Christmas sweaters are no longer a joke. Sure, everyone has a friend or relative who always considered them cool, but now they’re a staple of winter fashion.

The ripple effects of a hipster-supported, Macklemore-inspired thrift-shopping cultural movement has made the impossible possible – gaudy is bland and ugly is cute. So if you’re not careful this season, your grandma might look more pimpin’ than you.

Here are three things you must do to look awesome in an ugly sweater:

Stick with a safe color scheme

Sweaters get scary when they drag every color of the rainbow into your outfit. Shades of red, green, white and occasionally blue (if you’re feeling risky) are the only acceptable colors.

Evergreen and crimson are two shades that promise to make you look good. They also happen to be campus fashion staples, which brings me to my next point:

Show some spirit

The Bookie offers several options for the proud Coug in all of us. Embracing the holiday season and supporting your school ensure a foolproof outfit that will earn the respect of Christmas enthusiasts and Coug alumni wherever you travel during break.

Get graphic

No, I don’t mean obscene. I mean quotes and images of timeless film characters – a guaranteed hit in any social environment. Pictures of National Lampoon’s Cousin Eddie, cliché phrases from Home Alone or The Christmas Story and references to relatable family struggles will secure plenty of laughs, pats on the back and endless conversation.

For the first time in your life, you and your sweater-loving, style-less relatives can be on the same page. You, your cousin, your best friend and your grandma will all be kickin’ that holiday swagger. It’s a win-win situation, so take your pick and embrace the most fashionably ugly time of the year.