Skip to main content

Ugly Sweaters from the 80s

Ugly 80s Sweaters Montage
You may want to cover your eyes before viewing this post! Prepare yourself for some very ugly sweater pictures that we've plucked from the 1980s - you have been warned!

Original black and purple women's 80s sweater
An original 80s sweater
1980s Multi-coloured Pattern Jumper with Matching Leg Wamers
80s Patterned Jumper with matching Leg Warmers
There can't be anyone who lived through the 1980s that didn't wear an ugly sweater at some point. This was an 80s fashion craze that was unforgettable for all the wrong reasons, and my memories of oversized, mohair jumpers with ghastly clashing colours and geometric patterns have scarred me for life! The first example at the top of this post is actually pretty tame compared to some of the other attire on this page. It has geometric influences, for sure, but I actually quite like black and purple.

Now, that multi-coloured pattern jumper on the cover of the 80s brochure (above) by Cleckheaton is dire enough on its own, so why on Earth would you want to wear matching leg warmers as well? That poor girl!

1980s Jarol knitting pattern - family sweaters

Jarol knitting pattern. Please don't go out in those or I'll call the fashion police!

Original 80s Pattern Jumper

I'm left speechless by this. Well, almost. It's atrocious! Just why would anyone choose to wear that?

Machine knitted 80s geometrical pullover

A machine knitted, geometrical disaster with a design that looks like a lopsided factory.

1980s hand knit chunky sweater for women

A chunky, hand-knitted affair. Just what was the idea of those crosses?

Vintage 80s Knitting Pattern for Girls Bobble Jumpers
Vintage 80s knitting pattern for girls bobble jumpers
Oh dear! Adults wearing hideous jumpers is bad enough, but why did we have to make our kids suffer, too?

80s knitting pattern for bobble jumper and cardigan by Emu
80s Bobble Jumper and Cardigan Double Knitting Pattern
It seems that we couldn't get enough bobbles during the 80s as this double knitting pattern by Emu shows.

St. Michael (Marks & Spencer) patterned 80s jumper
St, Michael patterned wool jumper
Back in the eighties you would have found jumpers like this on display in Marks & Spencer. I know that abstract patterns were fashionable, but this is looks like it was created in the dark. The patterning is atrocious!

Women's ugly lurex sweater from the 80s

1980s lurex jumper for women. That colour combination is ghastly!

If you are looking for a fancy dress idea for an 80s party or festival, then instead of opting for a ready-made costume you then you can actually find many original tops from the era on eBay and Etsy, allowing you to create your own authentic look.

Oversized 80s Off-shoulder Sweatshirt
Flashdance Sweatshirts at Amazon UK

Failing that, you could try this off-shoulder, batwing-sleeved sweatshirt which has Jennifer Beals from Flashdance written all over it, but not literally, of course. Add some stirrup leg warmers and you have an effective eighties costume.

1980s Ladies mohair jumper
A genuine 1980s Mohair Sweater
Now this is more like it - red and pink together in an argyle-influenced pattern - frightful! But wait, it gets worse!

80s Knitting pattern - chunky knit sweaters

Yes, this cheesy knitting pattern shows us that the whole family could now wear the same style of chunky knit sweater. Would any daughter really want to be seen out wearing their Dad's pullover? Maybe if you lived in the Cotswolds, but for the majority of folk if you went out looking like this then you were asking for trouble!
80s Aztec Sweater for Men
Original 1980s Aztec Pattern Jumper for Men
Now, this pullover is so 80s it hurts! Geometric, aztec style shapes and patterns and lots of ghastly colours combine to make the ultimate 80s jumper for men.

1980s Fair Isle Sweater for Men
Original 80s Fair Isle Sweater for Men
Fair Isle jumpers have been on trend again in recent years, but it would take a brave man to wear this number. There's a fine line between retro cool and just plain ugly!

80s Geometric Grey Shades Sweater for Men
80s Geometric Sweater
There was also lots of grey around in the eighties, and there are several shades of grey (not quite fifty!) in this original geometric, machine-knitted sweater. If your granny couldn't knit then the machine-knitted pullover was your best option.

BBC Weatherman Michael Fish wearing one of many knitted jumpers sent in by viewers


Some of the most horrendous jumpers were worn by 80s BBC weather presenters such as Francis Wilson, Ian McCaskill and Michael Fish. Viewers actually used to send in their creations for the weathermen to wear, as shown in the example above. Behind that forced smile, you can hear Mr. Fish uttering the words "do I really have to wear this thing live on air?".

Well, I've had a real blast creating this post and I hope you've had as much fun reading it as as I had in creating it.

You may also be interested in;

Amusing 80s Knitting Patterns and Magazines

You can read much more about 80s Fashion at my website SimplyEighties.com.

Comments

  1. Anonymous8 December 2020 at 04:11

    not all are horrible, the lord is funny and tender, the mistake is the type of design or color combination

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blondie - Debbie Harry - 70s and 80s Fashion Photos

Embed from Getty Images Debbie Harry Fridge Magnet Back in my school days (yes, it was a long, long time ago!) many kids associated Blondie purely with lead singer Debbie Harry, although Blondie was actually a band, and a damn fine one, too. It's not hard to see why. After all, she oozed sex appeal and became a style icon, and many of her looks can still be seen on the high street today. Harry's designer friend Stephen Sprouse can claim responsibility for many of those looks. He created every style you can imagine using denim, black leather biker jackets, camoflauge, wayfarer and aviator shades, pink and girly styles, nautical stripes, animal print catsuits - the list goes on! I find it amusing that in 1998 Britney Spears caused controversy by wearing a school uniform for her video "Hit Me Baby One More Time". How quickly we forget that Debbie Harry had done this two decades earlier! After forming in 1974, Blondie became pioneers of the punk and new wave s
Post a Comment
Read more

An 80s Tennis Player Costume? You Cannot Be Serious!

While most people opt for a pop star theme when dressing up for an 80s party or event, one option that is a little more original is to dress like an 80s tennis player. The costumes I'm about to show are obviously based on John McEnroe, and I'm dead serious! The short-tempered tennis star became infamous for his confrontational behaviour towards the umpire during the 1980s, screaming "Answer my question! The question, jerk!" (when he angrily threw his racket at the juice cart) and "You can't be serious man, you cannot be serious!" when he thought the umpire had made a bad call about the ball being out. He was often booed by the crowds for his rants, but it was hugely entertaining to watch! Embed from Getty Images The look above is the one you should aim for, and this is the most iconic. So let's take a look at the fancy dress costume options available...   The white T-shirt and shorts outfit with red and blue stripes is based on McEnroe&
Post a Comment
Read more

Create an 80s or 90s Acid House - Raver Look

With its squelching bass sounds (often created using a Roland TB-303 bass synth) and minimalist production, the sound of acid house first became popular in the latter half of the 80s, starting in 1987. The media were more focused on the illegal raves and psychedelic drugs, but in reality, a good many young folk enjoyed dancing to the new sound in nightclubs (including myself) without going anywhere near any drugs or illegal raves. What is synonymous with the acid house scene is the smiley face logo, and the T-shirt featuring the logo, along with tie dye and psychedelic clothing, and bucket hats which became popular with ravers. Baggy over the knee shorts were popular with men. Bandanas and dungarees/dungaree shorts were also worn by both sexes. Some ravers also had  yellow whistles . In the early 90s,  white overalls , hooded anoracks and  yellow dust masks with an "E" , smiley face or radiation symbol also became part of the rave scene. Initially, the dust masks we
Post a Comment
Read more