Ugly? Have you ever thought about where the “ugly sweater” came from? The National Day calendar says it started as a joke. A resale retail store noticed an unruly amount of unfortunate sweaters knitted by relatives—or ridiculously decorated ones—coming in their doors. As a joke they put them up for sale.

Many people relate the rise of the “ugly sweater” to the rise of the hipster: people who are notorious for making trends out of things on the fringe of culture. From 2012–2015, the ugly sweater industry grew by 200 percent. National Ugly Sweater Day is always the third Friday in December. Don’t have an ugly sweater? Try these tips for National Ugly Sweater Day to make your own “prized” ugly sweater:

• Animal or cartoon characters with a holiday theme are a great starting

place. Think reindeer, snowmen, mice, kittens or elves.

• Select ridiculous colors. The more they clash, the better.

• Overembellish your sweater with pom-poms, bells, felt, tinsel or any

other glittery, jingly items laying around the house.

• Add a collar, dickey or ruffle.

• Electrify it! Go ahead of the team with bright, flashing lights.

• Give it some 80’s flair with shoulder pads.

 What will your “ugly sweater” look like this year?