The Best Cardigans, According to People Whose Taste We Trust

It’s difficult to find cardigans under $50 (unless they’re on sale), so I was eager to test Uniqlo’s ultra-fine merino-wool cardigan, which retails for exactly $49.90. The length is on the shorter side, but it’s not cropped, and I’d say it falls somewhere between boxy and fitted. I own the off-white color, which is slightly sheer, but that doesn’t bother me, as I often layer it over a T-shirt or tank top. The material is smooth and not scratchy, and it washes very well, especially considering the relatively low price point.

For a super-simple, all-cotton cardi, this is our kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman’s pick. She says the fit and length are great: “I can fully button and tuck it into high-waisted pants, or keep a couple of buttons open over a skirt or pants.” Wartzman describes the 100 percent cotton material as soft and good quality, and though it’s lightweight, she says it still feels substantial.

This classic number from J.Crew Factory is 100 percent cotton and a favorite of personal stylist and Kule content director Elizabeth Cardinal Tamkin. “You can pair it with the little shell underneath to make a cute little sweater set,” she points out.

The author of the newsletter The Corner Booth, Tamkin likes to go for cardigans that are made with natural materials — as in cotton, wool, cashmere, or silk — because she often wears them without anything underneath. Gap’s CashSoft cardigan is made with over 50 percent cotton, plus 47 percent nylon, which makes it the perfect weight for wearing alone as a shirt, Tamkin says. “And it’s machine-washable and maintains its quality,” Tamkin told me, adding that hers hasn’t pilled and still looks perfect.

After hearing Tamkin’s review of the CashSoft Cardigan, I reached out to a Gap brand representative to test a sample. They told me that the CashSoft knit is a proprietary fabric that offers the feel and weight of traditional cashmere but is easy to care for. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say it feels exactly like cashmere (Tamkin agrees), it does offer a similar softness and airy weight, but with more durability. It’s become a mainstay in my closet because it’s so cozy and plush against my skin, and I never get sweaty while wearing it.

Tamkin also recommends Boden’s Catriona cardigan, which has a high percentage of cotton and comes in a slew of colors. Her styling tip: Layer two of the cardigans in different colors.

Our junior writer Bella Druckman picked up this cable-knit cardigan earlier this fall and has been wearing it at least once a week since — she especially loves to pair it with her red mary janes from Madewell. Druckman says she’s gotten tons of compliments on the sweater, and though she has sensitive skin, the material never feels itchy. As for fit, the hemline hits at the waist, right where high-waisted pants end (though, Druckman notes, she does have a shorter torso).

It’s virtually impossible to talk about cardigans without mentioning Parisian-chic brand Sézane. The brand’s Gaspard cardigan is their signature cut, with a round neckline and light rib-knit. Joy Asibey-Gabriel, founder of the styling company Black Lady of Leisure, loves that it can be worn two ways: as a cardigan with the mother-of-pearl-effect buttons at the front or as a sweater with the buttons down the back. She’s partial to the cherry-red color. “I’d pair this with high-rise, wide-leg jeans in a dark wash and a red lip,” Asibey-Gabriel adds.

I wanted to test out Sézane’s cardigans myself, so I called in this chunky Emile cardi. It’s made with alpaca and wool and features the most delightful puffy sleeves. The oversized silhouette makes it an excellent layering piece that can be dressed up or down. I often pair the Emile with wide-leg trousers when I’m grabbing dinner with a friend or over a T-shirt and leggings if I’m running out to the grocery store.

Our senior editor Hilary Reid has owned this cardigan for a few months now and says it’s a great option if you’re looking for a lightish sweater that doubles as a dinner top. It features a dropped silhouette through the shoulder with slightly oversized sleeves, and it’s fitted through the entire waist area. “The fitted bottom makes it feel a bit dressier and less bookish than your average cardigan,” Reid told me. “It makes it easy to wear untucked with skirts or wool pants.”

“When I first got Alex Mill’s Rollneck cardigan last year, I had no idea that it would become such a staple in my wardrobe, but through multiple seasons, it’s become a must-wear,” says brand consultant Aemilia Madden. Madden says it’s the perfect medium weight to make it versatile: “I can layer it under jackets when the weather is cooler, but I also recently wore it on the plane to Tokyo and have tied it over my shoulders for windy beach days.” It has a lot of buttons, so Madden says she’s not inclined to wear it undone as often as she might with other cardigans, but she loves the slightly relaxed fit and the roll-neck, which pops out from underneath a collar. “My cardigan is red, but at the moment, the navy and white would make for great everyday neutral options,” Madden adds.

Reid is also a fan of this Alex Mill piece and says that it was her most-worn cardigan through the fall and that she’ll be layering it right into winter. The cashmere-cotton blend means it’s perfect for 50- to 60-something-degree days in the fall, and the buttons are spaced closely together so you can adjust them based on exactly how much skin you want to show, according to Reid. “It’s truly something that when it’s in the laundry, I can’t wait for it to be clean again because I’m so eager to wear it,” Reid says.

Reid was sent this Quince cardigan to test and has been impressed by the quality, especially considering the price point. She describes the cashmere as “thick and luxurious” and says it “feels very put-together to wear — almost blazer-esque but still casual — and has an elegant cut.” If you’re not sure what to pair with this number, Reid wears hers with jeans and corduroys, but her favorite way to style it is with structured knit pants, which she says creates an ’80s-inspired head-to-toe knit-suiting look.

The sweater section at Reformation has tons of excellent cashmere pieces, and after testing this cardigan, I know I’ll be going back to try more styles soon. It’s a great mid-weight to get you through the chillier months of the year, and the cashmere, which is 95 percent recycled, isn’t overly delicate or flimsy. It’s incredibly soft, and I love that the relaxed fit makes it easy to layer over a thin turtleneck or long-sleeve T-shirt. I went for my usual size small and would say this definitely runs true to size.

With a similar round neckline to the Reformation piece above, this cardigan offers a slimmer silhouette. Reid has owned hers for around six years and says it’s really ideal if you want something that you can wear on its own as a top. “The cashmere is thick and warm but not so substantial that you can’t tuck this one into a pair of jeans easily,” she explains, adding that she has the navy but would absolutely buy it in more colors. “It’s just a perfect, basic, reasonably priced cashmere cardigan.”

Babaà has been a buzzy brand for a few years — and especially so this year on TikTok around Black Friday — so it’s only fitting that one of the brand’s beautiful knits made this list. Our writer Dominique Pariso owns this 100 percent wool cardigan and says the fabric has never been an issue for her as long as she wears a T-shirt underneath. Pariso, who’s five-foot-six, says it’s cropped on her, which is something to keep in mind fit-wise. And because it has slightly shorter sleeves, she likes to style it with a long sleeve of a different color.

[Editors’ note: Babaà lists its prices in euros, so this is an approximation to U.S. dollars.]

“I never grew out of my ’90s obsession with roll-necks and cable-knits, but I think it has served me well,” says Hannah Selinger, author of the forthcoming memoir Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly. Her pick is this chunky Quince cardigan, which Selinger says goes well with anything from casual shirts to more tailored blouses: “Ditto for trousers and jeans since the ’90s mom look is enjoying a revival — lucky for me, a 2024 mom.” She also appreciates that it’s made with cashmere — Mongolian baby cashmere, to be exact — which “never goes out of style” and makes this cardigan a “multi-season essential.” Selinger says you can’t go wrong with this soft, easy-to-incorporate, and wardrobe-flexible piece.

Another one of Selinger’s favorites is this Tory Burch cardigan. “Black is one of my essential wardrobe colors (no surprise there), and this piece is great for throwing on over a T-shirt or for wearing as a solo piece,” she says. The buttons are on the more formal side, giving this one a dressier look, so Selinger says she likes to keep it handy if she’s wearing a dress on a cool fall evening.

This Ulla Johnson design “balances peekaboo sexy with a prim and proper silhouette,” says Asibey-Gabriel. She loves the soft knit cables — a blend of baby alpaca and merino wool — and the romantic blousy sleeves. The Haley Cardigan also has mother-of-pearl buttons and is available in black, ivory, and lavender.

If you’re looking for more cashmere, &Daughter’s is a favorite of Tamkin’s. This cardigan is made with a fine cashmere yarn that’s blended with cotton to offer extra breathability. Given the steeper price tag, the Enya cardigan is certainly an investment piece, but Tamkin says, “The cashmere quality is great, and I very much love the fun colors.” She owns the purple colorway.

Reid was gifted this cardigan by Emma Rothkopf, and while the price is on the steeper end, she does think it would be worth it if you’re looking to splurge. It’s made of undyed wool and has a slightly chunky and cropped silhouette, which Reid says looks almost like a little jacket in the best way. “It feels handmade and truly special — it would be a really lovely gift for the person, say, who has been collecting Babaà sweaters for years,” Reid notes.