- Cardigans are lightweight, easy to dress up or down, and can replace a jacket or vest.
- There’s a cardigan for every personal style and budget, and we’ve rounded up our top picks.
When it comes to dressing for spring, that season when you have no idea what the weather is going to do, the cardigan – a knitted sweater with a button-up or zip front – is an essential wardrobe staple that should be in every man’s closet. They’re lightweight, great for layering, and can be worn instead of a jacket or in place of a vest under a blazer for more formal occasions. Stylish enough for date night, a cardigan can also be dressed down with a t-shirt and jeans.
Like so many other types of men’s apparel, the cardigan has a military backstory. It was named for the knitted wool vest worn by James Thomas Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, a 19th-century British major general who led the famed Light Brigade into battle during the Crimean War. Over the years, the piece of clothing developed into the sweater style we’re familiar with. If you know your history, you know that the charge of the Light Brigade didn’t go so well, but at least we got a great spring sweater out of that disastrous battle.
Here are 8 cardigans for every style and budget:
Uniqlo Linen Blended V-Neck Cardigan
Uniqlo, the Japanese brand that's become a goto for great-priced staples, offers a clean and classic cardigan that's made from a linen-nylon blend. The linen provides a lightweight feel and smooth texture while the nylon gives it a touch of stretch for a good-looking, wrinkle-free fit. Linen, made from flax, is known for its cooling properties, so you should be able to wear this cardigan into summer. It comes in five colors, including a lemon yellow that epitomizes spring.
Shop more Uniqlo here
Marks & Spencer Pure Lambswool V-Neck Cardigan
A British retailer that's been around since the 1880s, M & S is known for its tradition and quality rather than for following trends. This handsome lambswool V-neck features two waist pockets and a soft feel. While lambswool is good at retaining heat, this cardigan is still thin enough for balmy spring weather.
Lambswool tends to be softer than regular wool since it comes from the first shearing of the animals at about 7 months old. To get a bit more technical, this particular sweater uses 21.5-micron lambswool fibers. A micron is a measurement of the fiber's diameter and, typically, the smaller the micron measurement, the finer and softer the wool. For reference, wool averages between 18 and 35 microns.
Shop more Marks & Spencer here
Lands' End Classic Supima Cotton Cardigan
This cardigan from Lands' End is smart, stylish and great for layering under a blazer or worn instead of a light jacket. It's lightweight, fits slightly closer to the body for a clean, modern silhouette, and is made from 100% Supima cotton (this type of cotton is grown in the U.S. and is famous for its long-staple fibers that make it stronger, softer, and retain color better than typical cotton).
The sweater is smooth and resists pilling. The only downside is that it only comes in just two colors, charcoal heather and dark navy blue.
Shop more Land's End here
Everlane Men's Felted Wool Cardigan
Everlane's clothes tend to be timeless, well-made staples that you'll find yourself wearing season after season. The Felted Wool Cardigan continues this tradition with a modern cut and no pockets for a cleaner look. According to the company, the lack of pockets also has to do with a tendency for them to droop over years of wear. Made from a soft Merino wool, the yarn has been washed and boiled (felted) to soften it even more and to create a denser fabric that's warmer and more durable than unfelted wool.
Shop more Everlane here
J.Crew Cotton Shawl Collar Cardigan Sweater
J. Crew's Cotton Shawl Collar Cardigan is a handsome and stylish spring sweater combining sophistication with versatility. It's knitted with a basketweave stitch that gives it texture and breathability.
Shawl-collar sweaters have had a renaissance in the last couple of years and they aren't going anywhere soon. The style is a bit dressier so it pairs well with a button-up at work but still looks great over a T-shirt on the weekend.
Shop more J. Crew here
Banana Republic Linen Cardigan Sweater
Banana Republic's Linen Cardigan is a perfect sweater that will take you straight into summer. It's made from a blend of 90% linen and 10% nylon from the Millefili mill in Prato, Italy. Linen is cool to the touch and breathable, making it great for warmer weather, while the nylon adds a bit of stretch and helps keep the shape. The sweater features a V-neck with drop shoulders and a straight hem. It comes in a striking ocean blue as well as silver grey.
Shop more Banana Republic here
Pringle of Scotland Argyle Mohair Cardigan
Pringle of Scotland has two-centuries worth of experience making knitwear (they actually coined that term) so you can be sure the company that's designed for both actual royalty and Hollywood royalty over the years knows how to create a great cardigan. The V-neck Mohair Cardigan has an early 1960s mod vibe without being too derivative, thanks to its modern cut. It features a black, white, and gray argyle pattern and is made from a blend of Mohair (which comes from the hair of Angora goats), wool, acrylic, and nylon. Soft and fuzzy, you may not want to stop wearing it when summer finally arrives.
Shop more Pringle of Scotland here
Pendleton Original Westerly Cardigan
I've been a fan of Pendelton for years for its hard-wearing yet stylish clothing that's versatile enough to go from a bonfire at the beach to an upscale bar without missing a beat.
The company's been around for 150 years so they've had time to figure it out. The Westerley Cardigan is a reboot of the company's original 1972 version that was made famous by Jeff Bridges' character The Dude in "The Big Lebowski." The cardigan is made from a soft lambswool and featuring a shawl collar and a zip front and comes in both the tan/brown worn by Bridges and a gray/black version. It received a 4.8 out of 5 based on 276 reviews on the Pendleton website.