This is one of the ugliest Christmas seasons in recent memories -- and that's the way some clothing retailers want it。
今年的圣诞季将会是近年来最丑的一次,但这正中许多服装零售商的下怀。
Sales of Christmas sweaters purposely designed to be ugly are looking pretty good at this point, according to the companies that make them。
圣诞毛衣厂商表示,故意做丑的圣诞毛衣今年销量看好。
Festified.com, which started making off-color holiday jumpers in 2009, claims it will sell tens of thousands of sweaters this holiday season, while UglyChrstmasSweater.com is predicting sales of 30,000 ugly sweaters. Meanwhile, San Diego-based Tipsy Elves expects to beat the $3 million they had in sales in 2013.
毛衣越丑越流行
As in all things, not just Christmas sweaters, ugliness is in the eye of the beholder. But there are certain standards that ugly Christmas sweaters must adhere to, according to Tipsy Elves CEO Evan Mendelsohn。
如果想将衣服做到奇丑无比,装饰物是关键
"If you are trying to go truly ugly, it's all about the embellishments -- the more garland, bells, balls, lights, and sequins you can attach to your sweater, the better," he said。
他表示,如果想将衣服做到奇丑无比,装饰物是关键。毛衣上的花环、铃铛、小球、灯以及小金属片越多越好。
Mendelsohn's company and Festified take the accepted ugliness standards and add a touch of tastelessness. Along with the garlands, bells and garish red and green patterns come subtly shocking pictures, such as a reindeer threesome or Santa Claus showing his butt crack.
Some people find the ugly sweaters amusing. Others, like fashion expert Bryce Gruber, think they may have gone too far. "My brother-in-law told me how he saw some old lady in her 70s at a sports bar wearing a sweater that showed a snowman with a carrot in his crotch and two Christmas ornaments dangling below," she said. "If the sweater is just ugly -- like too many rhinestones or sequins -- that's fine, but the holiday is not supposed to be about sexual snowmen."
圣诞丑毛衣
Fashion stylist James Cornwell says that even though ugly -- and edgy -- sweaters are in fashion, context is everything. What works at a party with friends might not work at a gathering filled with conservative relatives. "You won't get as much criticism if you make fun of Santa or the reindeer as you might with Jesus," he said.