Bad Sweater Guy

Make the Yuletide Gay

Bad Sweater Guy appears in yet another film, Rob Williams' "Make the Yuletide Gay." We highly recommend adding it to your DVD collection.

O Canada!

Did you know that Bad Sweater Guy is huge in Canada? No, it's true. And not just in Winnipeg either.

MTV Live (that's sort of the Canadian equivalent of TRL for you Americans) has had Bad Sweater Guy as a Hot Topic guest twice now. He has sounded off on everything from Britney Spears to swine flu. It's sort of a McLaughlin Group for the E! Online crowd.

So with the sudden surge of popularity up north, we expect to see a flood of photos of Canadians in bad sweaters arriving in our mailbox very soon. C'mon, Canadians. I know you have one or two bad sweaters hidden away somewhere.

Bad Sweaters + alcohol = awesome

Raye from Florida got her friends into the holiday spirit by holding a Bad Sweater Party. She even consulted Bad Sweater Guy ahead of time for some cool prize categories. I think you'll agree, pretty much everyone there was a winner.

First up, we have our hostess Raye on the right, holding the robot dog with the laser eyes. On the far left, her friend wears a sweater depicting some sort of mutant cat creature whose incontinence is captured in yarn. On her shoulder, it was going to be a beautiful tree until the weaver just gave up.

 

Now here's a lovely foursome. If you saw them together on a golf course you'd be glad that you had several clubs with which to defend yourself. The smiling gent on the left loses points because he's simply wearing a woman's sweater. Just because it's a man in drag does not make the sweater bad. And for the record, that sweater is god-awful. We're impressed with the vest showing Santa and the reindeer skating, but the winner in this group is second from the right. Some sweater maker somewhere wanted to cram as much stuff as possible into one scene, and this is the result. Even the teddy bear seems to know he looks stupid. And then someone said "Hey, you got a lot of blank space up here in the corner. Cram in a wreath and call it a day."

 

We're conflicted about this photo. The only official Bad Sweater in the group is the guy in the middle with the two-tone blue sweater, which apparently says "Busty" for some reason. The guy on the left definitely gets points for craftiness and for handing out appetizers. At first we were ready to dismiss the guy on the right, because that's not even a sweater. It's a poncho. But then we looked closer. It's not a poncho. It's a tree skirt! That makes Bad Sweater Guy SO happy.

 

Finally, we come to the winners. Our runner-up is on the right, wearing something he bought from the Highlights magazine fall fashion collection: Hey, kids. Can you find lips, a piano, a violin, a tuxedo, four bow ties, a harp...? The top winner of the night is on the left, wearing what we're told was a work of art dubbed "LEGO Santa." It wins points for equal parts fashion wrongness and creepiness. Why is Santa wearing blue? Clearly they had red yarn (to make the red stars, of course). Why does Santa's coat look like a bathrobe -- an OPEN bathrobe? Why doesn't he have a real face? Why does it look like he's going to stab me with that small tree?

Looks like it was a night to remember. Thanks for sharing the photos. Do you have pictures from your Bad Sweater party? Send them in and we'll make you famous too.

Business in the front, party in the back

 

When you first see Matt's sweater (or jumper, as they are called in other parts of the world) from the front, you say "That's not so bad. How is that a Bad Sweater? Balderdash! I'm going to look at pictures of stuff on cats instead." But then, wonderfully, Matt turns around to reveal the true horror: argyle with stripes. It's the "professional golfer meets prison inmate" look that's so hot right now. BadJumper Guy approves!

Spencer's Gifts

A man named Spencer heard Bad Sweater Guy interviewed on the WGN Morning News in Chicago the other day and sent in some photos from his Bad Sweater party a few years ago. Remember: Just because the holidays are over doesn't mean there aren't plenty of Bad Sweaters to be found in the wild. Let these inspire you and send some images my way.

Less of Bad Sweater Guy to love

Yes, that really is Bad Sweater Guy, who lost 40 pounds with a radical new diet plan he discovered. But don't worry, he may have given up fattening foods, but he hasn't given up bad sweaters.

Now appearing on the center stage ...

Wow, just ... wow.

Megan writes: "a photo stage and plenty of eggnog provide for the best of yultide spirit, and some pretty embarrassing pictures to prove it."

It's good you explained that for us, Megan, because for a second we thought this e-mail spam for a new Las Vegas revue.

Is that a dickey?!

Repeat offenders

One of Bad Sweater Guy's favorite submitters, Stefanie, is back for the third time. Really, Stefanie, haven't your co-workers in Pennsylvania suffered enough?

Stefanie writes: "As is our tradition, and amid stares of both horror and delight, we strutted our stuff through the mall to Santa.  You can see we have to pile on the a-bit-too-jolly old elf high and tight – I just hope that was a candy cane in his pocket. 

There’s no denying how you inspire us, and for this we are truly thankful. "

Awww, we're blushing! It's Santa and his ho, ho, hos.

Some truly spectacular work here. The skirt is back! Seriously, it takes some inspiration and Maria Von Trapp sewing skills to rip that off the tree and wear it. We've got schnockered elves in there, and just below her, change you can believe in. (But psst, your friend on the upper left there seems a little hard up -- I mean, *one* mistletoe is usually sufficient).

All in all, a good showing ... buuuuut, what's with the woman in the dress front and center? Get with the program! The holidays arent the time for Little Orphan Annie, lady. There are bad sweaters without a home.

Golden Arm, Golden Outfit

Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell is allegedly pictured here in the upper left wearing a wonderfully Bad Sweater. Or at least that's what The Sporting News says. We assume The Sporting News is a publication that tracks what clothes people are sporting for the holidays.

How come everyone in this photo looks all tricked out for Christmas except for that bearded guy in the middle?

Beast of Borneo

Heather writes: Received this festive holiday sweater for Christmas....it's a great look if you are 8 or 85, but unacceptable anywhere in between those years. The sparkling sequins on the reindeer antlers make it dressy enough for that sophisticated office party when you REALLY want to impress the boss. Perhaps I will get blinking snowman earrings to match the sweater for next season?



Yikes. That's quite the headhunter necklace. You've already claimed the heads of Rudolph and Frosty, pretty soon you'll be moving onto that Dentist Kid and then St. Nick himself. There can be only one!

Looks like someone has a case of the Mondays

Jennifer writes:

"In the spirit of bad sweaters everywhere we decided to have a bad sweater day contest. Attached below is a picture of us. Also, can you please tell us what are sweaters really say? Thanks!  I hope we're 'bad' enough to make it on the website!! "

Bad? Jennifer, these are an Amy Winehouse weekend. On the left, it looks like Stitch got run over by a steamroller. It tries to say “I'm in my cubist period.” What it really says: “The mold has spread.” On Miss Vogue, it's a visual aid in geology class. And that stripe in the middle is the extinction event. Nothing will survive.

Our bailout

Bad Sweater Guy reader Benjamin brings up a good point in his submission: In these trying economic time, is there anything better than a bad sweater to keep you warm?

"Dear BSG,

 I stumbled across your site after scouring the world wide ugly sweater net universe for some fugly christmas sweater inspiration. You see this is our group of coworkers, friends, and in years past total randoms.. 4th Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater bonanza and during our current state of down trodden economy, unemployment, bailouts, and continuing Britney Spears media coverage I want to make this event special, nay I feel obligated to make this a success and wave my ugly sweater round like a helicopta..because what else do we have when everything around us seems to be falling apart?  I will tell you what we have..friends, family, ugly sweaters, booze and therefore GOOD TIMES.  So cheers to you and your ugly sweaterness and please enjoy some years past throat chocking nylon and polyester greatness.  Cheers."


"FYI - I'm the jerk in the fist pic with the reindeer antlers."

Au contraire, Benjamin. That antler-tie-candy striper combination doesn't make you a jerk, it makes you a playa. Don't hate the sweater, ladies, hate the game.

However your friends:

They could use a little help. What's with all the nautical themes on Cosby sweaters? Captain Jack Spareus looks ready for a three-hour tour of Cape Cod dive bars. As for the other one, what a rarity: the '87 Scorpions tour sweater. Nothing says heavy metal like red lightning. Rock you like a hurricane, guys, or whatever else you have in those Solo cups.

Coming back? That implies it went away!

Are you crafty and stylish? If so, what are you doing on this site? At any rate, the folks over at Craftstylish have taken a long-overdue look at the cultural treasure known as the Bad Sweater. It's coming back, apparently. They even found a woman who makes new Bad Sweater masterpieces called "Trashion." Love. It. The Craftstylish post features the stylish gent below, who is wearing a new offering from Diesel. Compare him to the pic of Bad Sweater Guy at the left. Same colors, same hipster attitude. You tell me: Who looks better?

   

Red Sweaters at night, sailor's delight

Well aren't they just adorable? A reader known only as "Chris" sends these delightful photos of a quartet of boys who look like a slightly less hip version of the Lennon Sisters. But were these taken at a Bad Sweater party? Do they walk around like this all the time (I hope)? We can only guess.

 

And which one is Chris? I hope he's the cute one.

A Bad Sweater stuffed with a human stuffed with a turkey

Thom J. Allen of Salt Lake City and his friends gather each year to celebrate the true meaning of the season: Bad Sweaters. They call their festival Sweaturkafest. Although the event itself appears to be an excuse for men to cross-dress, this sample photo demonstrates how even a Bad Sweater can be a real Life Saver in times of need.

 

Are you having a Bad Sweater party? You should. And when you do, send your photos to BadSweaterGuy@aol.com and I'll post them here.