The One Piece That Completely Changed How I Think About Getting Dressed

Last summer I was late to a wedding in Vermont (shocking, I know). Rushing into my hotel room in my boxer shorts and half-buttoned dress shirt, I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten my tie. Standing in front of my suitcase, wondering if maybe it would magically appear like Mary Poppins’ carpetbag, I remembered that the invite clearly said “cocktail attire” and specified ties were required.

Going tie-less was just not going to happen. Throwing on a hotel robe, I started knocking on neighbours doors hoping someone my age kept spare ties. At the third door, a guy named Paul answered with not only spare ties but options.

Stretched out on his bed were four different knots to choose from when something in his closet caught my eye. “Oh snap, is that a shawl-collar cardigan you got hanging?” I asked him, forgetting my predicament entirely. “Yeah man,” Paul replied, patting the bulky navy knit hanging next to him. “Best damn thing I ever bought. I probably wear it four out of five weeks between September and April.” I took his burgundy knit tie (which matched perfectly with my navy suit, thanks Paul) but that cardigan stayed on my mind long after the wedding weekend was over.

Here was this apparently normal guy (IMO Paul didn’t look like a “fashion guy” at all, he just struck me as a regular dude) rocking what is now, in my opinion, the most underrated menswear piece out there.

I’m talking about seriously underrated. I’m not talking about some cheap knit that falls apart after a few washes or one of those “business cardigans” that are so thin you might as well skip wearing one. I’m talking about a quality mens wool cardigan that can take the place of a sport coat, layer under a winter coat or even substitute for a jumper on chilly days.

Dress jeans up or chill down dress trousers. Throw it over a t-shirt for evenings out and layer under a sport coat for anything in between. I genuinely believe this “third piece” solves about 75% of “what the hell should I wear?” dilemmas men run into weekly.

I’ve spent the past few years analysing menswear, talking to guys about <a href=”https: //joewears.co.uk/the-80-20-rule-applied-to-mens-style-the- few-things-that-make-the-biggest-difference/”>what they wear day to day</a>, and compiling outfits from real men with real lives (and not just celebrities or fashion week influencers) and I’m convinced this largely forgotten piece deserves a much bigger spot in most American guys’ closets. Maybe 10% of men own a jumper/cardigan like this and half of those don’t wear it often enough. The size and fit of a substantial cardigan bridges the gap between being underdressed and over dressed.

Let me explain why more guys should own at least one in their wardrobe. Number 1: they solve almost every style problem we have as men. Guys struggle to find outfits that feel somewhat versatile.

Too many times we end up wearing athletic clothes that are casual but never feel intentional, or suits that are intentionally but rarely appropriate for anything outside of work. Shawl-collar cardigans live in that happy medium. They feel intentional, but aren’t so dressy that they limit your venues or activities.

Think of how many semi-formal environments you go to each year that autumn into “nice jeans are fine but wearing a t-shirt looks like you didn’t try” or “wearing a blazer would be too much but you can’t wear tee and shorts.” That covers almost every social setting for most men. Invite you guys to raise your hand if you don’t have at least one of those nights every month. Layer a cardigan over an oxford shirt and dark jeans with boots and you’re covered for dinner at any restaurant that’s not super high-end, parent teacher conferences, casual Friday at the office, Saturday night parties, and probably a hundred other in between situations where men underdress or just throw on blazers that feel too stuffy.

My friend Eliot is a high school vice principal who swears by his cardigan rotation. “The cardigan is like having a sport coat without looking like you’re going to a job interview,” he said. “I need to present a level of professionalism with students and parents but the second I wear a blazer I feel like I can’t really connect with anyone. The cardigan hits that sweet spot where I look put together but friendly and approachable.” This versatile factor even applies to moving between activities throughout your day. Business day turns into happy hour?

Easy, just ditch the tie and sport coat and keep the cardigan on. Daytime barbecue turns into evening hang? Swap out your shirt and cardigan is instantly takes your outfit to the next level.

It’s that classic “third piece” that makes your shirt-and-trousers combination look intentional rather than sloppy. Number 2: they work in pretty much every season. In the United States we suffer through wild swings in temperature year-round.

Half your Saturday mornings are either too cold or too warm for the clothing you have to wear to work that day. Enter your beloved jumper/cardigan to save the day. This substantial knit absolutely shines during the transitional months where it’s too warm for your winter coat, but cool shirtsleeves just won’t cut it.

My buddy Trevor is an architecture professor in Chicago. He used to despise spring and autumn. “Every March and April I would either be freezing or sweating,” he told me. “There would be days where I was both because temperatures would swing 40 degrees!” Rather than wear heavy clothes he was too warm in all day, Trevor started wearing a cardigan as a mid-layer he could add and remove as the day wears on. Beyond just moving through a day, they’re great for adapting to the seasons as they change.

Over a sport coat and jeans in autumn and spring. Under a topcoat come wintertime. God forbid you find a jumper that actually keeps you warm in southern California, toss it on without anything else for those miserable cool days in spring/ autumn.

Number 3: they fit the rarely talked about “comfortable but not lazy” niche. We’ve all grown more comfortable in our style as men over the past few years. Part of that is a good look, we shouldn’t feel like we need to dress up to just leave our houses.

But we’ve also got lazier. There’s so many days where I catch myself wearing something that just looks like I threw on the first thing I saw. A quality wool cardigan offers the very best of both worlds.

It fits that sweet spot of comfortable but doesn’t look like you crawled out of bed. “My wife used to get pissed because anytime we wanted to do something after work I’d change into sweatpants,” Marcus, who works in commercial real estate in Atlanta, told me. “There was no middle ground, I either wore a suit all day or was going to be changed when I got home. Now I wear jeans and a cardigan to work on days we want to go do stuff after. Comfortable enough that I don’t feel the need to curl up on the couch when I’m finished working, but still nice enough that we can head out to a restaurant or see friends without worrying.” Wear your wool cardigan as often as you’d wear a jumper.

So if it’s such an amazing garment why doesn’t every American guy own one? Well there a few barriers I think: Association with “old people” and hipsters. There’s this strange image we have of cardigans being worn by either grandpas with pancake stomachs or dudes that sit at coffee shops all day playing guitar.

Truth is, a quality cardigan worn on a dude of average build just screams “nice jumper.” Ask my buddy Ryan who avoided them for years. “I pictured someone like my Grandpa wearing cardigans,” he said when I asked why he stayed away for so long. Once he bit the bullet and tried on a well fitted deep navy version he was sold. “Oh wow this isn’t fluffy and old looking at all,” was his reply. Lesson here: if you’re skinny or average build no one is going to think you look like your Grandpa wearing a cardigan.

Cheap versions have turned guys off. To keep with the grandfather theme: I know grandpas that have kept closets full of ugly jumper/cardigans given to them by relatives every Christmas since the 1970’s. Sadly those stretchy, thin assed cardigans are what most men think of when they consider whether they “want a cardigan.” One trip to that land of fleece meals and you’re cured of ever wanting one again.

Trust me, quality cardigans exist now that will work for your daily wear. Marketing of cardigans is awful. When was the last time you walked into Nordstrom and saw a mannequin sporting a jumper/cardigan?

Folded on a display table next to polo shirts and khakis? That’s how most department and menswear stores present them. You literally can’t picture someone wearing it based on how it’s displayed, guaranteeing most guys won’t try one even if they like the style and material.

So what makes a quality jumper that doesn’t scream “death by granny?” Well, a few key features that I look for in every cardigan I own: Substantial weight. You want this thing to be thick and somewhat heavy. When you pick it up it should feel like it actually has some heft to it.

99% of the time this means wool, wool blend, or heavy cotton. No polyester, no thin fabrics that look like bed sheets. Cheap cardigans feel thin and it shows in how they drape when worn.

Trust me you don’t want a cardigan that looks like you could store it in your back pocket. Look for the shawl collar. This style detail is what allows the cardigan to be so versatile.

Traditional collar on a cardigan lays flat against your neck. A shawl collar rolls around your neck like the lapel on a blazer jacket. It creates a nice frame for your face when wearing the cardigan buttoned and still looks great open.

Ensure the shawl collar actually stands up when buttoned and lays smooth when unbuttoned. If it doesn’t fit snug enough to do this you’ll constantly be adjusting it and it won’t look as nice when worn. Make sure it fits well.

This should be trim enough to wear under a coat without bunching up, but roomy enough that you can wear a shirt and maybe even a lightweight jumper underneath. The shoulders should rest directly on your shoulders, not hang down past them. Length should cover your waistband, but not extend too far past the bottom of your fly.

Too short and it will look like it shrunk in the wash, too long and it will look sloppy. Bonus points for detail touches. Double reinforced button holes that won’t stretch out over time, ribbed cuffs and bottom hem to keep its shape, button placket that lays flat against your body.

Small accents like leather buttons, elbow patches, or contrast stitching can add personality without being too costume like. Start with solid neutral colours. Your first jumper/cardigan should be something you can literally wear with anything else in your closet.

Navy, charcoal and deep burgundy are my go-tos. You can split patterns and bright colours for jumper #2 and #3 after you’re convinced it’ll get enough wear. You can spend basically any amount of money on a jumper.

Don’t bother going cheaper than $75, you start to see major drop offs in materials and construction below that price point.

I find $150-300 to be the sweet spot for most brands. You start to enter legitimately luxury pricing above $300 with brands like Drakes or Eric John but their jumpers are made from cashmere and other expensive fibres.

My personal favourite for bang for your buck is Wallace & Barnes that J. Crew sells. It’s consistently one of the highest rated and best looking for the price you pay.

If you’re looking to splurge I always recommend Drakes, their materials and construction are top notch. Waiting for off-season sales is your friend if you don’t want to spend too much. Both Bonobos and Banana Republic have some great jumper options that drop to about $100 during season clearance.

Now go out and buy a jumper/cardigan and immediately put it to the test. How many times can you wear it between autumn and spring? I can promise you’ll be blown away at the versatility and wondering why you didn’t buy one sooner.