It’s COLD outside, but I am rejoicing! It’s the season of layering! I’ve pulled out my badass jackets and sexy sweaters. And best of all, the KING of layering, cardigans, are at my style disposal. They are a type of third piece that adds the finishing touch to your outfit. A third piece, like a cardigan, can take an ordinary outfit, sexy it up, and make you look like a style ninja in a very je
ne sais quoi kind of way. So this week’s newsletter is going to be all about killing it with the third piece -- a cardigan.
Alright, so what constitutes a cardigan anyway? Great question! A cardigan is basically a knitted jacket with buttons up the front. Simple, right? Well, it wasn't until the last 8 - 9 years when cardigans really started to get stylish and not something equated just to old men and university professors with beards that smell of stinky tobacco and sweet scotch.
No sir. Cardigans are a versatile style staple and are available in a ton of different styles and weights -- some are big and bulky like cable knit cardigans, like these.
Peter Manning
The heavy cardigan looks great. The only problem I have with them is that I get hot when I wear them -- like TOO hot. And so if you're going to wear them, I would recommend considering the heavy big bulky cardigan as your outermost layer. I wouldn't try and layer on top of it because they're bulky, making it nearly impossible to wear a sport coat or jacket over top. You risk looking like a
marshmallow stuffed into a light socket -- it's not a good look nor very comfortable.Â
So, yes, heavy cardigans can get incredibly hot, but the good news is lighter weight cardigans are a great option and probably my favorite cardigan to wear. Even if you live in a warmer climate, you can still wear this great lightweight cardigan with something light underneath it. Here
I've even thrown it on with just a plain white tank top. I prefer it unbuttoned at the bottom to give a little bit more movement and not such an uptight look. You could even unbutton the top button, which is perfectly reasonable to do.
White v-neck tee shirts are also perfectly styled and clean enough to wear underneath the light cardigan.  It’s simple.  You can also dress up the lightweight cardigan by throwing on a button-up shirt to look a little bit more professional or a little more dressy.
Throw a pair of slacks and your go-to black silk tie with a nice lightweight cardigan, and you have a look. But you could take it a step further and toss on a black sport coat over the top!
If you're going to be layering, you need a lightweight cardigan. My advice is don't go over-the-top crazy with different patterns or loud colors. Keep it simple and classic because the more basic you keep the color scheme and patterns, the more easily you're able to blend it with different outfits. In other words, the more basic the cardigan, the more extravagant the outfit.
There is just something super special about a piece of clothing like this – you can take from the depths of casual with a white tank top underneath and then transform it into something as elegant & sophisticated as the last look.
I recommend looking into investing in a lightweight cardigan as you will see just how insanely versatile it is. HAPPY LAYERING!
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