It’s official — it is now sweater weather in Syracuse. Gone are temperatures that reach above 45 degrees and days with clear skies are numbered. A simple long sleeve will no longer suffice underneath your jacket. No, you need thicker, chunky knits to keep you warm. You need sweaters. More specifically, you need grandpa (or grandma) sweaters.

Sure, you could stick with the basic solid, cable-knit jumper; after all, it is super versatile. But where is the fun in that? You can go to almost any department store or store in the mall for that matter, and find the simple sweater that you could wear with any outfit. And they’ll all pretty much look exactly the same.

Which is why this winter, you shouldn’t look for your next favorite sweater at the mall. Instead, you should go to your local Salvation Army or Goodwill, or even your grandparent’s closets, and search for the perfect ugly grandpa/ma sweater. And if you’re wondering what constitutes as the perfect grandpa/ma sweater, here are a few criteria to help you fulfill your sweater search:

1. The ugliness factor

The key to finding the perfect grandpa/ma sweater is answering this question: is the sweater so ugly that you actually kind of like how it looks? The answer must be yes. Some factor of the sweater must be ugly — whether it’s the hideous brown color, the bear on the front, the pattern that kind of reminds you of meatloaf or an overall feeling that reminds you of Mister Rogers. But always remember, sometimes ugly sweaters are just ugly. You need to find the balance.

2. Patches

The best grandpa/ma sweaters are the ones with the patches on the elbows. Some people find the look outdated, but patches have actually seen a return in the fashion world. Patches are what can make any generic sweater truly unique — hardly any look the same and come in all types of shades, patterns and fabrics. And if you can’t find a sweater you like with patches already on them, but a sweater you do like and make your own — it’s super easy.

3. Oversized

All sweaters come in multitudes of shapes and sizes, and some fits look better on some people. And the beauty of the ugly grandpa/ma sweater is that it’s not supposed to fit well — it should either be a loose fit or a super (what’s hiding underneath there?) fit. Meaning it can hint at a figure, but shouldn’t be so tight that you can see all of your curves or muscles. The point isn’t to show off your body, but to show off how cool you are by wearing the sweater.

4. Sometimes more is less

It might sound contradictory since you’re used to hearing “less is more,” but the opposite is true in this case. If more goes on up top, it means that less can go on with the rest of your outfit, and therefore simplifying your whole look. So if you think that the print might look a little “chaotic” or “too much,” take a step back and really look at it. As long as you like the print and plan to wear it with muted pants and shoes, there should be no problem with buying the sweater.

If you’re still skeptical after following these criteria, there is one last test you can do to determine if you should buy the sweater: simply ask your grandpa/ma if they would wear it. If the answer is yes, buy it. After all, they do know best.

Published on November 30, 2015 at 9:35 pm