If Michelle Obama has elevated the women’s cardigan to superstar status, then the men’s version is on an equally strong upward trajectory.
And though it’s true that every season in men’s magazines everywhere, yet another story is written on the strength of the male cardi (whether it’s chunky winter versions strewn with snowflakes at Gap or sleek summer styles in every colour of the rainbow at Lyle and Scott), it’s now worth putting aside your scepticism and withholding judgment. Because this time, the cardigan’s newest incarnation is a rather less grand-fatherly and a more formal affair.
Take the double-breasted cardigan, a strong trend for spring. Where the double-breasted jacket has struggled to disengage from its 1980s yuppie connotations and return to the mainstream, the cardigan version is a much more attractive and wear-able alternative – lighter and less boxy by comparison. At the Italian luxury label Salvatore Ferragamo, for instance, a striking red tuxedo version makes a vibrant change to the simple jacket.
Then there’s the formal cardigan that comes courtesy of French luxury fashion house Zilli, known for its use of fur and skins. It has crocodile inlays and a chinchilla lining (£8,600). And at British luxury brand Dunhill, a slim-fitting cotton and linen mix cardigan (£295) in midnight blue or ivory is complemented by sterling silver AD-branded buttons, elevating it out of loungewear to black tie status, while their cotton zip cardigan (£395) comes with silk woven front panels and doubles as an outerwear piece for formal evening occasions. At Paul Smith, a shawl has even been added to one cardigan in his Red Ear line (£135) to create a semi-tux illusion.
The designer John Rocha, who has designed a luxury black-and-white version for men (£350) believes the cardigan is establishing itself as a staple piece of every man’s wardrobe. “Now the cardigan is much more of a fashion statement,” he says. “They are usually associated with casual dressing, but I’ve updated it and made it more versatile by adding detailed embellishment and putting it with a more formal, tailored look.”
Stephen Ayres, the men’s wear buying manager at Liberty, says: “Designers have had to move them on to keep the look fresh and for people to keep investing. I think a shawl neck has been a key commercial addition to the classic cardigan, as well as the double breasted versions. The cardigan will become more and more popular, and with designers updating them with the type of knit, shape and composition, it’s a real year round commodity.”
And yet, admittedly, the cardigan can remain a hard sell. The details of how to wear the knit and, more importantly, what to wear it with, are still being thrashed out by designers.
Where Ferragamo and Dunhill may pair theirs with simple and elegant black trousers, maintaining the evening wear premise, Gucci has theirs with graphic print trousers, not the easiest of style options.
And the public remains divided: Daniel Craig may have sported a cardigan with a smart cutaway collared shirt and tie to a screening of Quantum of Solace, but when David Beckham appeared in a brown version of the same item the knives came out in the style blogosphere.
Meanwhile, precious few businessmen would opt for a cardigan in the office. David Abingdon, chief executive of the Alchemy Network, a business development consultancy, is one. “They are only good for gardening and caravanning and have no place in the office,” he argues. “You only have one chance to make a first impression and what exactly does a cardigan say about a man? It says: parking up and eating sandwiches and drinking from a flask in a busy lay-by – not being business-like and on-the-ball.”
But for all the cardigan’s detractors, there are those that feel they fit the smart casual brief in a less formal office. Tom Grocott, a 31-year-old marketing consultant, says: “I work in a creative industry so I have to strike a balance between professional but also a little off-the-wall. Cardigans do seem to bridge this gap nicely. When you think about it, a smart cardigan has similar characteristics to a jacket.”
Sean Kinmont, managing partner and creative director of the brand communications agency 23red, is also a fan. “The cardigan is a wardrobe essential,” he says. “I own not just one, but one for every occasion. I’m wearing a two-tone Paul Smith number now, for example, but I also have a grey Brooks Brothers version at home.”
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