Cardigans & Knitwear

Open Front, Buttons or Ties

Start with how the cardigan will spend most of the day, closed or open. An open front has nothing to fasten and nothing to strain, so it slips over a tank, a tee or a chunky knit without a second thought, and the open front edges draw long lines down the body. Buttons give you a top and a layer for the price of one: done up, a cardigan reads as a top; open, it is a layer, and that double life is why a button cardigan earns its place first in most closets. A button cardigan should close flat across the bust, and if it gapes once buttoned, size up, because a button front that only works open has lost half its job. Ties sit between those, closing as much or as little of the front as the weather asks for.

Longline or Short Cardigan

Hem length decides what a cardigan does to the outfit under it. A longline cardigan runs past the hip and draws one long vertical, which is why it flatters over slim pants, leggings and a fitted dress. A short cardigan ends near the waist and keeps the top of a high-rise jean or a full skirt in view. Pair a long cardigan with a narrow bottom and a short one with a high waist, and the proportion takes care of itself. On a one size cardigan the hem lands a little higher on a taller frame and a little lower on a shorter one, so check the length against your own torso before you order.

What to Wear With a Cardigan

One loud piece per outfit is the easiest rule. A checked, striped or novelty knit already carries the pattern, so it wants a plain tee or tank and blue jeans underneath. Oatmeal, camel and dark brown knits are the quiet ones, and they are the layer to put over a print, a floral mini or a striped top. A neutral cardigan over a printed dress is the fastest fall outfit there is: the dress keeps its summer color and the knit makes it feel like October. Buttoned and tucked into a skirt, a collared cardigan works as a top by itself, and left open over a tank it is the layer you take off at lunch and put back on for the evening. For the office, a long dark brown knit over a fitted dress reads as polished as a blazer and feels like a blanket by mid-afternoon.

Looking for a pullover rather than a layer? Pullover knits sit in Sweaters, and a cardigan thrown over a short dress is among the easiest fall outfits on the site, so browse Mini Dress next.