Although I am a dedicated fan of the winter season, I often get bored of wearing a hoodie and jeans to school every day as the weather turns colder. Sure, I can change the style of my sweatshirt or maybe wear a long sleeve and a zip-up, but this year, I wanted to try wearing something more outside of the box. For those who have the same struggle finding outfits this season, fear no more. I have found the best places to buy ugly holiday sweaters to celebrate the holiday spirit and spice up your wardrobe. Be prepared to make everyone jealous with these color-clashing, obnoxiously Santa-covered and cozy holiday sweaters.

San Rafael Target: 5/5 stars

For all The Office lovers out there, this is the store for you. Target was the only store that had the classic, ‘Dunder Mifflin Paper Co.’ text on its sweaters. Within the first 20 seconds of entering Target, it was apparent that Christmas had thrown up everywhere without holding back.

Although the racks were fairly unorganized, the multiple rows lined with gingerbread men, Olaf, Snoopy, Llamas, the Grinch and monkeys displayed the variety of styles this store offered. The men’s, women’s and children’s sweaters were grouped together, making it easy to buy matching sets for the entire family. Target obviously thought of the sweater haters too because they had pajamas, skirts, dresses and overalls. Ranging from sizes extra small to extra extra large, the soft, fuzzy fabrics were selling for an average of $25, which was impressive considering the intense designs plastered on every sweater, embodying both traditional and non-traditional features. The only drawback was that while there was a large selection of Christmas sweaters, there were hardly any sweaters promoting Hanukkah. 

Northgate Kohl’s: 4/5 stars

Although Kohl’s had the largest selection of sweaters with quotes such as “Dream Big” on them, I was not looking to throw it back to sixth grade with clothes that screamed “inspiration” all over them.

Rather, I was looking to scream “I am a bandwagon Christian for the holidays.” Nestled behind the athleticwear section near the back exit, the attire was relatively easy to find. However, it was difficult to tell what was men’s versus women’s. But again, who am I to judge? An ugly Christmas sweater can fit all genders. Even though the selection was somewhat small, I was pleased with the variety of pajamas, sweaters, dresses and skirts the store had to offer, all with extremely soft and cuddly materials. Kohl’s offered the cheapest price: an average of $16 per sweater. If you like reindeer, the Grinch or Buddy from Elf and you are going to a holiday party where you will most likely wear the sweater only once (I sure hope so for your sake), take a drive to Kohl’s for a quick and easy purchase. 

Northgate Macy’s: 2/5 stars

In all honesty, I only go to Macy’s to get my eyebrows waxed but try to avoid it otherwise. I can almost never find a staff member when I need help, and it is difficult to navigate.

So when I walked into the San Rafael location in search of holiday sweaters, it felt like I had just walked into the Grinch’s dungeon. After searching for an employee for 10 minutes, it only took three employees to tell me where the ugly sweater section was, because the first two did not know. However, I was utterly disappointed in their small and decidedly unfestive selection. While Target offered sweaters of almost every color of the rainbow, Macy’s decided to stick to solid red, white, grey and black, all with few decorations.

However, there was a Santa with a pom pom on a reindeer sweater that I thoroughly enjoyed and a snowflake sweater hanging behind it, but those were about the most elaborate designs I saw. I disliked how the store split up the men’s, women’s and children’s selections, because it made it difficult to compare options. The material was definitely softer than Target, but not worth the average price of $50.