A cardigan is a type of knitted garment that has an open front, and is worn like a jacket.

Description

Commonly cardigans are open fronted, have buttons, and are often knitted or woven: garments that are tied are instead considered a robe. Knit garments with zippers can also be referred to as a cardigan. A current fashion trend has the garment with no buttons or zipper and hangs open by design. By contrast, a pullover (or sweater) does not open in front but must be "pulled over" the head to be worn. It may be machine- or hand- knitted. Traditionally, cardigans were made of wool but can now be made of

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

synthetic fiber Synthetic fibers or synthetic fibres (in British English; see spelling differences) are fibers made by humans through chemical synthesis, as opposed to natural fibers that are directly derived from living organisms, such as plants like cott ...

s, or any combination thereof. In British English, a baby's short cardigan is known as a matinee jacket.

History

The cardigan was named after James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

major general who led the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. It is modelled after the knitted wool waistcoat that British officers supposedly wore during the war. The legend of the event and the fame that Lord Cardigan achieved after the war led to the rise of the garment's popularity – supposedly, Brudenell invented the cardigan after noticing that the tails of his coat had accidentally been burnt off in a fireplace. The term originally referred only to a knitted sleeveless vest, but expanded to other types of garment over time.

Coco Chanel Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel ( , ; 19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a French fashion designer and Businessperson, businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post-World War I era with populari ...

is credited with popularizing cardigans for women because "she hated how tight-necked men's sweaters messed up her hair when she pulled them over her head." The garment is mostly associated with the college culture of the Roaring Twenties and early 1930s, being also popular throughout the 1950s, 1970s, 1990s, 2000s and into the early 2010s.

Usage

Plain cardigans are often worn over shirts and inside suit jackets as a less formal version of the waistcoat or vest that restrains the necktie when the jacket has been removed. Its versatility means it can be worn in casual or formal settings and in any season, but it is most popular during cool weather. Monochromatic cardigans, in sleeved or vest form, may be viewed as a conservative fashion staple. As an item of formal clothing for any gender, it is worn over a button-down dress shirt. A less formal style is wearing a T-shirt underneath.

Varsity letter A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met. A person who ...

s for college and high school sports teams have been applied to cardigans and letterman jackets.

In popular culture

* Singer

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...

wore cardigans on the television program '' The Perry Como Show''. The trademark sweaters complemented his easy-going style of singing. * Fred Rogers, star of the long-running children's program '' Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'', donned a cardigan at the beginning of each episode. The cardigans were made by his mother and closed with a zipper instead of buttons. * Steve McQueen popularised cardigans, wearing it in the 1968 action thriller film '' Bullitt'' and in his personal life. *

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...

of the band Nirvana wore vintage cardigans. The sweater he wore during MTV's '' Nirvana Unplugged'' concert sold at auction for $137,500 () in November 2015. It was reported to have a burn hole, a button missing, and discoloration around the pockets. In 2019 it was re auctioned for $334,000 (). * Singer-songwriter

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...

wrote a song called " Cardigan" and used cardigans as part of her merchandise accompanying the song and her eighth studio album, ''

Folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

'' (2020). * The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in 1992, best known for the singles " Lovefool" and " My Favourite Game".

References

External links