There are some things in a closet that never get packed away because they are seasonless. Take tank tops, for example. They’re great in the summer, for obvious reasons, but can also be crucial items in the winter for layering under sweaters and cardigans, as an extra layer of warmth, and when worn with suits. There is no reason to ever pack them away. Cardigans fall into this category, as well. While they are wonderful winter staples, they are equally great during transitional seasons and into the summer for cool nights. For today’s One Item, Five Fashionable Ways I am going to show you five ways to wear a cardigan into the warmer months
Neutral cardigans will be the most versatile
This is not to say that you won’t get plenty of mileage from a colorful cardigan but if you want to get the most use it’s always great to have a seasonless cardigan in a neutral shade that compliments your skin tone. Additionally, if the color is lighter than the colors you wear on the bottom you will get even more use from it. For example, a gray cardigan may get you more wear than a black one because you can wear it with black bottoms whereas you may run into black-matching problems when trying to wear black bottoms with a black cardigan. The same is true for a cardigan in tan which can potentially be better than brown for the exact same reason. Considering most women wear darker colors on the bottom a lighter shade in a cardigan may get you the most wear. Additionally, as the weather gets warmer you will probably want to wear lighter cardigan colors.
Choose basic but not boring
Basic does not have to be boring. A basic in your wardrobe just means that the piece has an ease to it that can be worn with more than less in your wardrobe. I have a drapey gray cardigan that just always works with what I am wearing. I can count on this piece as a go-to. It’s a far from being a boring cardigan but it is a basic because of its versatility and ease of wear.
Transitional cardigans are best when they are not in seasonal fabrics
The types of cardigans you can pack away at the end of the winter are your woolen or very heavy cardigans. These types of cardigans won’t transition as well as thinner, less heavy ones. One thing you do is slowly rotate your warmer cardigans out as the weather gets warmer. You don’t have to pack everything away at once. Instead you can pack pieces away as the season get warmer and warmer.
Using this cardigan from Vince Camuto, here are five ways to wear a cardigan you might be wearing now into spring and summer.
Outfit #1
A cardigan and jeans is a winter staple and it can be into the spring as well with just a few changes. Here this cardigan is styled with a pair of MICHAEL Michael Kors skinny jeans and made “springy” with a sleeveless Modcloth top and popped with burgundy Calvin Klein flats and earrings. The outfit is finished with a grey Vince Camuto handbag.
Outfit #2
With a pair of khaki chinos and a casual striped tee, both from Boden, the cardigan adds a layer without taking away the seasonally spring feeling. For a punch of color, and to jazz up this very classic outfit, a yellow pair of flats from Anthropologie were added to the look. The outfit is finished with a navy handbag from MICHAEL Michael Kors and red earrings from Kate Spade.
Outfit #3
As the weather gets warmer and you spend time doing outdoor things, even super casual things like running errands, your cardigan can act as your outwear piece. Here I styled a pair of casual cropped pants and sporty sleeveless top, both from Athleta, with this cardigan and finished the look casually with a pair of Toms shoes, a purple necklace from Fab.com and a cuter-than-cute French bulldog tote from Anthropologie.
Outfit #4
As you embrace printed bottoms, a common spring and summer staple, like these from Zara, your cardigan can be a great outfit finisher when worn with bottoms that make a loud statement. Underneath the cardigan is a fun swing top from Modcloth and the outfit is finished with a pair of red flats, also from Modcloth, a necklace from Stella & Dot and the same gray handbag used in an earlier look. The beauty of this outfit is the cardigan can be removed and the outfit still looks finished. This is an important point to take note of when wearing cardigans into the warmer weather. Layer it over tops that can stand alone in case you need to remove the cardigan due to warmth.
Outfit #5
If you wear shorts, a cardigan can be a great outfit finisher, especially if you shorts are more tailored like these from Zara. Underneath the cardigan is a black, white and mint top from Modcloth. The mint is further enhanced with these mint oxfords. To finish the outfit, black earrings and a clutch from Fab.com were added.
The best way to get the most out of your wardrobe is to have items that can serve multiple purposes in multiple seasons. Get the most from your cardigans by styling them seasonlessly.
