If you’re looking for a stylish knit that does triple duty as a polished jacket, cosy cardigan and chic layer to wear beneath a lightweight coat, you need this season’s transitional dressing hero. A new entry on the list of essential style buys this autumn is... a cardigan jacket!
On paper, you might think this is best suited to a country walk with King Charles. But no. Thanks to designers including Victoria Beckham and Chanel the cardigan jacket has been reinvented as chic fashion piece worthy of your time and attention. And it can become your most useful layer when coat season kicks in.
I discovered the cardigan jacket's status as an indispensable item this weekend out of sheer desperation. Until I found mine, I was dressing in fluffy knits and jeans as though it were 12 degrees outside, then regretting it the moment I stepped through the front door.
Ribbed Collared Button Through Knitted Jacket with Wool
Ribbed Collared Button Through Knitted Jacket with Wool
Ribbed Collared Button Through Knitted Jacket with Wool
Ribbed Collared Button Through Knitted Jacket with Wool
What I needed was a smart knitted jacket with the cosiness of a cardigan that looked polished with dark denim jeans and could be unbuttoned when the temperature changed. I opted for Uniqlo: C's boiled wool navy jacket with pockets in a size XS, and haven't stopped wearing it since the day I bought it.
If you prefer yours cropped to the waist, as many people do, I've found the answer in this cardigan jacket, released today in navy and conker brown by M&S at £38. Yes, it's low-key, but it's so chic and so useful it can't be ignored.
Ribbed Collared Button Through Knitted Jacket with Wool
Ribbed Collared Button Through Knitted Jacket with Wool
Ribbed Collared Button Through Knitted Jacket with Wool
Ribbed Collared Button Through Knitted Jacket with Wool
Made from a ribbed knit with a collar that buttons right up into a snug funnel neck or folds down into an open collar, it sits neatly at the waist and instantly smartens up dark denim, cords or a heritage check skirt.
Zara has also created an anthracite grey knitted bomber jacket that does the same job. You can wear any one of them over a shirt, vest or T-shirt now, and when the weather cools layer it beneath a trench coat, cropped trench or barn jacket.
These cardigan jackets all come in easy to style shades that will work with your existing wardrobe. The buttons are the thing to play with- fasten the top few, the bottom few, or wear it open - this is where you can make it your own.
One of these won't stop the traffic, but as a heat regulating and chic piece for mild autumn days a cardigan jacket can't be bettered for usefulness, versatility and styling possibilities.
