Styling a crewneck cardi? - YouLookFab Forum

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Styling a crewneck cardi?

Helena

Veteran

Hi all, hoping to tap into your collective styling wisdom. I have a couple of crewneck cardis in my closet - one black and one blush (similar in style to find added below). I know they are not very fashionable at the moment, but they are both in great condition and wondering if I can get some wear out of them yet. Any ideas? (I do like the styling in the photo below and will try it). Or have you ditched your "classic" cardis? Thx

Women's Supima Cardigan Sweater

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18 replies

Latest reply was from Helena

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I don't think I own any in this silhouette right now - I prefer the v-neck ones - but occasionally pick them up at the thrift store or whatever. I've found that for my figure it works best to have them either worn as a sweater, buttoned up most of the way, or layered over something with a lower neckline, like a lower scoop of a top or dress. That breaks up the neck area and provides some vertical detailing.

VioletMyra

Ooh . . . sometime in the past week (or two) on a blog I saw a pale pink cardi being worn back to front with a skirt, stockings and heels. If I can find the page I'll post a link.

Jennifer

Classic cardis are a staple of my office wardrobe - but I tend towards somewhat vintage styling, so they work for me. I like wearing mine either with a sheath dress or with a silk shell and pencil skirt. Alternatively, I'll wear a fairly fitted cardigan fully buttoned up with a pencil skirt. On weekends I wear them with straight jeans.
I have classic cardis in many colours so tend to pair them with neutrals. However, one of my favourite combinations is a muted mustard yellow that I wear with a magenta pencil skirt. It sounds awful but actually looks fabulous.
So my advice is - rock it. It doesn't matter whether they are currently in fashion, if they are something you love.

christieanne

Veteran

Love cardigans as well. Jennifer's mustard and magenta combo is right up my alley. I do mustard and black and white often.
To modernize the cardi, I suggest wearing over a very modern under layer. You could do a v neck t or a print knit or a striped t as a change from a button up blouse. Depending on where the band of cardi hits your waist/hip, you could do a slightly longer top peeking out of bottom of sweater. Turning sweater backwards is great idea.
I think the unfrumping is in wearing other modern pieces (and not as a matchy set) or playing with color.

Dee

Veteran

I also prefer v-neck cardigans to crew necks, but I do still have one or two in rotation. My suggestion is to pay attention to the neckline of whatever top you are wearing beneath. If the crewneck is high, a top that hits above (such as a collared blouse) or a bit below below (scoop or vnecks) works well. Crewneck tops tend to compete.

E

Veteran

I lurve my classic crewneck cardigans. Ways I style them:

over a flowy blouse/dress w just the top button done, so that it creates an a-line shape
buttoned all of the way up like a jumper but with button details (variation: buttoned up over a collared blouse, so just the collar peeks out)
unbuttoned but wrapped around my waist (like those ballet wrap sweaters) & pinned in place w a brooch (over a blouse, usually sleeveless, of course to avoid flashing people, hehe)
unbuttoned over a blouse, with both tucked into a full skirt
just the waist buttons buttoned, if it fits well enough, over a dress
unbuttoned over a dress with a belt over top at my natural waist
buttoned up & worn under a blazer so it looks a bit like a waistcoat (depending on my mood I'll leave the top couple buttons undone)

I'm sure there are more ways I wear them, as those were just off the top of my head. But clearly they're indispensable for my style! I don't think they're frumpy, personally.

Dimity

Great question, and great suggestions too.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Great suggestions. I'd wear them like a blouse - buttoned up under a jacket.

unfrumped

Veteran

I have worn them buttoned up like a top, with a pencil skirt, but did find that now they would need to be fluid enough to look right to my eye--so usually sized up or cut the right way.
Recently for a favorite that seemed too fitted for the above look, I wore unbuttoned over a longer more flowy shell. The neckline was more scooped than the cardi, as noted by some other posters. Also have done as E, with just the top (or top 2--have a cardi in which the top 2 buttons are closer together) and then it angled out as she described.

Anonymous

I still like them worn over a sparkly eveningish top (usually tank style) that is longer than the sweater, and jeans or leather leggings for a casual take on holiday wear. I got rid of all but two of mine - a grey and a black, both cashmere - and just pull them out for this time of year. In fact, you've given me an idea for a party I have to go to tomorrow night !

Vicki

(website)

Veteran

I really like Jennifer and Christieanne's suggestions here and I was also going to suggest making it fashion forward by wearing with a V-neck tee. I have a cranberry one I use over a classic white collared shirt and with a couple of sleeveless sheath dresses. Jennifer's styling ideas are excellent and you have two nice ones ready to go.

carter

Veteran

I love the look of them, and I have a few that I really like. Layering has been quite the issue for me the past year or so (overheating), so I find I enjoy them most with a short sleeve or sleeveless top underneath in the Spring/Fall when weather is mild. I tend to button the middle two buttons for a little waist shaping. Loving all the suggestions!

deb

Veteran

I have a few in my closet and was considering purging them. But if I get some flare jeans I think they would look good. Otherwise, I wear my like a top, buttoned up. Never thought of wear them backwards,with the buttons down the back.

Aida

Veteran

As Caro and others have said, the few that I have I wear buttoned up like a knit blouse. None of them are fitted though, they all fit rather roomy. I like to wear them best with wide legs, flares, or BF jeans.

EDIT: Should add that most of mine are v-neck though, I tend to prefer that neckline on myself. For the crew ones, I will leave the top two buttons undone and then fold them over like a collar. A little double-sided tape holds the "collar" ends in place.

shiny

Veteran

I prefer the V-neck versions which are difficult to find right now but it seems to me that the crew neck versions are much more "in" right now -- because crew neck everything is in?

I tend to look awful in crew neck tops, due to short neck, buxom body, missing waist etc etc. I do like putting a crew neck cardigan over top of a crew neck tee or blouse, worn open to create vertical lines that I tell myself are more slimming to the eye.

I also like crew neck cardigan buttoned just at the top most button, the rest worn open, over a flowy blouse.

I have a basic black crew neck cardigan with gold buttons permanently packed in my laptop bag, for work.

If none of the great ideas here appeal to you, and the cardigans are in great condition, then I advise to tuck them away for now -- don't get rid of them. This is a classic that comes back around frequently. I've got a bunch I'm not wearing but I've held on to for same reason. The V-necks, OTOH, all got worn to shreds.

Joy

Veteran

I have purged nearly all of my crew neck cardies and will not buy more because on me, if worn open, the top of the neckline does not stay put as in your photo, but flops around and to the sides, looking messy with the wrong side showing. You might not have this problem or prefer to wear them buttoned, at least the top button. V neck cardies don't do this.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I used to wear one of these almost daily, with a t-shirt, jeans, and clogs. In trying to be more stylish, I have gotten rid of the ones that I felt were the least flattering on me--too unfitted, not hitting at a flattering place on me, etc. There are some really imaginative ways of wearing them that people have come up with here. I'll post a couple of my outfits with them here, for ideas, too.

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Helena

Veteran

What a treasure trove of ideas, thank you all! Firecracker, thanks for sharing your looks, might be recreating the scarf one today (but with jeans!). Thanks one and all for a great list of ideas