Halloween
Because Christmas shouldn’t get all of the ugly sweater fun.
In December, you can walk into most major clothing retailers and find a few different styles of ugly Christmas sweaters, but sadly, the same cannot be said for Halloween. It’s really a shame because I bet there are a lot of people who would much rather wear some ugly Halloween sweaters to a party instead of big bulky costumes. Not all hope is lost, though, because ugly Halloween sweaters do exist, you just have to know where to find them.
Back when I was in college, ugly Christmas sweater parties were a big deal, but you couldn’t just walk into Target and find the perfect top like you can now, because they weren’t that popular yet. No, we had to dig through our parents’ closets to find some of their festive, vintage styles (sorry, mom) or head over to the local thrift store to see if there were any hidden gems among the donated clothes. Honestly, half the fun of these parties was just hunting down the perfect top. Now you can get that same rush months earlier by searching for an ugly Halloween sweater to wear on or around Halloween.
You’re obviously welcome to do a deep dive into your parents’ (or grandparents’) closets or a secondhand shop to see if you can find any winners, but if that’s not your thing, there are a handful of really fun ugly Halloween sweaters that you can buy online.
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1“Care Bears” Halloween Sweater
Who says ugly can’t also be cute at the same time? This sweater is a clear example that it can. It features a Halloween Care Bear, smiling jack-o’-lanterns, hearts, and stripes and is sure to be a hit during trick-or-treating.
2Ugly Skeleton Halloween Sweater
Well, it seems like the skeleton on this sweater is having a good time, which must mean you’d have just as great of a time wearing it. It has the classic Halloween colors necessary for a good holiday top and just enough quirk to make it adequately ugly.
3“Beetlejuice” Halloween Sweater
“Beetlejuice” is such a classic, so it seems appropriate to put him on a sweater like this. I love the colors and details of this sweater — lime green and purple instead of the traditional Halloween colors of orange and black — and, while yes it is ugly, I’d totally wear this throughout the Halloween season (and probably around the house the rest of the year).
4Pastel Halloween Sweater
This sweater is actually pretty fantastic — some might even argue that its more cute than ugly. I love the fun Halloween designs all over it and the pastel colors of pink, purple, and blue are great, but it still absolutely works if you’re going for the ugly sweater look. It’s available in a wide range of unisex sizes and will pair particularly well with some cat ears or a witch hat during trick-or-treating.
5“Hocus Pocus” Halloween Sweater
Okay, so this isn’t technically a sweater, but it is a long-sleeve top with a sweater look, so it can totally pass as a sweater this Halloween. It features cartoon versions of the three Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus as well as fun little details up the sleeves. It’s obviously a lot of fun, given the characters it features, but I think we can all agree it would definitely work in an ugly Halloween sweater competition, right?
6Pennywise Halloween Sweater
If you’re looking to scare the living daylight out of anyone on Halloween, then this is the sweater for you. It features the terrifying clown, Pennywise, from the scream flick IT as well as a bunch of other details from the movie (like the creepy red balloon). It’s a great sweater for the holiday (but please stay far away from me when you’re wearing it, thanks).
7“The Nun” Hallowen Sweater
Leave it to the horror industry to turn a nun into a terrifying ghost that will give you nightmares for days. What’s done is done, though, so make the most of it by wearing an ugly Halloween sweater featuring the haunting villain. You’ll be sure to turn some heads.
8Pony Ugly Halloween Sweater
Wow, there is so much to take in with this sweater. The colors, the patterns, the candy corn, the ponies. It’s just the right blend of ridiculous and festive, and honestly if you walked into a Halloween party wearing this top, you’d be a hit.
9PSL Sweater
It’s pumpkin spice latte season, and this sweater is here to help you celebrate. Grab some for you and your partner to wear while you go walking through crunchy leaves while sipping on your favorite warm beverage this Halloween. To all the PSL haters, this look is truly terrifying.
10Black Cat Halloween Sweater
This is another sweatshirt made to look like a sweater. The cross-stitch inspired design is actually screen-printed on, and it all goes downhill from there. The twin yellow-eyed black cats across the front make this the perfect top for any feline-lover out there.
11Headless Horseman Halloween Sweater
Fans of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow will lose their heads over this sweater. (See what I did there?) It puts a spotlight on the headless horseman as he rides through a cemetery, pumpkin in hand, ready to torment Ichabod Crane. I recommend wearing it while you watch the Johnny Depp version of the classic tale.
12Glow-In-The-Dark Scooby-Doo! Halloween Sweater
Not only does this ugly Halloween sweater feature your favorite Scooby-Doo characters and monsters, but it also happens to glow in the dark. Personally, that’s enough to sell me on it, and the eyeballs all over the sleeves is just icing on the cake.
13Ugly Halloween Sweater Dress
Do you know what’s better than an ugly Halloween sweater? An ugly Halloween sweater dress. All of that extra material just really takes the look to the next level. Pair it with some orange tights and your best pointy black boots and you have yourself one amazing Halloween look.
14Plague Doctor Halloween Sweater
The Plague Doctor is creepy-looking no matter what, but it’s especially dark in 2021, given the whole never-ending virus situation we’re in. Basically, this ugly Halloween sweater is both appropriate and topical enough to really disturb anyone who comes your way.
15Monster Halloween Sweater
I’m not even sure where to start with this horrifying Halloween sweater. The wild colors are obviously great if you’re going for gaudy and over-the-top, but the scary face really steals the show. One thing is for sure, if you’re participating in an ugly Halloween sweater contest and you show up in this you will certainly rank in the top three spots.
16“Annabelle” Halloween Sweater
While the doll on this sweater is specifically from the movie Annabelle, it’s sure to scare anyone whether they’ve seen the movie or not. But, not to worry, because if you’re really just going for the ugly Halloween sweater look, this will certainly work for that as well.
Whether you’re looking for something glow-in-the-dark, nostalgic, or downright creepy, these ugly Halloween sweaters trump many Halloween costumes out there.