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STYLEDGE: A Better Sweater

by Jordan Barnes, Sean Vidal and Rachel Wilkerson

Sweaters never go out of style, but styles change from season to season. As temperatures drop below freezing this week, add an extra layer of warmth and an extra element of style to your outfit with winter’s best sweater: the cardigan. 

Pullover? So over. And if you’re expecting the category “cardigan” to only apply to the traditional, button-down, crew neck style, think again. From a long sweater that may have belonged to your grandfather to a cape-like sweater with one giant button, the cardigan comes in a variety of styles and can be worn for any occasion. 

For Girls

Dress to Impress. Dresses are a style essential right now, but you’ve got to winterize them to make them work right now. Layer a tights and boots under a jersey dress and toss a cozy cardigan over it for a look that will take you from a job interview to a dinner date to church.   Begging for Leggings. Leggings are this year’s most ubiquitous trend, and the cardigan adds a fresh twist. For a trendy weekend look, top your leggings with a sheer, flirty tank and add an insanely bright cardigan.
Jean Queen. For the perfect outfit for class, throw your cardigan over a long T-shirt or tank and skinny jeans and flats. Wearing it with heels is sexy, confident and bound to score you a few free drinks.   Whatever the Weather. OK, we know—it’s cold and all you care about is avoiding hypothermia. We can handle that. Though a sweater over a turtleneck reminds us of the family Christmas pictures we used to take at Olan Mills circa 1992, the look is actually incredibly now. Layer, layer, layer or frostbite is imminent. Tank, turtleneck, scarf, long underwear, jeans, two pairs of socks, gloves, a coat and oh, yeah, the cardigan should be in there somewhere. With that outfit, you might even be able to walk from Brody to Comm Arts and not end up frozen in a ditch somewhere behind Case Hall.  
Who Wears Short Shorts? Pairing the cardigan with shorts (probably after the temperatures crawl back up into the teens) is a great way to take your winter sweater into spring. The tweed shorts are all business, but the ass-hugging length is all party.      

For Guys

Class Act. Between rolling out of bed and dragging your hungover ass to Biomed, throw a cardigan on instead of the requisite hoodie. It’s casual and comfortable, but something about it adds that little bit of “I give a fuck.” The traditional cardigan is collegiate and retro, like you’re about to type a dissertation on your typewriter and then go to a Dead Poets’ Society meeting. If you won your second grade spelling bee, this look is for you.  

 Tie One On. When a sport coat will leave you feeling overdressed, button up a wool cardigan over your striped shirt and diagonal striped tie. With navy blue pinstripe pants and brown leather slip-ons, this outfit will get you a first date, first lay, first anniversary and first affair with your lab partner.  
Warm Front. After you check Weather.com and realize you live in a place where negative temperatures are as common as Britney Spears crotch shots, you’ll be glad to have your cardigan. This piece has stylish layering built in. Piled between thermals and scarves, it’s cozy and sophisticated all at once.  

Smoking Hot. Throw on an extra-small Artic Monkeys tee with a cotton six-button cardigan, straight leg dark Levi’s and some neon Converse, light up a Parliment and you’ll bring all the hipster chicks to the yard. 
Get Shorty. Trying to get our approval wearing a cardigan with shorts is nearly impossible for any normal person but we’ll share the secrets.  Cargo or jean shorts will immediately get you NEXTED from our judging bus.  Matching the tiny whales in your J. Crew shorts with your cardigan will win you the opportunity to take the money or a second date. The best bet? Pair a cardigan with swim trunks and have fun with it--a short, retro swimsuit paired with no shirt and a cardigan gives an outgoing, class-clown-if-you-had-class-on-the-beach vibe.  

Point. Click. Shop. 

Some cardigans we love (and that don’t cost $300 like most examples that accompany fashion articles!).

For Girls 

This style winterizes everything from a spaghetti-strap dress to a graphic tee. Make it your new best friend. Call it every five minutes.   Part of the new Proenza Schouler line at Target, this sweater is wooly and warm, but the palm print reminds us that spring is just around the corner.   Don’t go on spring break without it. It’s just what you want to wear to dinner before a night out—and for this price, you won’t feel bad when it gets wrecked at a foam party. 

For Guys 

The perfect cardigan for any type of man, this sweater comes in a wide range of colors. Sean models the royal blue in the pictures, but it comes in all colors of the rainbow. It’s actually unisex, so girls and guys can pull it off, and it beats a basketball hoodie as shacker gear.   So your boyfriend needs a sweater but is the kind of guy who would read this article and say, “Cardigan? I’m not Mr. Fucking Rogers Man.” This is the cardigan for him. It closes in the front, but the zipper makes him feel more masculine.  
an Outfitters has tons of men’s cardigans, but we chose this one (left) for its unbelievable price. So cheap, you can buy it in all three color combinations, and then click over here (right) for the perfect top to your girl jeans and Chuck Taylor’s.  

For Silver Spoons

Hey, it’s white, so get more bang for your buck and wear it for your wedding.   We couldn’t resist. If you’ve got the credit limit for this one, shoot us an e-mail. Rachel could use a sugar daddy.

Pictures by Rachel Wilkerson and Emma Zwissler. Lauren’s orange cardigan: Forever 21, Erica’s white cardigan: Polo, Sean’s blue cardigan: American Apparel, Jordan’s striped cardigan: The Gap.