Ugly Christmas sweaters flying off the shelves in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG – They’re gnarly, gaudy and just plain ugly.

But people across North America have fallen in love with unsightly Christmas sweaters.

“I like to embarrass myself,” said shopper Clayton Goodchild. “The bells, just everything it all kind of goes together.”

Some stores have ordered in hundreds of original sweater styles, selling for about $45 each and they’re flying off the shelves.

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“They go back to the 60s and 70s when people actually wore them,” said Kerry Hogan, owner of Gags Unlimited. “You look at old family photos and they are kind of funny so they just were resurrected because of it.”

And if you’re looking to buy a very ugly sweater for under $10, there are more options at thrift stores.

“This time of year being less than two weeks out from Christmas you’re going to have to be a little creative much like this,” said Chris Lemke, manager at Pembina Value Village.

If you still haven’t found a sweater that’s ugly enough, there is now a kit to help you create your own.

“Last year we had so many customers coming in and asking us for ugly Christmas sweaters because everybody wants one to wear at that ugly Christmas sweater party,” said Donna Kelly, general manager at Regent Avenue’s Mark’s Work Warehouse.

Making new Christmas memories, one ugly sweater at a time.