I never used to be into cardigans. I only started wearing them about three years ago. I had written them off as something old people wear to cover up. Hehe. I'm serious! :P They were the same as doily shawls in my book. Hence, I bought my first cardigan ever in 2010 and only because it was on final sale. I've posted pictures of me in that cardigan, already. Wanna see? :D Just click here and here.
I quickly realized that cardigans are more of an accessory than anything else. At least, that's how I look at them. They shouldn't carry the outfit, but merely call attention to it in some way. They shouldn't be used to conceal some physical flaw--like wrapping the arms of a sweater around your waist to hide your bum or something. Heh. That being said, most people use a cardigan to keep warm. That is its most fundamental function. Still, I don't think they should be relegated to run-of-the-mill cover ups, either.
In the pictures above, you'll notice that I added a cardigan mainly for the color. That's all. The cardigan itself was incidental. The additional color, however, meant a whole lot. When I look at these photos, I don't see some matronly cover ups. I see strategic splashes of color. I see a study in chromatics.
In this sense, I wear cardigans in the same way I wear my scarves. Both provide some measure of warmth, but they also add a bit more aesthetic interest to my outfit. They're the cherry on top. Cardigans are a really important (but often overlooked/under-utilized) garnish, if you will. :D
Anyway, I hope you found this little blurb entertaining? Useful? I dunno. Haha. I just wanted to share my thought process when it comes to styling my cardigans. My hope is that this post will give some readers pause the next time they pull this garment from the closet; and inspire these readers to ask themselves:
"How can I be more creative with this aspect of my outfit?" :P
~ FIN ~
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