Men's cardigans: varieties and tips for choosing

A cardigan is not the most popular thing among our male compatriots, but it is gaining popularity due to its versatility and practicality. It can be combined with both trousers and jeans, both with a shirt and a T-shirt. True, not all clothes are combined with a cardigan. For all its versatility, he is picky about the things with which he makes up the ensemble, so it is necessary to carefully and correctly choose the "companions" for this item.

The men's cardigan differs from other types of sweaters, sweaters and pullovers. The characteristic features of this garment are:

• long sleeves;
• necessarily knitted texture;
• the presence of a V-shaped neckline, both complemented by a collar, and without this detail;
• button or zipper closure;
• lack of lapels, chest pockets, buttons and other fasteners on the sleeves;
• sometimes there is an addition with side pockets: patch or welt.

The cardigan originates from the clothing worn by French sailors: from the wool coat. If initially it was used only by military personnel, then by the beginning of the last century the cardigan had become ubiquitous.

Fashion trends (including men's) are constantly changing, but classic styles remain practically unchanged. The main difference between the proposed models lies in some characteristics.

• Colour. For classic models, classic colors are chosen: black, shades of gray and blue, often dark, chocolate. If we talk about casual-style cardigans, then any, the most daring and bright shades are acceptable.

• Clasp types. Most often these are buttons in a row, but there are models that have a low fastener for 1 or 2 large decorative buttons or loops like in a duffle cat. And also cardigans today can be zipped or have no fasteners at all, but such models can no longer be called classic. As a rule, products without fasteners have elongated shelves that can be wrapped around. Sometimes these shelves are given an asymmetrical shape.

• By the type of knitting, the products also differ. It can be thin, lightly knitted jersey, or it can be a warm fabric with a large relief knit. The choice depends on your preference and the time of year.

• The presence or absence of pockets - not a fundamental feature, but this garment is characterized by patch pockets on the sides or at the bottom of the product shelves. Side slits are already an amateur design and not quite a cardigan.

• For classic models Hood not provided, but for sports - quite.

• Reference cardigan length - covering the belt on trousers or jeans. However, the oversized or kimono models that are popular among young people today are much longer, sometimes reaching up to the knees. There are products that resemble a cut of a mantle, they are almost always youthful, although representatives of creative professions love them very much.

For the manufacture of a knitted product, natural yarn is usually preferable, however, so that it does not lose its original appearance, a certain percentage of synthetics is most often present in the composition of the yarn. The most expensive material for this garment is pure cashmere. Angora wool is slightly cheaper. Of course, cardigans made from these materials look really chic, but they also require special care. Most often it is impossible to wash them, you need cleaning with the help of special products. If you take care of the products incorrectly, they quickly lose their original appearance, stretch out, and pellets appear on them. Wool cardigans are very warm and indispensable in cold winters. When purchasing a woolen product, you need to carefully study the label on it: when washed at an unsuitable temperature, clean wool can shrink and become smaller by a size or two.

Cotton cardigans are pretty versatile, they can be worn at any time of the year and are much cheaper. Summer delicate items are perfect for a cool evening. Ideally, it is better to have several products from different materials in your wardrobe: a couple of cotton, one thicker woolen, one thinner. If funds permit, purchase a cashmere product. It is as warm as wool, but much softer and more comfortable to wear.

Do not forget that a stingy person pays twice, and there is a high probability that after a couple of washings your budget purchase will go to the trash can, and you will need a new purchase. That's why it is better to buy a quality item after waiting for a sale, then to wear it with pleasure for a long time. During the sales period, you can easily get a really good cardigan at a nice price.

The classic color for men is traditionally black, however, it is not always up to date.

• Black does not suit everyone. For men with a Slavic type of appearance, black is often too dark and sharp, so an ensemble with a cardigan in this color does not always adorn its owner.
• Black is, although in most cases a win-win, but very boring. Dark gray, dark blue, denim, chocolate are also classic shades that allow you to create much more stylish and fashionable images.

If you need a slightly less formal option, depending on the color type, you can choose a burgundy, wine shade or sand, ocher, dark red. A pure white option paired with white pants is a great ensemble for a relaxed getup.

But under them it is quite possible to wear a shirt with prints to match.

One of the rules for choosing a men's cardigan is that the fit over the shoulders should be as tight as a shirt. The larger the knitting of the product, the denser it should be on the shoulders. (this, of course, does not mean that you need to choose a small size, on the contrary, the size should be exactly yours).

Fitting should always be carried out on a shirt, that is, as it should be worn with this item. It is undesirable to try on a T-shirt or a T-shirt, since the product later put on the shirt may turn out to be a little and unpleasant for you to pull under your armpits, forming creases.

To understand that the cardigan fits your waist, fasten all the buttons. In no case should the fabric creep to the sides between the buttons. On the contrary, the product should be a little loose, and not look like you were squeezing into it. If you have an imperfect waist, you have a belly, choose loose models, ending with an elastic band. The gap that forms over the elastic will hide the flaws in your figure. Straight cut models will make your belly hypertrophied. Nowadays, almost every online store has a section "for the full", where you can choose the perfect model.

If everything is in order with your figure, avoid overly assembled models: they can create too much volume around the waist, turning a slender man into a Carlson.

If you are going to wear your cardigan with shirts, remember that the sleeves of the shirt should protrude slightly from under the sleeves of the cardigan.

When choosing a cardigan, it is not only the taste of its owner that matters, but also the season. In winter, when the thermometer drops much below zero, you want the thing to warm you up. For this optimal models of large knit and high density with a large shawl collar.

It is important to follow the color rule: the shirt should be the lightest of the 3 pieces and the jacket should be the darkest of them. Elongated models are good as an independent piece of outerwear, it is convenient to walk in them or go to picnics. Sports models are suitable for cycling or rollerblading.

If you are just starting to look for your style and learn to combine wardrobe items in order to create harmonious images, use the pictures on the Internet. Do not try to mix many bright colors and textures at once. Try to assemble an ensemble of objects of the same color, but in different shades: steel, classic gray and wet asphalt, for example. Or blue, blue and navy blue. Make sure to match a few matching shirts and shirts to each cardigan you have.

Putting on a classic straight shirt under such a model, you will get ugly bubbles in the waist and sleeves, since the excess fabric on the shirt will be very clearly visible. Always tuck your shirt into your pants. The cardigan, of course, is not tucked into trousers.

And also it should be remembered that in classic office ensembles, trousers and a cardigan should either completely match in tone, or differ by a maximum of 1-2 tones... If you plan to wear a cardigan under a jacket, keep in mind that the trousers should not be paired with the jacket, that is, they should not be a suit. When compiling such a set, you can choose a checkered jacket, and plain trousers. Leave the patches on the elbows to someone else: their time has passed for both jackets and cardigans.

You can use bold, bright, informal combinations. However, in order not to get a sloppy clown instead of the image of a mischievous dandy, it is better to study a little the principles of combining colors and shades with each other in order to understand and imagine how the clothes will look on you. If you put a tie on your shirt, keep in mind that you will not be able to unbutton either the cardigan or the collar. It is recommended to wear this knitted product with the bottom button unbuttoned.

With the help of a cardigan, you can create an interesting look:

• who said cardigan is boring?

• jeans, a cage and a cardigan;

• an ocher cardigan and a T-shirt - an option for the weekend;

• a cardigan and chinos of the same color are a great solution.