Dazzling Hexagonal Cardigan

With button or zip front closure and an elegant blend of stylish statement and casual understated style, the cardigan sweater is like a jacket you can wear inside without the extra baggy. If you’ve ever watched Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, a TV classic for kids, healthy host Fred Rogers has made the cardigan sweater not just an everyday accessory, but an essential fashion statement for comfort.

So where did the idea for the half open sweater come from? The history of the cardigan sweater spans many continents, uses and time eras. But still, whether it’s the star style of shawl-neck cardigans, the winter warmth of long cardigans for women, or the attention to detail in cable-knit cardigans, this particular garment has proven to be totally timeless.

While admiring the lavish fabrics that create the flamboyant shawl-collar cardigans and elegant navy blue cardigans that adorn many famous women during the colder months, it can be hard to imagine that all this savvy delicacy began on the backs of British officers during the war. 1800’s – but the story begins here. Notably, Major General James Thomas Brudenell, considered the 7th Earl of the Cardigan, was the earliest figure to wear this “sweater” style in 1854.

The British location protected by his military capabilities was Crimea, or what now appears on the world map as Ukraine. As the conflict between the UK faction of the Earl of Cardigan and Russia over the Ottoman Empire came to an end, Major General James Thomas Brudenell had a lot to celebrate and was also known for sporting his cardigans with fur and knitted trimmings.

Then, oddly enough, another monumental display of the trendy cardigan sweater appeared 11 years later on American soil, on the coveted private Ivy League college campus of Harvard University in Cambridge Massachusetts. It wasn’t the long cardigans that fit women’s style, the cute knit cardigans that made women look great, or even the subtle sexy appeal of sharp navy blue cardigans. This version of the sweater format consisted of the letter “H” attached to Harvard baseball jerseys, called letter sweaters.

The use of the cardigan as an athletic outfit found another fit, with V-neck versions of the letter cardigans appearing at Harvard University in 1900. Consider how this academic look goes with additional components like leather loafers and button-ups. collared shirts and chino pants that are part of the everyday Ivy League look.

War and sport may have been the earliest purposes of the cardigan sweater, and it found its way into the dresser drawers and cabinets of the United Kingdom and United States early. But in the 1920s, this ever-evolving sweater was given a feminine twist and emerged as a fantastic fashion piece in France by world-renowned iconic fashion designer Coco. Now a creative and stylish innovation was to be launched, with Coco designing lightweight cardigan jackets in woven fabric and a cropped collarless look. This sweater was a perfect match for a chic and sensual skirt.