• VF Outlet
• Dress Barn
• Lane Bryant
Additionally, Simon mall gift cards will be handed out to random to shoppers wearing an ugly holiday sweater at the Mills at Jersey Gardens on December 15. The Mills at Jersey Gardens offers extended holiday hours, helping even the busiest of us to shop the season’s best trends.