Cardigan (sweater) explained

Cardigan
Type:Knitted garment
Material:Many
Manufacturer:Many

A cardigan is a type of knitted sweater that has an open front, and is worn like a jacket.[1]

Description

Commonly cardigans are open fronted, have buttons, and are often knitted or woven: garments that are tied are instead considered a robe.Knit garments with zippers can also be referred to as a cardigan.[2] A current fashion trend has the garment with no buttons or zipper and hangs open by design. By contrast, a pullover (or sweater) does not open in front but must be "pulled over" the head to be worn. It may be machine- or hand-knitted. Traditionally, cardigans were made of wool but can now be made of cotton, synthetic fibers, or any combination thereof. In British English, a baby's short cardigan is known as a matinee jacket.[3]

History

The cardigan was named after James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British Army major general who led the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War.[4] It is modelled after the knitted wool waistcoat that British officers supposedly wore during the war. The legend of the event and the fame that Lord Cardigan achieved after the war led to the rise of the garment's popularity – supposedly, Brudenell invented the cardigan after noticing that the tails of his coat had accidentally been burnt off in a fireplace.[5] [6]

The term originally referred only to a knitted sleeveless vest, but expanded to other types of garment over time. Coco Chanel is credited with popularizing cardigans for women because "she hated how tight-necked men's sweaters messed up her hair when she pulled them over her head."[7] The garment is mostly associated with the college culture of the Roaring Twenties and early 1930s, being also popular throughout the 1950s, 1970s, 1990s, 2000s and into the early 2010s.

Usage

Plain cardigans are often worn over shirts and inside suit jackets as a less formal version of the waistcoat or vest that restrains the necktie when the jacket has been removed. Its versatility means it can be worn in casual or formal settings and in any season, but it is most popular during cool weather.

Monochromatic cardigans, in sleeved or vest form, may be viewed as a conservative fashion staple. As an item of formal clothing for any gender, it is worn over a button-down dress shirt. A less formal style is wearing a T-shirt underneath.

Varsity letters for college and high school sports teams have been applied to cardigans and letterman jackets.

In popular culture

See also

Notes and References

  1. cardigan. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 27 May 2018. 28 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180528052026/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cardigan. live.
  2. Book: Consumer Price Index Apparel Manual. U.S. Department of labor, Bureau of labor statistics. 1991. 53.
  3. MATINÉE COAT definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary (collinsdictionary.com)
  4. News: This Bookish Sweater Has a Violent History. le Zotte. Jennifer. 3 October 2017. Racked. 3 October 2017. 11 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171011051313/https://www.racked.com/2017/10/3/16380180/cardigans-history. live.
  5. Web site: What is a Cardigan? – Cardigan Sweater History. CardiganSweater.com. 10 March 2010. 26 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210226070116/http://cardigansweater.com/. live.
  6. Book: David, Saul . 1997. The Homicidal Earl: The Life of Lord Cardigan. London. Little, Brown. 431–436. 0316641650.
  7. News: Geller. Allison. The Military Origins of the Cardigan. 24 June 2016. The Atlantic. 24 June 2016. 25 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160625130211/http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/06/the-military-origins-of-the-cardigan/488252/. live.
  8. Book: The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows . Ballantine Books . 1987 . 0-345-49773-2 . Brooks . Tim . 1071–1072 . 14 April 2010 . Marsh . Earle F..
  9. Web site: Denisova . Maria . Como, Perry . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071209112516/http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Como__Perry.html . 9 December 2007 . 4 April 2010 . Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Pennsylvania State University.
  10. Philbin . Regis . Regis Philbin . 18 October 1991 . DVD: The Best of Perry Como: Volume One (review) . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091222191348/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,315904,00.html . 22 December 2009 . 30 April 2010 . Entertainment Weekly.
  11. Web site: NMAH – Mister Rogers' Sweater . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070703001012/http://americanhistory.si.edu/news/factsheet.cfm?key=30&newskey=47 . 3 July 2007 . 2007-05-31 . National Museum of American History . The red sweater, knitted by his late mother, was donated to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History by Fred Rogers on November 20, 1984..
  12. Web site: 29 March 2019 . Steve McQueen's Son Sues Tom Ford Over McQueen . 28 August 2020 . . 7 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201107234720/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/steve-mcqueens-son-sues-tom-ford-cardigan-line-1198320 . live .
  13. Grossman . Samantha . 5 November 2015 . Kurt Cobain's Unplugged Sweater Sells for $137,500 . 17 March 2016 . Time.
  14. Garcia . Patricia . 9 November 2015 . Kurt Cobain's MTV Unplugged Cardigan Sold for $137,500 . 17 March 2016 . Vogue.
  15. Kreps . Daniel . October 26, 2019 . Kurt Cobain's 'Unplugged' Sweater Sells for Record $334,000 at Auction . . 29 July 2024 . 12 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240412210312/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/kurt-cobain-unplugged-sweater-sells-334000-auction-904246/ . live .

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