Cardigan Conversations: Why I Finally Found the Right Ones

I was on a WhatsApp video call with my best friend in Sydney earlier this week, she was wearing her iconic Isabel Marant Étoile cardigan. It got me thinking about cardigans, and it made me want to write about my relationship with them.

I’ve always loved the idea of them but struggled to find one that suited me, or that I felt good in. There’s always been a tendency for them to make me feel a bit fuddy duddy. Over the last year or so I’ve seen a number of people wearing them in a way that genuinely got me looking again. Colman Domingo in The Four Seasons and Nicholas Galitzine in The Idea of You, I was even snapping images of him on a flight to LA last year, thinking, I want to look like that in a cardigan. And then there’s Katie Holmes’s Khaite one that she wore back in 2019.

I’ve tried on many over the years, and bought quite a few. One that stands out was a chocolate knee-length Rick Owens, I felt so good in it in the store, but every time I put it on, I took it off, and I ended up giving it to charity about ten years later when I finally accepted we needed to part ways. I had an amazing 3.1 Phillip Lim navy cable knit too, big silver buttons, similar story, I did wear it a few times and I loved it, but there was just something not quite right. I recently gave it to a friend who’d admired it, she rocks it, and I know it’s gone to a good home.

Success came for me back in December 2025, and then again a few months ago, and I’m now the proud owner of two, well, three if you count my husband Steve’s grey one from M&S that I’ve worn quite a few times.

So what changed? I persevered, and I found what works for me. My clothes have to feel right, otherwise it throws me completely, I’m particular. My Mum has always said that from a very young age, I’d take something off and refuse to wear it. I’ve realised as much as I like the thought of a throw-on, unfastened cardigan like Colman’s or Nicholas’s, what actually suits me and feels right is the button-up ones, for now anyway.

My pink one earns its spot in my wardrobe for a number of reasons. The V-neck sits higher, which I realised I needed, and the proportions felt right. The white cotton taping on one side of the placket, a feature to show off half undone. And the silver metal buttons add a harder texture against the soft baby pink shade.

It’s often the smallest details that make or break whether something works, a neckline an inch higher, a cuff a bit deeper, or a button in the wrong finish.

I’m a push-up-my-sleeves kind of person, as you can see here, but with the dropped shoulder and those deep cuffs, I’ve worn the arms fully extended too, to really appreciate the shape of the sleeves. It’s pretty weighty, with a stretchy structure, and feels casual, confident, and put-together, without ever losing that relaxed feel. It’s coming to Portugal with me next month, it’ll be my go-to knit for the week.

My khaki cardigan is a chunky cable knit, a work of art, and it’s now one of my favourite items in my wardrobe. I’ve pulled it out a number of times over the summer, just to admire it, I can’t wait to wear it again. I’m torn on what I love most, the ability to button up to the neck, the wide shirt-style collar, the voluminous sleeves that drop at the shoulder with their rounded, balloon-like fullness, the silver chain detail at the front, or the deep pockets. At the back it’s slightly waisted, with a sculpted seam that nips in and then flares into the hip, giving the whole thing an almost hourglass shape. It’s great worn done up but also looks good with a white t-shirt underneath, worn as a jacket.

My husband Steve’s is a simple V-neck button-through with front pockets, an M&S one from a few years ago. I’ve found a similar style here if you like this style too.

None of them are itchy, so I can wear each one with nothing underneath.

Finding the right cardigans doesn’t mean I’ve stopped saving and pinning every cool one I see. I’ll always appreciate the way others style theirs, and they keep me inspired.

How do you feel about cardigans? How many do you own? How do you wear them?