History Main / HomemadeSweaterFromHell

Sometimes it will actually look like a perfectly wearable sweater, but most characters will react to it as if it were the most hideous thing ever - an InformedAttribute that's like a distant inanimate relative of HollywoodHomely.

* In the [[https://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/2022/12/25/beyond-mortal-kin/ Christmas 2022]] strip of ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}}'' (which is kind of set at Christmas, in that the [[https://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/2021/12/25/if-every-day-was-like-christmas/ Christmas 2021]] strip established it could be ChristmasEveryDay for the duration of the storyline if the characters wanted), Pete, Dragon, Kitsune and Kix are all wearing garish sweaters with funny slogans (Pete: "I ''Am'' The Naughty List"; Dragon: "Coal Hearted"; Kitsune "Fixin' For a Vixen"; and Kix "Madre de Dioses"). King demands to know how this can be a "perfect Christmas" if it includes these sweaters, to which Cerebus replies that she thought kitsch was part of the fun.

* On ''Series/MikeAndMolly'', Mike ''buys'' a repugnant green sweater from his partner's cousin.
* In the ''Film/SantaClaus1959'' episode of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', Gypsy gives Mike a sweater with "JOIKE" embroidered on it. (She started making it for Joel, but then he escaped in a [[DeusExMachina convenient plot device]].) Mike actually likes it, though.
** Gypsy makes a complete set of them in the ''Film/TheChristmasThatAlmostWasnt'' episode in the revival. There's nothing wrong with this batch... except for the fact that, going by the initials knitted on them, each sweater was given to the wrong person. Jonah and the other bots like them anyway.

* On the ''Series/{{QI}}'' K season Christmas episode the panelists wore ugly holiday sweaters.

* On ''Series/SoAwkward'', Lily's mum has a habit of knitting her jumpers that are both hideous and embarrassing. In "Parentology", she knits Lily a jumper with Lily's own face on it. Then, under the mistaken impression that Ollie is Lily's boyfriend, she knits him one with ''his'' face on it.

* On ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'', Maddie rigs the Secret Santa so that London draws her name, hoping for an expensive gift. However, London, after being told that homemade gifts are more thoughtful, knits Maddie a sweater... in the loosest sense of the word "sweater", since it has three arms and no neckhole.

* The classic French comedy ''Le père Noël est une ordure'' ("Film/SantaClausIsAStinker"): One of the characters is offered as a Christmas present such an ugly homemade sweater, he initially thinks it's a mop.

* In an advertisement for some credit card, a couple is inspired to throw an Ugly Sweater Christmas party (with purchased sweaters, rather than actual homemade ones, but the awfulness of the sweaters still fit the spirit of this trope) upon seeing a couple at an ice rink wearing this kind of sweater.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Garfield|Specials}}'' Christmas Special, Jon gets a Christmas sweater that flows far past the tips of his fingers.

Compare MyNewGiftIsLame. Contrast SweaterGirl when the sweater is seen as attractive rather than tacky, and HandmadeIsBetter for when the fact that the clothing is handmade is treated as desirable/impressive instead of lame.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Garfield}}'' Christmas Special, Jon gets a Christmas sweater that flows far past the tips of his fingers.

* Colin Firth's character in ''Film/BridgetJonesDiary''.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

** In "[[https://youtu.be/W_yT645S9eQ Dr. Light's Gift To Mega Man X]]", [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents Dr. Light]] makes X wear a Christmas sweater he knitted for him, but X doesn't want to wear it because he's afraid the Mavericks will laugh at him.
-->'''Dr. Light:''' Oh, I see. What the Mavericks think is more important than the feelings of your dear old creator. I might be dead soon, you know.\\

** In "[[https://youtu.be/W_yT645S9eQ Dr. Light's Gift To Mega Man X]]", [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents Dr. Light]] makes X wear a Christmas sweater he knitted for him]], but X doesn't want to wear it because he's afraid the Mavericks will laugh at him.

** In "[[https://youtu.be/W_yT645S9eQ Dr. Light's Gift To Mega Man X]]", [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents Dr. Light]] makes X wear a [[HomemadeSweaterFromHell Christmas sweater he knitted for him]], but X doesn't want to wear it because he's afraid the Mavericks will laugh at him.

** In "[[https://youtu.be/W_yT645S9eQ Dr. Light's Gift To Mega Man X]]", [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents Dr. Light]] makes X wear a [[HomemadeSweaterFromHell Christmas sweater]] he knitted for him, but X doesn't want to wear it because he's afraid the Mavericks will laugh at him.

* One episode of ''Series/{{MASH}}'' had Hawkeye receive a sweater in a care package from his sister. The only major flaw in the sweater in question was that it was several sizes too large.

A SubTrope of UnwantedGiftPlot and ImpossiblyTackyClothes. Often overlaps with CrappyHomemadeGift. May overlap with NeedleworkIsForOldPeople if an old person knits it (which they often do). It might also overlap with TheDreadedThankYouLetter if someone has to write to the gift-giver to say thank you.