How to Wear a Cardigan?

After the sweater, the second element of the closet in importance is the cardigan - a simple, yet controversial thing that many people are afraid to wear. For many, it is associated with the outfit of a grandmother, that is, with age. Probably, this belief came to us from childhood, when adults around us did not take off their favorite sweaters, and now we understand them. A cardigan has long been a basic and universal thing, but when choosing it, it is important to understand what styles and colors can make you look older.

The collarless jacket with front snaps can be either an independent unit forming the top of the image or a part of a layered outfit. With it, you will be able to create stylish layered looks every season of every year. At the same time, it is a very comfortable and practical garment. A cardigan is such a universal closet item that the number of bows with it, that can be collected, tends to infinity. This piece is indispensable in winter when you want to look stylish in the office or restaurant, and in summer when in cool evenings you want a special coziness.

This thing has charm. And do not think that the knitted sweater disappeared from the radar of designers. It remains relevant and is included in the list of trends for the new season. Such a basic closet item has a special charm. But, as in the case of any basic things, it is easy to become a hostage to monotony. What to wear with a sweater and how to wear it properly on a walk, in the office, or on a date? To avoid this, we offer you some stylish cardigan outfit ideas, which will diversify your style.

Now it has become fashionable to knit cardigans, or rather what they are called so. These are more often long and buttonless sweaters. Let's see what it is and where the name came from since it has a very interesting history.

Did you know that the cardigan was named after a man? The first model appeared in the Crimea, during the Crimean War. It was a cold winter of 1854 and the British, fighting on the side of the Turks, began to get quite cold.

The confrontation lasts quite a long time - two and a half years, and in the deep fall and winter in the Crimea can be quite cold and wet. Statutory tunic does not keep warm. And then on the stage of historical fashion comes Earl James Cardigan, commander of the cavalry of England, and it was he who came up with the wonderful idea to put a warm sweater under the uniform uniform. But here's the problem, the sweater with its multi-layered collar for this is not suitable, as the English buttoned tunic XIX century had a stand-up collar. And if you unbutton the uniform, the sweater immediately becomes visible.

This is already a violation of the statutory form of dress. It was necessary to find another solution, and the solution was found. An open sweater was ordered and tied which became cardigan later, exactly repeating the cuts of a rather long uniform, but not extending beyond them. Naturally, this jacket was without a collar, so that the rack did not press on the throat.

The war was over. The officers returned home to their native England, France, and it turned out that wearing a knitted unbuttoned sweater of this type is very practical and quite elegant in everyday life. Immediately there were variants with a belt made of this or that material. Such a solution almost instantly became fashionable. The trend spread throughout Europe.

At first, it was exclusively men's clothing, but the genius Coco Chanel created several elegant women's cardigan models and exhibited them at her shows. Women appreciated this gift. It became a hit and began to develop in parallel, but already independently of the male version. The ladies invented and implemented hundreds of new models with color differences, variants of the smell, the length of the copy, and the thickness of the knitting.

Thin fitted cardigans, in which a few years ago every fashionista was wrapped up, should be forgotten - they will not emphasize the figure and will not decorate the image at all. But let's talk more about those models that are now at the peak of popularity.

Classic cardigan
Basic models will laconically fit into outfits in different styles. The traditional V-neck visually elongates the neck, and the waist length emphasizes the waist.

Chanel style cardigan
Tweed jackets, which were invented more than half a century ago by Madame Coco, cause delight among fashionistas to this day. Contrasting frames and fancy fittings of such a top will make the image refined and sophisticated, even if you wear this luxurious piece with simple jeans! By the way, such women's cardigans are combined with almost everything. If you combine the model in the manner of Chanel with classic shoes, loose pants, or mini-skirts, you will get a chic outfit in the popular style of old money.

Vest cardigan
Sleeveless models look stylish and romantic, and most importantly, you can make a bunch of outfits with them. For a casual outfit, wear a knitted cardigan with a white blouse, straight jeans, and loafers. To get a more strict image - vest with a shirt and your favorite classic pants or midi skirt.

Cropped cardigan
Like cropped tops, mini versions of cardigans elongate your figure and visually lengthen your legs if you combine them with an oversized bottom. For a delicate feminine look, combine a cropped model with a satin midi skirt and knee-length heeless boots. To create a more daring outfit, it is recommended to complement a trendy cardigan with leather pants. A short top can be worn with both medium and low fit. But it will look winning only on a perfect figure with a flat stomach.

A tight-fitting cardigan
Banish the idea that a cardigan is always just a second layer. If you have a tight-fitting model in your closet, don't try to pull it over a shirt! It's better to wear it on your bare body as a long sleeve - it's also a trendy option for 2024, on par with the hip model from Jacquemus. Remember that such an item is more about seductiveness than about coziness and warmth.

Long cardigan
A loose silhouette makes a cardigan functional: it will replace outerwear on cooler days and will be a great component of a layered outfit in warm weather. Women's maxi-length cardigan goes well with a straight shirt dress, basic white T-shirt, and spacious jeans. For a business-style look, wear it with high-waisted pants or a trendy leather skirt.

Often cardigans are associated with childhood and grandma - do you have one too? Because of this, many girls bypass this element of the closet, afraid that it will visually add extra age. But if you pick up current models, it will become a stylish and warm element of the outfit, and you (believe me) will want to wear it every day.

To get a stylish image, various accessories are used. With the help of a belt, slender fashionistas can emphasize the advantages of the figure and femininity. The easiest to get along with a belt are elongated models. Both narrow and wide belts or rope belts are suitable for them. The longer the cardigan, the wider the belt can be.

Full women should remember that the belt, especially thin, will emphasize the extra volume, and choose a belt wider. Belts and belts are used to give shape and wholeness to the image. Wide and thin, bright and in the tone of the clothes, they will suit a cardigan of any length.

Also, spring is upon us! And that means you want more and more color. Color the gray February days with unusual and juicy shades: lemon, bright red, purple, lettuce - you can even go for fuchsia if you're not afraid of powerful contrasts. It can be worn literally with any clothes and shoes. In addition, the cardigan itself does not have a pronounced stylistic coloring, so you can create completely different mood and impression images suitable for any life situation.

For work
For the office with a non-strict dress code, medium-length and volume sweaters in neutral muted colors are suitable. In company with them add any elements of the office closet: a straight midi-skirt, classic pants, shirt, blouse, restrained shoes, and accessories.

In case your work dress code does not imply restrictions in images, the smart casual style will be a great solution - the combination of a cardigan with your favorite jeans or pants and comfortable shoes looks stylish, and is suitable for many everyday tasks. An additional bottom layer in the form of a T-shirt or shirt in such images will always raise the degree of fashionability.

For creative work, choose bright, non-standard images. For example, a tiered dress with a bright print combined with a contrasting color cardigan. Any bold color solutions will make you stand out from the crowd and declare your creativity, so don't be afraid to combine bright colors - the main thing is to keep the balance of saturation.

For preppy style
If you are a schoolgirl or a student, pay attention to the preppy style - it is relevant not the first season. To create an image in this style, combine a cardigan with a shirt or a T-shirt as a bottom layer, a mini skirt or jeans, and loafers on a voluminous sole. Colorful socks will bring an interesting accent to the image. An interesting image for school weekdays can be obtained by using a cardigan as a top. For such purposes, choose not too voluminous models, combining them with a classic jacket and blue denim.

For casual activities
Create a super cozy and relaxed look for lazy pastime with a knitted suit of cardigan and loose fit pants, complemented with soft, comfortable flat-soled shoes. In case of leisurely walks along the city streets, I suggest you combine basic jeans and a T-shirt with a oversized cardigan of light chocolate color and fluffy sabots without heels. Do you have a weekend ahead and a trip out of town? Mix a voluminous long model with leggings and high boots with rough soles - it looks stylish and is guaranteed to be comfortable.