A
cardigan is a type of
sweaterA sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. They are usually worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top. Sweaters tend to be, and in earlier times always were, made from wool; however, they can be made of cotton, synthetic...
(or jumper) that ties, buttons or
zipsA zipper is a popular device for temporarily joining two edges of fabric. It is used in clothing A zipper (British English: zip or (rarely) zip fastener) is a popular device for temporarily joining two edges of fabric. It is used in clothing A zipper (British English: zip or (rarely) zip fastener)...
down the front; by contrast, a
pulloverA sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. They are usually worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top. Sweaters tend to be, and in earlier times always were, made from wool; however, they can be made of cotton, synthetic...
does not open in front, but forms a solid tube around the torso. The cardigan was named after
James Brudenell, 7th Earl of CardiganLieutenant General James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, KCB commanded the Light Brigade of the British Army during the Crimean War.-Early life:...
, a British military commander, following his service in the
Crimean WarThe Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire on one side and an alliance of the British Empire, France, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia on the other. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. It is usually
machine- or hand-knittedKnitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth. Knitting consists of loops called stitches pulled through each other. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can be passed through them....
from
woolWool is a fibrous protein derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles. The wool is taken from animals in the Caprinae family, principally sheep, but the hair of certain species of other mammals including: goats, llamas, and rabbits may also be called wool...
or
cottonCotton is a soft, staple fiber that grows in a form known as a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft,...
although cheaper ones may be partially acrylic. Cardigans are available for both genders.
Plain cardigans are nowadays often worn over shirts and inside suit jackets as a kind of less formal waistcoat that keeps neckties out of the way when the jacket has been removed.
The torso of a cardigan is often
knitKnitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth. Knitting consists of loops called stitches pulled through each other. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can be passed through them....
as a single piece in a simple
back-and-forth mannerFlat knitting is a method for producing knitted fabrics in which the work is turned periodically, i.e., the fabric is knitted from alternating sides...
.
A
cardigan is a type of
sweaterA sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. They are usually worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top. Sweaters tend to be, and in earlier times always were, made from wool; however, they can be made of cotton, synthetic...
(or jumper) that ties, buttons or
zipsA zipper is a popular device for temporarily joining two edges of fabric. It is used in clothing A zipper (British English: zip or (rarely) zip fastener) is a popular device for temporarily joining two edges of fabric. It is used in clothing A zipper (British English: zip or (rarely) zip fastener)...
down the front; by contrast, a
pulloverA sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. They are usually worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top. Sweaters tend to be, and in earlier times always were, made from wool; however, they can be made of cotton, synthetic...
does not open in front, but forms a solid tube around the torso. The cardigan was named after
James Brudenell, 7th Earl of CardiganLieutenant General James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, KCB commanded the Light Brigade of the British Army during the Crimean War.-Early life:...
, a British military commander, following his service in the
Crimean WarThe Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire on one side and an alliance of the British Empire, France, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia on the other. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. It is usually
machine- or hand-knittedKnitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth. Knitting consists of loops called stitches pulled through each other. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can be passed through them....
from
woolWool is a fibrous protein derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles. The wool is taken from animals in the Caprinae family, principally sheep, but the hair of certain species of other mammals including: goats, llamas, and rabbits may also be called wool...
or
cottonCotton is a soft, staple fiber that grows in a form known as a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft,...
although cheaper ones may be partially acrylic. Cardigans are available for both genders.
Plain cardigans are nowadays often worn over shirts and inside suit jackets as a kind of less formal waistcoat that keeps neckties out of the way when the jacket has been removed.
Knitting and design
The torso of a cardigan is often
knitKnitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth. Knitting consists of loops called stitches pulled through each other. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can be passed through them....
as a single piece in a simple
back-and-forth mannerFlat knitting is a method for producing knitted fabrics in which the work is turned periodically, i.e., the fabric is knitted from alternating sides...
. By contrast, knitting a
pulloverPullover may refer to:* Pullover Productions, UK producer of the children's television programme Pullover in the early 1980s* Sweater or hoodie, a piece of clothing "pulled over" the head instead of buttoned-up...
as a single piece requires
circular knittingCircular knitting or knitting in the round is a form of knitting that creates a seamless tube. When knitting circularly, the knitting is cast on and the circle of stitches is joined. Knitting is worked in rounds in a spiral. Originally, circular knitting was done using a set of four or five...
. Alternatively, the body of the cardigan may be knit in three pieces, one for the back and two for the front.
Although all types of necklines are found in cardigans, the
V-necklineThe neckline is the top edge of a garment that surrounds the neck, especially from the front view. Neckline also refers to the overall line between all the layers of clothing and the neck and shoulders of a person, ignoring the unseen undergarments....
is especially popular. The
seamA style line is a line or curve in a garment that has a visual effect, e.g., the seam between two fabrics of different colors or textures. For comparison, a nearly invisible seam, such as a dart or pleat, would not be considered a style line...
in front of a cardigan allows for many fashionable variations. For example, it need not be straight, but can cross diagonally (surplice style); it may also be lined with frills or cut away to form a bolero jacket.
A special type of cardigan is a
shrugA shrug is a cropped, cardigan-like garment with short or long sleeves, typically knitted. Generally, a shrug covers less of the body than a vest would, but it is more tailored than a shawl. Shrugs are typically worn as the outermost layer of an outfit, with a full shirt or tank top beneath.A...
which is mostly just sleeves, with only a strip of fabric running along the back, resembling a scaled down vest.
Long heavy cardigans with zipper fronts and tall rolled-over collars, popular in Canada, are known as
Siwash sweaterA siwash sweater or cowichan sweater is a long heavy-knit sweater, sometimes worn for a coat, popular in Canada. This style of sweater was widely popular in the ’50s through the ’70s, and lately has enjoyed something of a resurgence.-Controversy:...
s or
Cowichan sweatersA siwash sweater or cowichan sweater is a long heavy-knit sweater, sometimes worn for a coat, popular in Canada. This style of sweater was widely popular in the ’50s through the ’70s, and lately has enjoyed something of a resurgence.-Controversy:...
.