Talking about another spring staple that is for sure on my MUST have list: the long cardigan sweater (#obsessed!). If you’ve been following along via instagram (and the blog), then I’m sure you’ve already picked up on how much I love them by the sheer frequency at which I wear them….which is WAY TOO much! But what can I say?! I just LOVE them.

Let’s Talk All Sorts of Cardigan Outfits

It’s no secret that I have too many to count and resort to throwing one on just about every other day (although I don’t always include the cardigan in my #OOTD – it’s in my tote bag though!). As such, I decided that a post covering all sorts of cardigan outfits, showing you how to wear a long cardigan sweater (in spring) would be the perfect opportunity for me to rehash all my recent looks and further convince of the long cardigan’s necessity in your spring wardrobe 🙂 – if I haven’t done that already! hehe

[outfit id=”37244″]

1. Pair your long cardigan sweater with your flared denim or bell bottoms

I challenged myself with this look. Before putting this post together, I knew I wanted to do some sort of round up showing all the different ways you could wear a long cardigan sweater during the Spring months. So in listing out the different ways I’d already styled a long cardigan sweater and brainstorming new ways I wanted to try, one of the combos I wanted to take a stab at was wearing a long cardigan with flared jeans.

In my experience, my go-to with a long cardigan would be to wear it with skinny jeans – like you’ll see in several of the outfits featured in this post. But I had never tried wearing one with flared jeans. I think I avoided the combo because something about it just seemed counterintuitive to me – I guess I thought it would make me look shorter?

But it turns out that the two together actually elongate your figure and make a great combo. This actually explains why it looks so good when I see girls wearing tunic-y tops with flared jeans – its the juxtaposition of the two that play against each other and somehow make the outfit work and flatter your figure at the same time. What do you think? Would you wear your long cardigan with flares?! Give it a shop or let me know if you’ve done it before by commenting below 🙂 [See/read more at the following blog post link: long cardigan and flared jeans outfit]

[outfit id=”37246″]

2. Wear your long cardigan sweater with dark, cuffed skinny jeans and spring wedges

Yep, that’s the same long cardigan sweater but this time I styled it with cuffed skinny jeans (which – if you haven’t noticed – is my everyday GO-TO!). I paired it with a simple white tan (yes, I know I wear this thing way too much!) and layered delicate necklaces with sassy wedges for a casual chic look for running a few errands and then dinner with friends. And let me just warn you, you’re going to see this exact sweater (but in different colors) like WAY TOO MANY times in this post – but I guess that just shows you that I really do wear the things I tell you guys to buy (hehe).

3. Wear a tan (or darker-toned) cardigan with distressed black skinny jeans and leopard accents during those pre-spring/late-winter weeks

In the earlier months of Spring (aka during that super transitional period which is typically February/March down here in Texas), throwing a long cardigan over some black distressed jeans and a white tee makes for the perfect casual chic look. I paired this look with leopard (low heel) pumps and my Chloe ‘Drew’ cross body bag to dress it up a little for a night out with girlfriends. [See/read more at the following blog post link: long tan cardigan and black distressed jeans]

4. Throw your cozy cardigan on over your favorite pair of denim shorts and booties for a transitional spring ensemble

And then during the later months of Spring, I love pairing my denim shorts with a long-ish cardigan and booties to create the perfect in-between looks. The booties are fall/winter (because it’s still a bit chilly outside), yet it’s warm enough to wear shorts, GIVEN you ‘weigh the outfit down’ with a comfy cardigan(if that makes sense to anyone other than the voice in my head?) .

All in all, this look is a total play of fall and spring (and even summer with the jean shorts) staples to create a fun and interesting throw-on outfit for casual errands or even going out with friends (add some earrings and lipstick!) But regardless, I love the mixed and unexpected feel of this look and find myself pairing my jean shorts with cardigan pretty often!

5. Wear your cardigan with a simple striped tee, cuffed skinny jeans and casual closed toe booties

When it’s warm enough to wear short sleeves during the day but you’re adventures are taking you into the night and you know you’ll want a cardigan just in case it gets a bit chilly. You know those days? During late March and April, the weather in Dallas can get pretty finicky and once the sun goes down it can drop about 10 or so degrees depending on how windy/humid it is outside. On this particular day, it felt too chilly to wear open toe sandals, so I threw on my booties. But at the same time, I felt like I could wear short sleeves as long as I had a cardigan to fall back on.

6. Pair your cardigan with distressed jeans, a white tee, and coordinating cognac shoes and tote bag for a pre-spring/late-winter or fall look

This look is suitable for either early Spring or Fall as it has the perfect balance of transitional elements – closed toe booties, distressed jeans, and a light-weight cardigan. I included this in the Spring round up because this look would look just as cute (and maybe a little more fitting for the season) with a pastel or more spring-y colored cardigan. But whatever the color, the feel and look of the ensemble is the same – a white tee and distressed jeans paired with a long, open front waterfall cardigan.

Maybe you already have one in your closet – or something similar? Throw it over your favorite white tee and add a simple gold necklace and booties to finish off the look.

7. Throw a light-weight longer cardigan over your favorite spring dress

During the later months of Spring, I probably wear this combo the most! You know me, I can’t turn down a good swing dress -they’re just SO EASY and so stinkin’ comfortable! And a lightweight (long or short-sleeved) cardigan adds just the right touch to complete the look, making it more interesting and versatile. It would also look really cute with a simple long necklace as well!

8. Pair your long cardigan sweater with skinny jeans, open toe heels and a statement necklace

If you’ve been following for awhile then you’ve probably  noticed that I’ve been wearing this cardigan on REPEAT this Spring and have been throwing it on at any chance I can get! I have it in about 5 colors (you’ll see a few more in this post) and just can’t get enough of it! Here I’ve paired it with a white tank, cuffed jeans and open toe sandals to make the perfect transitional Spring look!

9. Travel chic in your long cardigan with distressed jeans, a simple tank and open toe lace up “shooties”

I wore this look to travel to Mexico back in February. This cardigan is SUPER lightweight but has just enough warmth to make you feel ‘covered’ (aka not as bare as you might usually feel in a thin-strapped tank). And it makes for the perfect laid back, casual look that’s still stylish and put together!

10. Layer your long cardigan over a sweater with white jeans and pointed toe suede pumps in the late winter and early spring months

Longer trench-like jackets can typically serve the same purpose as longer cardigans as they have a similar look to them and can be styled in the same way. I fell in love with this one back in January and wore it SO much – I bundled it up in NYC with lots of layers and then dressed it more appropriately for Dallas Spring in this outfit above. Since it’s got a thicker fabric, jackets like this look fine over a thinner sweater because the materials work together.

A typical long cardigan sweater probably wouldn’t work so well over a regular sweater (like the one I’m wearing in this outfit) because the fabrics would cling and just wouldn’t fall right. But I still wanted to include this in the post because if you have a longer cardigan that’s made of a thicker-ish material, you can still style it in a similar manner 🙂

11. Throw a long cardigan over a tank and skinny jeans completed with a statement necklace for running around town

I wasn’t kidding when I said I had this cardigan in like 5 colors – this is the same one I wore above in coral and in pink with my flared jeans. I absolutely LOVE it and have gotten so much use out of it! Here I am again wearing long sleeves with open-toed shoes – aka the quintessential spring transitional combo!

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12. Add the finishing touch to an all-white monochromatic look with a cream or colored long cardigan sweater

Yep, here we go again with this cardigan! I love it. But my love for this cardigan aside, my styling tip for the look is to pair a colored (even it’s just slightly off white) cardigan over an ALL WHITE look to create a super spring-y look that’s still got a non-summer vibe if you know what I mean? And the cardigan kind of classes up the look a little bit by adding some substance to your outfit. [See/read more at the following blog post link: spring neutrals outfit with cream long cardigan]

While I’ve been dreaming about spring a lot lately, the truth is that winter isn’t going anywhere for quite some time. If you’re like me, by this time of year your sweater collection has been getting a lot of wear. And while you can’t go wrong with the classic sweater + skinny jeans combo, you might be itching for something to spice it up. 

Enter the cardigan. A few years ago I wouldn’t have dreamed of wearing a cardigan. I think I would have actually been purging my closet of my old J. Crew Jackie cardigans. But as always, fashion is cyclical. The cardigan is back. 

The key to making a trend work the second time around is to focus on details that make it feel current. A few tips for how to wear a cardigan without looking like a grandma:

Button it all the way up – Buttoning all the buttons on your cardigan is very on trend right now. Wear it more like a pullover sweater that happens to have buttons, as I did for this post.

Leave a few buttons undone – The key to leaving a few buttons undone is what you’re wearing underneath. Either wear nothing underneath and show a little shoulder skin or wear a matching knit bra a la Katie Holmes. Promise no one will mistake you for a grandma. 

Wear it backward – This is a styling tip I’ve picked up from Sézane. Their website is one of my favorite ways to get french girl styling tips. One look that popped up over and over again? Wearing your cardigan with the buttons down the back. 

Incorporate these current styling tips, and no one will mistake you for a grandma in your cardigan. Instead you’ll be very chic and very 2020. 

 Xx, Kelsey

OUTFIT DETAILS:

Sézane cardigan | J. Crew factory jeans | Marc Fischer boots | Sézane necklace | Ray Bans sunglasses | Henri Bendel bag (they’re no longer in business or I’d link it)

Photography by Sandra Herrero Photography

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I was never a cardigan gal before and often found the style and shapes of many cardigans to be too boxy, unflattering and not something I felt I would get a lot of use out of in my wardrobe. However, over the years I have managed to find a bunch of various cardigan styles that look great, can be styled various ways and are the perfect item to have especially when the cold weather hits. Especially if you live somewhere that doesn’t get super cold, cardigans are a great option as outerwear. They can instantly elevate a look while still keeping you warm and comfortable. I thought I would share different cardigan styles and outfit ideas with examples of how I have worn them in my own life. Some are classic staples while others have a bit of an updated twist to make them more modern and chic.

Cardigan Outfits

There are tons of ways to wear a cardigan but it’s important to decide on a fit and length first. I personally have come to love the more modern cardigans that I’ve seen over the past few years and gravitate towards them because a v-neck neckline is most flattering for me. I have a larger bust and crewneck or turtleneck sweaters can sometimes make it look bigger but a v-neck draws the eyes down and can create a longer line and ultimately slightly smaller appearance of the bust. Cardigans can be great layering pieces over something or wear them alone, dress them up or down and find styles that will be timeless in your wardrobe.

How To Style a Cardigan

Cropped Cardigan Outfit

Cropped Cardigan | Jeans | Shoes | Bag | Sunglasses

Cardigan | Jeans | Flats | Bag | Sunglasses

Cardigan | Jeans | Bag | Boots | Sunglasses

Cropped cardigans are trending right now but they are still a classic style that you can wear for years to come. A simple straight leg jean or wide leg jean pairs so well with a cropped cardigan and even more so if the jeans are high waisted. A pointy toe shoe or ballet flat works though when it gets cold you could easily style this look with boots. If it gets cold, layer a camisole underneath or leave the cardigan open and style with a turtleneck as your first layer. The boxy fit of cropped cardigan sweaters look great with a sleek straight leg jean (or even skinny jeans) but you could also push the envelope a bit and wear them with wide leg jeans or trousers.

Chunky Cardigan Outfit

Cardigan | Skirt | Shoes | Bag | Sunglasses

Cardigan | Jeans | Bag | Shoes | Sunglasses

I love the look of a chunky cardigan and how cozy they can be. For a bit of contrast, wear it with a slim slip skirt as I have shown above. The difference in texture and fit balances out nicely and looks relaxed yet still elevated. A cardigan with jeans will always be a classic look and a simple cream chunky cardigan is a great wardrobe staple. It can be worn year after year regardless of current trends. Right now looser fitting straight leg jeans are very popular and would look great styled with a chunky cardigan. If you want to make the above look suitable for the workplace, swap out the jeans for some trousers and the look is perfect for the office.

Printed Cardigan Outfit

Cardigan (similar) | Turtleneck | Leggings | Boots | Bag (similar) | Sunglasses

I don’t have too many printed cardigans in my closet but I do LOVE all things leopard print. When styling a printed cardigan, I like to keep the rest of the look monochromatic. It’s easy to put together and allows the print to stand out.

Long Cardigan Outfit

Cardigan | Turtleneck | Jeans | Shoes | Bag | Sunglasses

This Mango cardigan has been trending for the past few years and I wasn’t sure such a long cardigan would work on my shorter frame (5’4″), but I finally decided to try it and LOVE IT!!! It’s one of my most worn items in my closet now and am debating getting another color next year. Ha! I did an entire video on Instagram styling it a few different ways but one of my favorite ways to wear it is with a monochromatic outfit like I did with my printed cardigan. Since the cardigan is already long, wearing all one color underneath also creates the illusion of length and it pairs nicely together. The cardigan is nice and heavy so it has been my outerwear of choice recently before the really cold weather hits.

Casual Cardigan Outfit

Cardigan | Sweatshirt | Leggings | Sneakers | Bag | Sunglasses

This is the same cardigan from the last outfit but styled in a more casual way. Wearing a cardigan with sneakers and leggings can often look dated or frumpy but the heavy weight of this particular one drapes nicely. It looks casual and comfy yet still chic and put together.

Striped Cardigan Outfit

Cardigan | Camisole | Jeans | Shoes | Bag | Sunglasses

Frankly, anything with stripes is a YES for me but especially a striped cardigan. As with my other printed cardigan, I like to the keep the rest of the outfit simple. Leave it open which gives the look of a cardigan jacket and is a great alternative to a blazer.

Oversized Cardigan Outfit

Cardigan | Jeans | Shoes | Bag (similar) | Sunglasses

This cardigan isn’t terribly oversized but definitely longer than most of the styles I reach for. For this look, I opted for a slimmer style of denim and went with a longer length which helps to balance out the slightly more oversized fit of the cardigan.