What used to be a kitschy trend reserved for college parties has now become a cultural phenomenon—we are of course talking about the Ugly Holiday Sweater. It’s not ideal to step out at night in a purposefully ugly garment, but now that everyone from bosses to babes are throwing these parties you kind of have to have one in your closet.

One easy way to ease the pain of being tacky: class up the Ugly Holiday Sweater with the perfect pair of Paul Evans Italian leather shoes. The right pair will put a spring in your step before the first eggnog ever hits.

Click on the titles to see our Polyvore collection of sweater and shoe pairings.

REINDEER GAMES

This sweater will definitely make you the life of the party. Complete with felt jingle balls, this sweater comes with a Velcro wreath for people to launch them at you. They miss, they drink… but everybody wins. The best shoes to pair with this sweater are The Caine Bit Loafer in Nero. They’re fun and festive with a little bit of embellishment and enough comfort to work it on the dance floor.

HOTLINE BLING

This year’s hottest meme has been transformed into the coolest Ugly Holiday Sweater. Keep the vibe trill with The Legend High Top Sneaker in Blue. You may get chastised for not being tacky enough, but that’s a risk we bet you’re willing to take.

EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS

Not all tacky sweaters are Christmas sweaters! If you more of a Festival of Lights celebrator, you too can rock the kooky sweater craze. The muted colors of this jumper look especially nice with The Olivier Single Monk Strap in Marrone.

ICE COLD

The real king of the North Pole isn’t named Nicholas. It’s the only carnivorous bear in existence—the polar bear. This sweater pays easy homage to the Arctic marvel, and there’s no better pair of leather shoes to pair it with than The Cooper Blucher in Cognac.

CLASSIC CHRISTMAS

This is probably the sweater you think of when the words “Tacky Sweater Party” are first mentioned. The Nordic print, the moose, the fir… it all screams Classic Christmas. Why not deck your outfit with a pair of leather shoes just as classic like The Brando Semi-Brogue Oxford in Oxblood? They have just the right amount of detail and pizzazz to work with the sweater, not against it.