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| Image found at ebay.com |
The history of the Cardigan sweater
dates back to the mid 1800s. A British military commander by the name
of James Thomas Brudenell was the seventh Earl of Cardigan and the
sweater was named after him. The wearing of the Cardigan sweater
during the Crimean War made the sweater popular in culture.
The sweater became ever more popular
with the French and Irish fisherman. The sweater came in handy on the
cold seas.
Both men and women can wear Cardigans.
The man's Cardigan is often referred to as the mandigan. Now the
sweaters are made out of many different materials. The more
traditional materials are wool and cotton that are good for keeping
you warm during the cold seasons. With a Cardigan you can add an
additional look to your outfit; or create an outfit around your
Cardigan. A Cardigan is made by machine or hand knitted. It can be a:
fly away, buttoned, tied, zipped or pulled over. It can have extra
accents of: fur, snaps and sometimes a belt. There are many cuts to
pick from: v-neck, classic jeweled neck, with/without collar and
sleeveless. Cardigans have had a lot added over the years and a lot
of fabric has been taken away too.
There is an old story that goes around
about how a Cardigan once saved a mans life. There was a secret agent
trying to kill a Bulgarian radio editor by injecting him with a
pellet of poisonous Ricin. The secret agents attempt failed because
the Cardigan sweater that the radio editor was wearing was made of a
thick wool. This made me wonder if the radio editor wore this
Cardigan everyday for the rest of his life. Also if the secret agent
acquired a deep dark hatred for the Cardigan.
1865 the letter sweater Cardigan hit
the baseball field of Harvard. 1920's Co Co Chanel created the
collarless Cardigan jacket with matching skirts. 1950's The thin
woolen Cardigan sweater with matching sleeveless pull over and poodle
skirt was a staple of this time. 1990's women wore the Cardigans at
full length and calf length with pants.
