If you were to ask me at any point after 2009 if I thought cardigans would make a comeback, I’d have laughed in your face. It wasn’t that they were too quaint-librarian, or that they weren’t flattering or practical enough, it was more so that they were, well, basic—and I do mean that in its worst connotation. Cardigans were the sign that you’d given up—that taking the time to style your outfit was either beneath you or lost on you. But what a difference half a decade makes: Now, a cozy open-front sweater has transformed itself from a mall-store staple to a winter must-have among fashion folk.
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But before we get to the best cardigans for winter, the trick to keeping the look fashion-forward is—shocker—all in the styling. My favorite way to wear one is atop a sheer turtleneck, draped over the crooks of my elbows just so. Of course, that isn’t always conducive to a wise range of motion, but alas.
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Another cool styling trick, especially with shorter cardigans, is to wear it backwards. Now that you’ve got that down, click below for our favorite cardigans at all price points to wear all winter long.
Originally published December 2016. Updated November 2017.
