Button Cardigans Worth a Place in the Rotation Archives

Button Cardigans Worth a Place in the Rotation

The button cardigan gets dismissed too often as something your grandfather wore and we think that's a mistake worth correcting. Done right, it's one of the more useful layering pieces in a wardrobe. It works open over a shirt like a casual jacket. It works closed on its own. It moves between smart and relaxed without announcing the transition. The problem is that most of them get the details wrong. The buttons are cheap. The ribbing loses its shape after three washes. The yarn pills before the season is out. We've been looking specifically at options where the construction holds up, the fit doesn't swamp the shoulders, and the collar sits properly whether you've got a shirt underneath or nothing at all. Merino and lambswool are our preferred yarns here. Neutral colors get the most rotation but we've included a few that reward a bit more confidence. These are the ones that earn a permanent place in the drawer.

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The button cardigan gets dismissed too often as something your grandfather wore and we think that’s a mistake worth correcting. Done right, it’s one of the more useful layering pieces in a wardrobe. It works open over a shirt like a casual jacket. It works closed on its own. It moves between smart and relaxed without announcing the transition. The problem is that most of them get the details wrong. The buttons are cheap. The ribbing loses its shape after three washes. The yarn pills before the season is out. We’ve been looking specifically at options where the construction holds up, the fit doesn’t swamp the shoulders, and the collar sits properly whether you’ve got a shirt underneath or nothing at all. Merino and lambswool are our preferred yarns here. Neutral colors get the most rotation but we’ve included a few that reward a bit more confidence. These are the ones that earn a permanent place in the drawer.