Chic AND Cozy: Fall’s Best Cardigans

One of my favourite items to wear throughout fall and winter is a big, cozy cardigan. Not only is it ridiculously comfortable and warm, cardigans – if chosen in the right shape and style – can be an easy way to make any outfit look chic and pulled together. Wrap one over a tank or long-sleeved top, leggings and boots and you have a stylish go-to outfit for the cooler seasons. It’s practically a uniform for me sometimes (yeah, I sacrifice variety for comfort a LOT)!

I scoured the online stores this week for the best of fall’s cardigans, in a range of budgets and styles. The one common denominator is that all of these cardigans come from clothing companies that have promised customers they do not use or support the use of fur in fashion (except the Etsy find, which may well be fur-free but the designer didn’t state for sure!). That’s always a big plus for me!

Working our way from frugal finds to more expensive splurges, here are my faves this season:

• Forever 21 Ethnic Print Cardigan, $34.80

Photo from Forever21.com

Prints are still huge for fall, whether geometric or ethnic prints like Navajo. I love that this cardigan stands out because of its print but is still in neutral tones so can be paired with bright colours (see the model’s red pants as an example!)

• H&M cardigan, $34.95

Photo from hm.com

I love how funky H&M have gone with this cardigan. I would never think of buying a cardigan in these colours but what a great way to brighten up fall. And at that price, why not?

• Guess Lauryn striped cardigan, reduced to $59.99 from $89.99 (on both Canada and US sites)

Photo from Guess.com

Love the stripes, love the colours – instant chic and a great way to brighten up an otherwise neutral outfit (pair with jeans, leggings, and tops in white, grey or black). Accessorize with a big chunky ring and a cute knit hat!

• Express Metallic Cable Knit Cocoon Sweater Coat, reduced to $61.60 from $88

Photo from Express.com

This is the classic sweater cardigan in a great neutral shade. It looks soft, comfortable and classy, so it can be dressed up or down! Love it, and love that it’s on sale!

• Sandmaiden (on Etsy), PLIE wrap cardigan in French terry, $80

Photo from Etsy.com/shop/sandmaiden

Sandmaiden has an awesome shop on Etsy; she handcrafts everything from natural fibres and LOOK at this cardigan! It’s adorable! I love the button closure and the way it wraps creates a universally flattering effect. I also love the off-the-shoulder look which the designer herself said was inspired by Flashdance (hence the Plie name of the cardigan – it’s a dance-inspired look, and we all know how much I love that!)

• BCBG Kattianne Signature Cardi-Wrap, $116.20, reduced from $166

Photo from bcbg.com

Oh how I love BCBG. I am a huge fan of their dresses, and always hit up their store (usually their outlet store, where you can get amazing bargains!) for a dress when I have a special occasion coming up. They just know how to design in a way that really flatters women’s bodies! But I have never tried their sweaters out, so I had fun browsing their selection this fall. This is such a great sweater – as its name suggests, it’s both a cardigan and a wrap, so you get the best of both worlds and this could easily go with you on a fancy evening out or just over loungewear while you’re relaxing at home!

QUESTIONS

• What’s your favourite cardigan/sweater from this collection?

I think my favourite has to be the Express cardigan because I feel like I would get the most wear out of it – casual or dressy, and the colour goes with everything!

• Is it important to you to try to shop at stores that don’t support the use of fur in fashion?

I would never buy fur and try really hard to avoid shopping at stores that support it (the only reason I might shop there is if I didn’t know!). I also really try to avoid buying leather products wherever possible.