Get out the eye bleach: Here are the winners of Colorado Sunday’s Flamboyant Christmas Sweater contest. Their fabulous prizes all came from a Goodwill or ARC thrift store, both reliable sources of over-the-top holiday sweaters.
Best holiday sweaters, home-party category
Kathleen Baker, Patte Hansen, Sue Dorsey, Evergreen, photographed at a 2006 Ugly Christmas Sweater party
Head-to-toe tacky Christmas outfits, and Sue’s eye-catching ensemble was hand-sewn for maximum effect. Yes, Kathleen’s sweater has “Twas the Night Before Christmas” on it.
The friends are throwing another Ugly Christmas Sweater party this year, “and I think it’s gonna be even worse,” said Chris Baker, Kathleen’s husband, who almost literally bought a particularly unspeakable sweater off the back of a fellow Wal-Mart shopper.
Prize: Fake patchwork Christmas-theme fabric pillow with lace edges and doily detailed with Christmas embellishments
Best twin set
Sandra Bergman and Elizabeth Doyle, Westminster, photographed at a 2007 Ugly Christmas Sweater bunco party
Elizabeth borrowed the matching sweaters from friends who bought them from an ARC thrift store for another Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. The two were “definitely the hit” of the bunco night, Sandra said.
Prize: Santa and reindeer potholders
We hate sheep sweater award
Nora Sanculi, Westminster. Photographed this year in a sweater she’s owned for eight years
“Gotta love it!” said Nora, who owns an assortment of festive holiday sweaters, including a New Year’s sweater featuring Santa sipping champagne.
Prize: Extremely fragile glitter-embellished angel ornament
Best retro
Karla Hemphill, Strasburg. Photographed prior to a 2008 school Christmas party
Her daughter, then age 6, picked out the Stein Mart sweater Karla wears every year and describes as “Pepto pink with 13 black beaded trees (one is on the back, and two are on sleeves),” plus velvet- trimmed buttons and a black maribou collar. If Audrey Hepburn entered an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest, she’d probably wear something like this.
Prize: Vintage Santa candle
Best holiday sweaters, office-party category
Jeannie Amman, Deb Erickson, Gayle Dunlap, Stephanie Strawn, all of Eagleview Elementary School, Thornton
“We office ladies thought we looked quite festive … until a teacher commented that it looked like Christmas threw up all over us!” Deb wrote.
Prize: Porcelain revolving music box with Santa scene
Yule be sorry award
Ali Miller, Amy Rubin, James Miller, Ben Rubin, photographed at the annual Rubin-Pretekin Hanukkah party in 2007
The Hanukkah party is a two-decade tradition, but siblings Ben and Amy, and spouses Ali and James, decided to enliven last year’s fete by showing up in aggressively goyish sweaters.
Prize: Elf hat, with pointy ears, to James, for his undersized, accessorized sweater
Best attitude
Nicole Leal and Sacha Pfeifer, Denver, photographed at a 2007 New Year’s Eve party
“I don’t know about Sacha,” Nicole wrote, “But I have worn mine a few more times as it doubles as a nice ’80’s sweater.” She wore it last week to her office’s Ugly Sweater party.
Prize: Set of six tiny, cheesy ornaments
