Ugly sweaters all the rage in Winnipeg

When did that dreaded itchy and tacky Christmas sweater become the hot new item? You know the sweater - the one you feel obliged to wear because your aunt who knit it is visiting, the one encrusted with sparkly beads or scenes of Santa in his workshop, maybe even reindeer with pom-pom noses sewn on?

These seasonal sweaters are all the rage. And the wacky trend has people scouring thrift shops and second-hand stores to find the gaudiest sweaters around.

CBC's Trevor Dineen went searching high and low for the ugliest sweater he could find. He ended up at the Ruby Slipper Vintage Shoppe on St. Anne's road.

According to Tracy Martin, owner of the second hand clothing store, this sweater craze has been going on for about three years. "There are more workplaces doing it. More families are doing it as a tradition," she explained. "The uglier the sweater, the better."

Martin isn't sure how it all started. "I think somebody decided it would be fun to be cheesy. You see movies like Love Actually where they are wearing the reindeer jumper," she pointed out. "I think people want a fun theme that they can take horrible pictures in."

Pictures like this one. Trevor Dineen tried on many sweaters at the Ruby Slipper. Shop owner Martin maintains that it is both men and women who come in search of an ugly sweater in her shop. "I literally have people who will hunt me down and call once a week or they'll follow my Facebook posts. There's certainly a voracious demand for them."

"These are definitely from the Dynasty era, circa 1983," she laughed. "They were considered a very classy, high end, cocktail party, have-a-martini style of sweater. It wasn't meant as a joke back then but it's certainly a joke now."

She also says that people are on the prowl for these sweaters well before the Christmas rush. "People have vintage Etsy sites now. Some will start looking through Value Village and Goodwill months in advance of the Christmas season," she explained. "And in places like New York or Toronto they either rent them or sell them at ridiculous prices."

Martin doesn't wear vintage clothing even though she sells it, which is probably a good thing.

Tune in to Information Radio on Wednesday morning to hear Trevor Dineen's interview with Tracy Martin.