Womens Cardigan

What Makes a Cardigan Easy to Live With

A layer that goes on and off all day needs practical details more than the right color. Pockets, a front you can close with one hand and a knit that springs back after a chair back are what keep a cardigan in daily rotation. Front pockets give cold hands somewhere to go, flap chest pockets add a little structure, and two bow ties let the front sit closed, half open or loose.

• Knot before the bow. One overhand knot under each bow keeps a knit tie fastened through a full day.
• Push the sleeves up. Knit grips the forearm, so sleeves pushed to the elbow hold the whole cardigan in place.
• Let a crossbody help. A bag strap pins an open front so it stops sliding back off the shoulders.

Cardigans for Summer Air Conditioning

A summer cardigan is about indoor air rather than weather. A light cardigan over a sundress or a tank is the answer to an office, a movie theater or a restaurant kept ten degrees colder than the street. A cotton blend breathes better than an all-synthetic knit, so it stays comfortable on the walk outside, and a smooth viscose blend feels cool against bare arms instead of scratchy.

• Over flutter sleeves, stay open. A long open cardigan hangs clear of wide sleeves where a fitted jacket bunches.
• Wear it on your shoulders. On a warm walk the cardigan rides over the shoulders until the door closes behind you.
• Choose a color that likes white. Summer outfits lean pale, and khaki, cream or orange checks sit beside them easily.

Packing a Cardigan for Travel

A knit cardigan is the most useful thing in a carry-on, because it rolls small, comes out without creases and covers a cold plane, a late ferry and a hotel lobby with one piece. Knit gives and recovers where a woven shirt wrinkles, so it can live in a tote from noon and still look right at dinner. A dark longline knit hides the marks of a long travel day, and a cardigan with pockets keeps a boarding pass and a phone within reach.

Cardigans as Gifts

A cardigan is one of the safer clothes to give, because an open front never has to fit closed. The one-size longline and short knits remove the size question entirely; the hem simply lands a little higher or lower depending on height. For the lettered styles, each size covers two US numbers, so a known dress size converts directly. Choose a neutral for someone whose closet you do not know, and checks, stripes or sherpa stars for someone whose taste you do.

Choose by the Hour You Feel Cold

Pick the cardigan for the hour of the day you feel cold most often. Morning commuters want a long knit that covers to the thigh, office days want one that looks finished buttoned, and evenings out want something light enough to carry from lunch to dinner. How the stitch decides what fits under a coat is covered on the knit cardigan page, and the cut with nothing to fasten on the open front cardigan page.