ADVERTISEMENT

You Need To See This Amazing Line Of Ugly Holiday Sweaters

ADVERTISEMENT
Photo: Courtesy of Lord & Taylor.
Update: Last month, Whoopi Goldberg's assortment of kitschy, ugly holiday sweaters, created with Lord & Taylor, launched with three designs. Today, the rest of the collection dropped, with the rollout of five additional styles; now, the full assortment of eight sweaters is available at the retailer's stores and online. Basically, there's a quirky, festive knit for everyone on your list.
This story was originally published on October 13, 2016.
Whoopi Goldberg's first foray into fashion design is befitting of the funny actress and TV host, and it's got a pretty sentimental hook, too: (ugly) holiday sweaters, anyone? Goldberg paired up with Lord & Taylor on a capsule of festive knits that are cheekier than what you'd find while sifting through the racks at your local Salvation Army.
The idea originated from an offhand remark Goldberg made to Tommy Leonardis, her longtime business partner, about whipping up her own kooky seasonal knits. Leonardis, who is also president of her company, Whoop, Inc., then brought the idea up to their mutual friend, fashion investor Gary Wassner. "Holiday sweaters signal that better times are coming, you know?" Goldberg told Refinery29. "I always find that holidays should be better. Families come together, if they’re able to, and there's something about the season that feels like, 'Hey, whatever else is going on, we got this to look forward to for a couple of weeks.' So, I love holiday sweaters, and I wear them a lot."

She estimates that her own collection of kitschy knits clocked in at 20 to 25 sweaters (before she added her own designs to the mix, of course). So, when is it appropriate to start wearing them? "On December 1, I bust them out," Goldberg told us, definitively.
Designs include reindeer Rockettes doing a kickline, a little boy wearing a yarmulke while he decorates a Christmas tree with a dreidel, and one that features a "family where everybody looks alike except one person, but nobody really cares, ‘cause it’s the holidays," Goldberg explained. For future design endeavors, she would love to dabble in glasses or socks collabs: "Both of those are things I love, and glasses are a big deal to me."
As for Goldberg's holiday shopping strategy? It's impressive bordering on overachiever status. "I’m finished. I did it all in the summertime, when nobody else is doing it; you get the best deals then," she said. "I know that if I don’t designate the time to do it, I’m not gonna get it done. It's easier now, because all my grandkids are in their 20s," Goldberg said. "I have one great-grandbaby, who’s going to be 3 years old in March, so she’s the one that I concentrate on."
Goldberg's own holiday wishlist is very Spartan; in fact, it's basically nonexistent. "You can’t really get stuff for me, because I’ve got a lot of stuff!" she said. "So I discourage it. I ask for scratch-offs. Whether you spend a dollar or $5 on it, that and a card makes me pretty happy."
Each sweater will run you $139, exclusively available at Lord & Taylor. Click through to check out the collection.
ADVERTISEMENT

More from Celebs & Influencers

R29 Original Series

ADVERTISEMENT