What we keep wearing: Cardigans

There is a very specific period of the year when getting dressed becomes a guessing game.

You leave the house in a tank top because it is sunny, immediately regret it when you step outside and spend the rest of the day carrying around a jacket you refuse to actually put on. At noon, you are sweating, but by 7 p.m., you might be shivering.

Welcome to cardigan season.

The cardigan is the perfect solution to October weather that cannot seem to make up its mind. It is cozy enough for a chilly morning, light enough for a sunny afternoon and easy enough to throw into your tote bag when you inevitably start overheating halfway through class.

But lately, the cardigan has become more than a transitional layer. It has become an outfit in itself.

There is something about a cardigan that makes even a basic outfit feel intentional. Button a cropped one over a lace tank and pair it with oversized jeans. Wear an oversized knit one with tiny shorts and tall boots. Button one all the way up and wear it like a shirt. Leave three buttons undone and pretend that was also intentional.

Suddenly, you look like you tried — even if you got dressed five minutes before leaving for your morning lecture.

Of course, the cardigan is hardly a new invention. Named after the seventh Earl of Cardigan, the knitted button-front sweater became a staple of 20th-century wardrobes. By the middle of the century, it was closely associated with polished, ladylike dressing — think Grace Kelly in soft knits, paired with full skirts and perfectly coiffed hair. The cardigan looked proper, practical and impossibly put together.

Then, as fashion tends to do, it got a little messier.

In the 1990s, the cardigan became part of a more minimal wardrobe, worn fitted with trousers or casually draped over the shoulders. By the early 2000s, the tiny cardigan had become a teenage staple, usually paired with low-rise denim, camisoles and short skirts.

If you spend any time shopping at Brandy Melville during the peak of the Y2K revival, you probably know exactly the cardigan I mean: cropped, fitted, sometimes striped, sometimes covered in tiny pearly buttons and usually just small enough to make you question whether it is a sweater or simply a long-sleeved top.

That same cardigan can be found everywhere from contemporary retailers to vintage stores and thrift shops. Thrifting is particularly suited to the cardigan. Unlike many trendy pieces that look best brand new, a cardigan can actually get better with age. A slightly faded color, weird vintage button or worn-in texture can make it feel more personal.

You might find the perfect shrunken 1990s knit tucked between old sweaters or a chunky grandpa cardigan in the men’s section. The latter is especially appealing if you want to look like you have a literary boyfriend, a record collection and strong opinions about French cinema.

The runways have played with both ends of the spectrum.

Miu Miu has repeatedly shrunk the cardigan down, making it feel flirtier and more youthful, while looser versions have become just as important. For spring 2026, designers experimented with everything from oversized cardigans to creative ways of draping knitwear around the body.

And that versatility is really the cardigan’s greatest trick.

With a pleated skirt and Mary Janes, it becomes schoolgirl. With black trousers, it suddenly has a Linkedin account. Throw it over a tiny dress with boots and it becomes a little more downtown.

A classic black or gray cardigan is the fashion equivalent of having your life together. Throw it over work slacks and you are immediately respectable. Pastel pink or butter yellow can take things in a softer, coquette direction, especially when paired with ballet flats.

Then there are the colors for people who want to add a pop to their fall wardrobe. Cherry red or vibrant blue can make the cardigan the entire outfit. Suddenly your sweater is doing all the work.

The silhouette changes the mood, too. Cropped and fitted cardigans lean into a sexy librarian look, while oversized knits feel more relaxed and effortless. And lately, the wrap cardigan is having a major moment. With its overlapping front and adjustable tie, it feels a little more delicate and “ballet core” than the traditional button-up.

Maybe that is why the cardigan is so appealing: it can be sweet without being innocent.

The cardigan can be prim or flirtatious depending on how much — or how little — you button.

And I think there is something genuinely fun about that tension. Fashion has spent so much time treating “sexy” as synonymous with showing more skin, but the cardigan proves that covering up can be its own kind of flirtation.

Contradiction is why the cardigan is especially popular right now.

We are not quite ready for jackets. We are not ready to give up tank tops either. We still want to wear our summer clothes, but we want them to look like they belong in October.

A white lacy tank that felt summery in August can turn autumnal under a chunky knit. A little slip dress can survive another few weeks with a cardigan and boots.

It is fashion’s version of compromise.

And maybe that is why the cardigan keeps finding its way back into our closets. Unlike so many trend pieces, it does not require you to commit to one particular version of yourself. It can be preppy, romantic, sexy, grungy or minimalist depending on the day.

So as the weather gets colder — slowly, inconsistently and at the most inconvenient of times — there is no need to commit to fall just yet.

Keep the tank top. Keep the mini skirt. Keep pretending you are not cold.

Just bring a cardigan.

Arna Churiwala believes the best outfits, like the best seasons, exist somewhere in between.