If you’ve walked down King Street as of late, you may have noticed a peculiar little pop-up (414 King St.) nestled next to Virginia’s on King. The store is holiday eye candy, lined with seemingly infinite rows of Christmas sweaters. You can get anything from light-up Scandinavian designs to the oddball liberty bell woven piece. This place is called Uncle Kyle’s Sweater Emporium.
Kyle Kelly, whose residency in the Holy City for the last 10 years has earned him a spot as “local,” stands ready to greet customers with a smile, while donning the best tacky sweater possibly ever — a light-up kitten that may or may not stare a bit too deep into your soul. Kelly, after running various holiday stores around town, has decided to take his love of the Christmas season to a new level.
“This store keeps you from climbing through Grandma’s attic,” Kelly says adding that each sweater is vintage and unique. Some of them still have tags circa 1980. “These sweaters,” Kelly explains, “can go for $80 on Ebay. You can find them so much cheaper here, and we’ll even put on some Christmas bling for $10.” By bling he means a snazzy array of twinkling lights to complete the ensemble.
The store will only be open during November and December, though, so stop by soon to get your Christmas fill. But remember, these sweaters aren’t just “tacky.” As Kelly says, “I don’t see these [sweaters] as ugly, but as works of art … plus, is there anything better than vintage sweaters and retro ’90s music?”
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