The V-neck cardigan gets all the attention but the round neck is the one we keep coming back to. There’s something about the cleaner neckline that layers better, photographs better, and works harder across more situations without asking you to think too much about it. Wear it over a crew neck tee and it looks intentional. Wear it over a collared shirt and it looks considered. The collar doesn’t compete with anything underneath, which is exactly the point.

What separates the ones worth buying from the ones that pill after three washes comes down to yarn quality and how the ribbing holds its shape at the cuffs and hem. Those details sound minor until they aren’t. We’ve also been paying attention to weight, because a round neck cardigan that’s too thin reads as an afterthought and one that’s too thick stops being wearable nine months of the year.

These are the ones that earn a permanent spot in the rotation.