Pair running "Ugly Christmas Sweater" online store winning big
Posted on December 19, 2011
The Christmas sweaters you never knew were ugly are back again for more hilarity this year. And the young brother and sister entrepreneurial team of Martha and Jack McCarthy will be happy to sell you one.
They've turned their parents' basement in Wauwatosa into ugly Christmas sweaters R us, and they're selling hundreds through online marketing.
"Each year, more and more people are buying ugly sweaters and trying to outdo their friends in having the ugliest sweater," Martha said. "We just scavenge for the good ones, put up some photos and funny descriptions, and ship them all across the country."
Just about any Christmas sweater could be considered ugly in post-ironic America, but people are willing to pay top dollar for the truly garish and cheesy ones that are busy with color and patterns, and trimmed with bells, Santas, sequins, holly, mittens, stockings, reindeers, teddy bears, wreaths, presents, snowmen, candy canes, nutcrackers - you get the idea.
For years, these were considered festive and cute, especially by your grandmother. Now, to the young and hip, they're so ugly they're cool. Since the craze began about four years ago, ugly Christmas sweater parties and pub crawls show no sign of letting up.
That's good news for Jack and Martha, who are laughing all the way to these parties and the bank. He is 17 and a junior at Marquette High School. She is 22, a grad of Pius High School and the University of St. Thomas in the Twin Cities, where she lives now and runs a digital marketing business.
Their sweater website is UltimateUglyChristmas.com. There you'll see Jack and his friends modeling the merchandise. Most on the home page are $45, but you can also find some for $19 or $32. Don't worry too much about the size. It's even funnier if they fit poorly. And they're all unisex.



















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