We’ll omit the history lesson and just let you know that cardigans are back, and that’s it. Thank the huge silhouettes of custom Raf Simons, or A$AP Rocky in Gucci, or the spirit of Kurt Cobain, whose gritty, thrifted visual has circled back into style.
Despite receiving such stuff lords ‘ endorsements, even the once-dodgy like or wire binds still frighten many men. But we’ve put together some 21st-century style techniques to prevent evoking granddad vibes. Like, claim, taking the bare Werther’s Originals wrappers out of your hands.
This is not your brother’s guide to how to use a jacket. And definitely not his brother’s. Following these advice to avoid smelling like Old Spice. Or mothballs.
Grown-Up Grunge
Without Kurt Cobain’s action, it would be very difficult to look rebel in a jacket. Not that he was being willful; he tended to prefer clothing, and his appearance was more a result of the thrift shops that Seattle’s children spent money on.
Today, assuming you don’t want to look like you’re sleeping in your drummer’s mother’s basement, the look (partly adopted by) is cleaner and tidier. Keep Cobain’s long-line jacket and look for some more interest – mottled sheep, a ribbed consistency or pared-back design. Use it next to a basic tee or cloth shirt. Down below, wider-leg cotton or some release the look, but if you want to maintain your thin clothes, well, never mind.
Normcore Creative
A particular type of creative individual uses a particular outfit to promote their creativity. It’s very meta. If you’re that man, a basic wool jacket could be a basis of your closet. The appearance in question is beautiful, a little bit grandfather, a little bit mid-century, with never much in the way of consistency and certainly no designs.
For further interest, keep the colours muted or musical and perform with proportions instead. into some cropped designed skirts. The cardigan’s length becomes a attractive focal point because of the higher crack around your waist. Complete with some unflashy, normcore-friendly clothing. Only the work, in fact, is to have a pair of decent Derbies.
Sprezzatura
If you want to de-fuddy-duddy the jacket, look no further than the Italians who, true to form, use it as a fashionable and beautiful mid-layer. The sprezzatura search is all about looking up and tailored, with some personal touches that make the outfit your own. Here, a female’s jacket can help.
Wear it underneath a jacket or in place of a blazer for a coating that some people will consider and use a subtle tonal color palette to indicate that you are doing what you are doing. Browns and creams, right from your grandad’s closet, are the most portable shades, worn with informal tailoring in gray and coffee. And don’t forget the shawl collar. Buono.
The Great Outdoors ( In The City )
The men’s jacket is a split version of the unsung hero, stifling the wearer all the time and frequently out of sight. In warm weather, make it the warrior part, as you would a or man knit. Done correct, it’s comfortable, practical outside gear made charming for the area.
Maintain the cable-knit design on hand and wear it with a check shirt, T-shirt, or even a jacket with a thinner test (every level should be thicker than the last, keep in mind). If the circumstances call for it, pass a or a windbreaker over top.
You may keep the back-to-nature style without looking like a timber at a fancy-dress celebration, also. Just adhere to a palette of earthy tones – green, stone, colored – and ground the glance with shoes that are durable, but no full-on hikers. Use your axe to leave them in the shedding.
Loungewear
One point your pappy had best about jackets was this: they’re best binge-watching attire. For the Netflix technology, that means wearing the cardigan as loungewear, pairing it with, stupid tees, and more layers of great knitwear– but bright versions across the board. No one who follows your Instagram account really notice any grain stains.
The search you’re going for here is a well-groomed monkey. The jacket design should be flawless, certainly, but it can also be free and lacking in construction. If you absolutely need to leave the house for supplies, pack some low-key sneakers and a beanie. Also, pack some athleisurely tones like grey and heather.
Business Casual
Blame Mark Zuckerberg, blame dress-down Fridays, but office dress isn’t buttoned-up and boring anymore. In all likelihood, it won’t be ever again. But even if your HR department doesn’t agree that your favorite Stussy hoodie is business appropriate, you can meet them in the middle with a fine-gauge cardigan.
When the AC is running at full capacity, you can wear one underneath a blazer or leave the jacket at home and wear it over a button-down chinos. The cardigan has the power to dress down your footwear, even if you keep the tie. Instead, put the Oxfords in the closet and replace with some loafers.
The Best Men’s Cardigans
Ralph Lauren
What does the ultimate in preppy wardrobe essentials, a cardigan, mean? What else is Polo Ralph Lauren if not the best Ivy League outfitter on God’s green earth?
The New York staple has spent the past 40 plus years establishing itself as the go-to brand for clothing that you could wear to meet your new partner’s conservative parents without sacrificing any of their style credentials along the way. And Ralph Lauren places cardigans surgically with precision, even though they may only be a small piece of the puzzle.
Cos
The high street’s honeypot for normcore kids and Scandi minimalists, Cos is big on muted colors and boxy fits. The knitwear is typically thin, cropped, traditional, longline, and wooly, with a similar aesthetic. almost exclusively in grey or black.
John Smedley
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: if it’s good enough for 007, it’s good enough for us.
The finest merino and cashmere yarns ever produced are renowned for being produced by the heritage British knitwear company John Smedley. And by land, we mean Scotland: the undisputed home of all things woolly. Expect fine-gauge knits, meticulous attention to detail, and a level of quality that has won over everyone, from Bond to the Beatles. Is this anything more excellent than this? Doubt it.
AllSaints
Where would Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain be bringing his cardigans if he were still alive today? Far be it from us to profess to know, but if we had to hazard a guess, we’d probably go with AllSaints.
The east London favorite is renowned for its grungy aesthetic and the stacks of vintage sewing machines that line the windows of every colony, from London to New York City. And no wonder they’ve since been turned away from window displays. These things have obviously worked hard to create the best slouchy cardigans available. Thought a knitted button-up couldn’t be rock and roll? Think again.
Uniqlo
It’s the Swedes that are best at low-key, high-quality wardrobe staples, right? False, Japanese people also have a strong grasp of a premium basic. The only difference is that Uniqlo’s offerings will leave you with enough cash to buy some ramen or some Ikea meatballs.
The Japanese high-street retailer, which is based in Japan, has recently launched a full-fledged assault on the world’s high street, and knitwear is just one of its most potent weapons. Uniqlo has everything, from luxurious lambswool to cashmere that won’t make you feel guilty after a few drinks to cashmere that won’t make you feel guilty.
Fred Perry
The simple cardigan was once regarded as a preppy icon, but it has since lost its way. But did you know that there are more than one subcultures of fashion here?
Along with Vespa scooters, tailored suits, and parka coats, this knitted essential is also a cornerstone of the mods. And you don’t need to be Paul Weller to realize that Fred Perry is one of the biggest names in the industry when it comes to that sort of thing. So grab a French crop and slap one of these bad boys on to finish the look, then Brylcreemed to perfection.
Topman
Rewind 10 years. You’re schlepping down to the shops in your indie drainpipes, pointy shoes, and waistcoat to pick up a cardigan. What direction should you take? If you answered anything other than, “Topman”, were you ever even a teenager at all?
Perhaps not. But, regardless, the British high-street hero is still the go-to establishment for indie-inflected knitted button-throughs. Expect unrivaled variety, fair prices, and body-hugging cuts aplenty.
Inverallan
You’ve heard it said that the best knitwear comes from Scotland? If you didn’t believe us, you could only look to Inverallan’s work for all the supporting evidence.
This heritage brand was founded as a retailer for Scotland’s illustrious fisherman in the 1920s, and its products have been hand-crafted by skilled locals for generations. If you’re serious about your clothing and believe in the “buy less, but better” mantra, Inverallan is the only place to go.
Marks & Spencer
Your grandad got his cardigans there, and you should too. The grand old duke of the great British high street has a wide selection of cardigans, most of which are fine-gauge options for the office and chunky shawl-collars that you’ll wear year after year.
John Lewis
It might be where your dad shops, but you shouldn’t write British high-street stalwart John Lewis off when shopping for some A-grade office-appropriate knitwear.
Here you’ll find slim-fitting, form-flattering cardigans at fair prices. Granted, if you’re looking for a statement piece with patterns and prints, it may not be the best option. However, if you’re seeking something understated that can be slipped over a button-down shirt, or even under a blazer, John Lewis has most certainly got you covered.
H&M
Unsurprisingly, the Swedish fast-fashion titan does a lot of cardigans, and at some of the most accessible prices, you’ll find anywhere. Head this especially for basic options like the oversized, sexy ones that are suited for office wear.