What started as a simple love for holiday fun turned into a thriving small business for Melissa Hart, owner of DFW Ugly Christmas Sweaters. After moving from Kansas City, Missouri, to Prosper during 2023, Melissa noticed a gap in local Christmas markets.
“I realized no one was really doing ugly sweaters,” Melissa says. “Vendors had a few options, but they were mostly new and not funny, rather just pretty. I saw it as a missed opportunity.”
By January 2024, Melissa began collecting sweaters to give them new life for the holiday season. Most sweaters are thrifted finds, upcycled into joyful conversation starters. “I like to joke that they come from the North Pole. People usually wear a sweater for a season or two, then it sits in a closet. Giving it a new home makes sense and it’s fun!” she explains.
Melissa believes the “ugly” Christmas sweater gives people permission to relax and embrace the joy of the season. “It gets you in the holiday spirit. You can say, ‘I’m here for Christmas, but I’m also ready to have fun,’” she adds. “Even a stranger in the grocery store might smile and tell you they love your sweater. It creates community.”
DFW Ugly Christmas Sweaters is partnering up with Neighbor Books in McKinney for a pop-up shop running Black Friday through Christmas Eve. Melissa says, “It’s a cozy, local shopping experience. Pick out a sweater, grab a book and get hot chocolate. It's everything Christmas should be.”
Melissa says she’s grateful for the warm North Texas welcome. “Prosper has been so kind,” she says. “I love being part of a community that celebrates together and supports small businesses. Every market, every laugh, every customer, it all reminds me why I started doing this in the first place.”
DFW Ugly Christmas Sweaters can be found on Instagram at @dfw.uglychristmassweaters.
“If a silly sweater makes someone laugh, that’s holiday magic to me," says Melissa Hart.