In Ireland summer is erratic – one minute it’s sunny and warm the next cloudy and chilly. Dressing for this is challenging but not impossible with a stylish cardigan.
While some may associate this humble knit with schooldays and grannies it is a vital piece for those days when it’s just not very summery.
The new incarnation of the cardigan also favours flesh over frump – stylish fans are wearing theirs with nothing underneath (except a bra or cami) and contriving to flash tanned midriffs and bare shoulders to inject some sex appeal into this traditional knit. The piece once favoured by Miss Marple has had a vampy makeover.
The renewed popularity of the cardigan is an expression of the '90s revival still going strong this season. It also taps into a desire for comfort and security in a volatile world, and a growing fatigue with flashy trends that come and go before we can even absorb them.
Wrapping up in a cardigan has many happy associations – childhood knits fashioned by kindly grannies, a sense of inviolable security and the tactile pleasure of being swaddled in a soft, cocooning yarn. No wonder we reach for them when feeling vulnerable.
In turbulent times a cardigan is like a proverbial hug - wearing one can be a sartorial shield to insulate yourself against not only dubious weather but also the world’s rising unrest.
For such a humble piece it has been sported by a wide array of stars, including, The Big Lebowski, Johnny Rotten, Coco Chanel and Grace Kelly. Its current fashion incarnation as an abbreviated style, owes much to a girl next door aesthetic imbued with a dash of sultry allure. With a growing desire for great basics and classic styles, it is not surprising that a younger generation have adopted the cardigan as a favourite staple piece.
The cardigan is also supremely versatile: perfect with a slip dress, Bermuda shorts, midi skirt or cropped jeans, is flattering and expresses a relaxed approach to style.
It can be cropped or long, lightweight or chunky, buttoned up and prim or unfastened and subtly sexy. It is the perfect transitional and sustainable garment extending the lifespan of summer pieces such as lightweight slip dresses and camisoles well into autumn days.
The cardigan semaphores homely values and conviviality. It is as low key as high fashion ever gets. But how you style your cardigan is key. Instead of wearing it buttoned up top to bottom take a cue from style leaders like Alexa Chung who wears hers buttoned in the middle only (to cinch her waist), while leaving the extremities free to expose a tanned midriff or collarbone.
This hack draws the eye in and gives an hourglass effect and if you don’t want to expose your tummy, wear a fine camisole or rib vest underneath.
Knotting a cardigan around your neck is an old and trusted way to add a nonchalant air to a summer look. Alternatively, you can knot your cardi diagonally across one shoulder and under your other armpit for a creative flourish.
Pulling your cardigan down off one shoulder to expose a tanned neck is also a cool way to add some sex appeal to the homely knit. Finer cardigans can be tucked into waistlines while chunkier ones look great contrasted over finer fabrics like silk.
Currently, the High Street is full of accessible versions from & Other Stories, COS, Marks and Spencer and Arket. We also have many talented Irish knitwear brands who craft beautiful cardigans including Ireland’s Eye, Sphere One, Elaine Madigan, Urban Aran and Ros Duke.
Knitwear is in the Irish DNA and remains a comforting category that make our weather bearable. Now that the cardigan is being re-imagined as a modern staple, donning one will be less of a necessity and more a statement of stylish intent.
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