Rebecca Droke, Post-Gazette For the past 10 years, Kim Barron of Shadyside has been collecting sweaters, especially those made by Jeanne Bice of the Quacker Factory in Florida. Barron chooses "whatever calls my name" including this sweater with dogs, shown in detail.

You should see my Christmas sweater;
It always elicits a stare. You bet your booty
It is such a cutie
I show up in it everywhere.

	Rebecca Droke, Post-Gazette Kim Barron shows off a sweater from her Christmas collection in her Shadyside home. Click photo for larger image.

These sentiments, written by Ruth Rupp of Lawrenceville, serve as a seasonal chorus for a multitude of women whose attics, closets or plastic containers bulge with sweaters for every imaginable holiday. Mrs. Rupp says the sweater "turned an old lady into a swingin' senior."

By now, you would have to be in Rip Van Winkle mode not to have noticed that the colorful trifecta of consumerism -- Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwaanza -- has already burst from the starting gate.

One sure sign is the sight of women -- and some men -- all over America wearing blinking, beaded, sequined, rhinestone-studded or appliqued sweaters or vests packed with Santas, reindeer and those ubiquitous, waltzing snowflakes.

One devoted member of this festive fan club is Kim Barron, a 48-year-old Shadyside woman who has collected Christmas sweaters for 10 years but had to part with some after losing 90 pounds.

When she shops, Ms. Barron looks for "something that calls my name."

A customer service representative at Verizon, Ms. Barron enjoys wearing her holiday sweaters to work.

"I'm a QVC girl from inside out. I'm happy when I'm wearing them," said Ms. Barron, whose endearing optimism helped her battle cancer this year.

Ms. Barron owns a whimsical snowman sweater trimmed in marabou and an elegant, ivory sweater that features a big, beaded nutcracker and is edged in gold Lurex. She also watches "What Not to Wear" and knows that such sweaters are banished by the fashion gurus who host that program.

Jeanne Bice is co-founder of the Quacker Factory, an apparel manufacturer whose products, including Christmas sweaters, grossed $58 million last year. Her fans, who purchase her goods on QVC, call themselves "Quackers." Click photo for larger image.

"Clinton and Stacy would be throwing away half of my wardrobe if I went on," Ms. Barron said.

Colleen Jagielski of the South Hills thinks a story about such garb is "a great way to round up all of those strange ladies (and men I suppose) who insist on wearing these ridiculous sweaters (and of course vests) and give some much-needed fashion advice," she wrote in an e-mail.

"They are not cool, never acceptable, tacky beyond belief and ... even Christmas sweaters can (and do) got out of style! (Not that they were EVER in.)"

But judging by enthusiastic responses from local readers, it would appear that Ms. Jagielski belongs to the hip, urban crowd that prefers black boots and skinny jeans.

The nation's queen of holiday wear is Jeanne Bice, co-founder of the Quacker Factory, a Florida-based company that sold $58 million worth of clothing this year. The sweaters, blouses and stretch pants, advertised on QVC, have attracted a fan base called Quackers, who greet one another by saying "Quack, quack."

Ms. Bice, 67, who grew up in Fond du Lac, speaks in a Wisconsin accent thicker than a block of cheddar cheese and is the author of "Pull Yourself Up by Your Bra Straps."

"I wanted clothes that made people notice me not because I was a fat woman but because it showed my personality," said Ms. Bice, who wore black uniforms during four years at a Catholic high school.

"There are a lot of women who feel they don't get noticed in life, either. Women who are in wheelchairs will write me and say, 'All people notice is my chair. When I wear your clothes, they notice me first,' " Ms. Bice said.

Jackie Bathurst, owner of Some Wear Special in Franklin Park, started her business in 1986 and has watched the demand for holiday sweaters increase and evolve.

For a while, glitzy sweaters designed by Michael Simon, who used beads, pearls and sequins and even three-dimensional ornaments, were popular.

Now, Ms. Bathurst said, "Christmas sweaters have a softer look. The trend has toned down to be more tasteful. We have them in turquoise and pale pink and mint green. We have some with snowflakes, trees, snowmen and Christmas stockings."

At Some Wear Special, sweater prices range from $70 to $140 and come in cotton or synthetic blends.

I never thought my Christmas sweater
Was meant for a limited time.
I can recall
The chill of the Fall,
Not wearing it would be a crime.

-- Ruth Rupp

How early in the season can you start to don your gaudy apparel? That depends on your mood and any family traditions.

Sandy Wilkes starts wearing hers the day after Thanksgiving.

"Here in Tampa, that usually means with the air-conditioning on ... and yes, I do have more than one. We have to try harder here to get the holiday spirit," she wrote in an e-mail.

Sue Stumpf, who lives in West Mifflin, wears festive clothing from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve.

"My family and I have more than two dozen different sweatshirts, T-shirts, sweaters and vests with Christmas designs. Oh, and don't forget the socks, ties, suspenders, lingerie, and especially the Santa hats. We each have our own type (or two) of Santa hat. Then there are the Christmas pins, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, nail art, temporary tattoos and hair adornments," Ms. Stumpf wrote.

But this craze is not confined to Christians. Shirley Ravets, a Pleasant Hills mother of two and grandmother of six, found her Hanukkah sweater on the South Side in a store she says "was for fat mamas. I'm an 18 or 20."

The sweater is black with glittering, sequined menorahs and dreidels.

"This is not me. I'm very, very reserved in what I wear. But when I saw this ..." Ms. Ravets said and bought it instantly.

"The Christians are wearing their sweaters. I'm going to wear mine!" Mrs. Ravets said.

Barbara Hiles of Ross wore her Christmas sweater to a doctor's appointment earlier this month.

"This year, I decided I'm going to start in November. Might as well. Everybody else is. Back in August, I saw my first Christmas display in a Target store in Florida. I could not believe that," she said.

Marge Dillon of Ingram cherishes a red cardigan with poinsettias on it. "I notice more and more people wearing them in my circle of friends," she said.

Mrs. Rupp, the Lawrenceville poet, owns just one Christmas sweater, a gift from her daughter-in-law, Libby.

"When I looked at it, I thought, 'Oh my goodness, I'll never wear it.' It had everything imaginable on it. I was going to my Bible class. I thought, 'Oh, they're nice people. They won't laugh at me.'

Since then, Mrs. Rupp, who is 85, has grown to love it for its warmth.

Judith Olson, a lawyer with Schnader Harrison, Downtown, owns between 30 and 40 sweaters and is looking for one with three wise men to wear on Epiphany Sunday. Ms. Olson, who also owns sweaters suitable for Valentine's Day, Easter and Fourth of July, considers them her trademark.

One authority on outfits of all kinds is Kimberly Richards, who returns to Pittsburgh this month for her third season of performing the lead role in "Sister's Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi Gold," which runs from Friday to Dec. 31 at City Theatre.

Ms. Richards has probably seen more holiday get-ups than the casting director of "Christmas Vacation." Dressed as a nun in full habit, she recruits audience members wearing holiday outfits during the show's second act.

The first year she performed this play here, "I was surprised that even as early as November how many holiday outfits were out there. We choose anywhere from three to 10 to 12 of the best holiday outfits," Ms. Richards said.

Even she can't resist dressing up her habit. One night, after performing "Christmas Catechism," an audience member gave Ms. Richards a holiday vest.

Made of black polyester and adorned with ornaments, the vest is trimmed in large strips of gold garland.

Ms. Richards wore it to keep warm when she collected donations for the care of retired nuns outside the theater after the show.

This year, Richards is performing on City Theatre's main stage, so she won't need her vest to stay warm. But she's planning on wearing it anyway.

I start wearing my Christmas sweater
Long before each Halloween.
Others may scoff
But I don't take it off
Until March 17th for the Green.

-- Ruth Rupp