Europeans - where do you buy your cardigans? - YouLookFab Forum

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Europeans - where do you buy your cardigans?

Astrid

Veteran

I still want to replace my cardigans! I'm on the search for two cropped cardigans to wear with skirts and a longer cardigan to wear with my jeans.
My last ones were from Zero, Promod and Esprit and they all didn't hold up that well. I don't need the best quality, but they have to look nice for some time and I know from experience that the new ones would be workhorses in my wardrobe.

Where do you buy your cardigans? Any advice on where to get decent quality?

Shopping

13 replies

Latest reply was from Astrid

Scarlet

Veteran

I do have a nice cropped one from French Connection--it's a wool blend and is going on 5 years. I wear it maybe twice a month in the cooler months. It has a really cute beaded button detail--little seed beads that are sown together to look like berries. I wash it on the gentle cycle, so I am pretty glad it has held up so well. You might check the store brand from Galeries Lafayette for basic but modern styles. I never owned something from that line but it looks decent. I bought a fine yarn cotton pullover from Mexx last year that is holding up well.

Inge

(website)

I've found that eventually all knitwear starts to pill and just doesn't look super anymore, often it really is just a case of hit-and miss. Over the years I've had some luck with knitwear from Mexx, WE, Benetton, Zara, Caroline Biss, Talking French, JBC, Massimo Dutti, VILA and InWear.

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks, Scarlet and Inge! I'm going to check these out, if available. I don't require that much when it comes to knitwear, but my last cardigan started to look bad after the second wash and that's definitely not alright.

Anonymous

Wow, I'm sorry to hear Promod did so badly. I like their styles this season. As I shop in the cheap range I have 2 cardigans from Orsay ( I know they're in Germany too). The black one was one of the last years staple , and I have a cropped red one new this year. I can definitely see some fading on their knit tees after a year or so, but the dresses, jeans and sweaters ( and cardi's) seem to hold up ok.

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks, Anya.Orsay isn't one of the stores I normally frequent while shopping, but I'll have a look at them!

Polly (thunalata)

Veteran

http://www.woolovers.com/

I've had some success from Woolovers. Good quality, although you have to trawl through to find the shape/length you want (and they might not even have the right thing for you).

I lost a navy blue lambs wool cardi on a trip to London earlier in the year and still feel a bit sad about it...

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks for the link! I'll have a look at them tomorrow.

Tortoise

I had very good luck with Uniqlo cardigans. They have several lines of various cotton/cashmere/merino blends, it's very cheap, and all of mine have hold up well. The down side is that the shapes tend to be rather boxy.
I have no experience re: pure cashmere ones.

I also have had good luck with *merino* Zara cardigans (but their cotton/nylon/rayon blends are a joke).

My one and only Esprit cardigan is still going strong, except for some fading (it's cotton-cashemere and black, so a bit of fading was expected).

Abi

I would second uniqlo for cardigans. I had a couple of lightweight cotton ones which held up for a couple of years and looked really nice. Not bad for about £12.

Doro

I live in Germany, and I've found for the past year or so that Vero Moda has surprisingly nice clothes. Also, it never hurts to check stores you normally wouldn't go to – for example Forever 21, Pimkie, Orsay, C&A, Strauss Innovation, New Yorker – if you know what you are looking for, you won't waste much time and energy. Just do a "quick scan" for cardigans, and don't look at much else. Good luck!

(Btw, after lurking for a year or so, this is my first post here *excited squeal* But I had to chime in, because I'm also from Germany, and my favorite cropped wrap cardigan is from New Yorker, a store I always disliked.)

Tortoise

I would also add that, while cashmere & cotton is hit-or-miss, I've never been disappointed in merino wool knitwear, whatever the brand. They are machine washable (gently, of course), cheaper than good-quality cashmere, layer well and wear like iron. The downside is that they tend to be thiner than cashmere or regular wool knitwear, so maybe not as warm if worn alone.

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks, Tortoise and Abi! I've had a look and it seems like Uniqlo unfortunately doesn't ship to Germany. Thanks for the advice about merino wool, Tortoise.

Thanks, Doro! I've tried the 'quick look around' tactic for some time but I wasn't that successful, especially because most cardigans are either too long or the wrong colour. Now I'm thinking about ordering a couple at once online, maybe using the website Polly linked to.

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

Astrid, H&M does very basic ones and they always have them in certain styles and many colors. If you are really struggling to find the cardigan, I suggest checking there to get at least the bridging pieces.

Astrid

Veteran

Ornella, good idea. I really don't shop at H&M anymore, so I completely forgot about that possibility! I only worry about the quality, H&M in general got a lot worse in my book.