How to Wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater

You may remember my DIY Ugly Christmas Sweater creation from last year, and I’m back with another this year! This time around, it’s less DIY and more about quick and easy hacks to transform a sweater you already own into a whimsical Christmas outfit.

Disclosure: Thanks to Value Village for providing me with a gift certificate to shop for an ugly Christmas sweater! No further compensation was received, and all thoughts are my own!

The first thing I did was stop by my local Value Village to find a sweater. Even though I have a few I could have used, I wanted to find something a little more festive to start with. I ended up finding a cropped sweater with subtle sparkly threads that I thought would be perfect for this project.

One Simple Hack to Create an Ugly Christmas Sweater

I don’t know about you, but I have a lot going on throughout the holiday season. Everything picks up at work, I have to find time to go shopping for all the holiday things, and it’s a busy time in blog world too. That’s why I opted to go for a simple hack to make this DIY Ugly Christmas Sweater come together. After walking down aisle after aisle looking for something to stick on my ugly Christmas sweater, I came upon a Christmas brooch and jewelry section. There were all sorts of gold sparkly ones, but I loved these silly whimsical ones. From a reindeer to a giant poinsettia and a Santa star, I knew at a buck a piece these would be perfect.

When I got home, I realized I could intertwine my Christmas Tree Fairy Lights from Ankit in between the brooches too, and slip the battery pack under my bra strap for safe keeping. And here it is, my magical Ugly Sweater creation!

How to Wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater

So how did I decide what to wear with it? I knew I wanted to have fun with this outfit, so adding a bright pop of color, fun accessories, and stylish elements that reflected my personal style were essential.

What I Wore with my Ugly Christmas Sweater

Coat: Cambridge Coat c/o J.Jill {Wearing a Petite XS}
Sweater: Rue 21 Cropped Waffle-Knit Sweater c/o Value Village
Skirt: One 5 One via Fred Meyer {similar under $35, similar under $55}
Tights: Hanes Premium Sheer Tights in Black
Clutch: River Island {similar under $20, under $25}
Pumps: SJP Lady Pumps {similar under $25, under $50, under $75}
Earrings: Fred Meyer {similar under $5}

Add Fun Accessories to Your Tacky Christmas Sweater

I found these adorable red pom pom earrings at Fred Meyer and knew they would be perfect with my Ugly Christmas Sweater. Is there anything more fun than pom poms?! I think not. Plus, the bright red really makes them pop!

Pair Your Ugly Christmas Sweater with Stylish Separates

I think the important thing to feeling comfortable in a tacky Christmas sweater is to pair it with items that you feel confident in. For me, that means pairing it with stylish separates that I would usually wear during the holidays anyway, like this velvet pencil skirt and red coat from J.Jill.

Use a Pop of Color with your Ugly Christmas Sweater

Speaking of red, I used red throughout this outfit to make the pins on my Ugly Christmas sweater pop and to add my favorite personal style trick to this outfit. I love nothing more than a pop of color in my outfit, and my red coat, clutch, and pumps pulled it all together and made this outfit feel more “me.”

I hope this style hack for creating an Ugly Christmas Sweater is helpful for any last minute party outfits you may need to create! Just because you’re wearing a silly, ugly Christmas sweater doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your personal style. Remember to pair it with items from your closet that you love, and you’ll look fabulous!

Are you creating an Ugly Christmas Sweater this year? How do you like to style your tacky Christmas pieces? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments!