Helen Mirren & other Celebs Rock the Cardigan

Helen Mirren & other Fashionistas Rock the Cardigan Throughout the Decades

In a recent article on Style Goes Strong, Gerit Quealy wrote, 'The cardigan may be Helen Mirren's favorite accessory. Looking through the many pictures of her, it's actually hard to find one where she's not wearing one -- unless she's in full gown regalia. But The Queen star finds a way to make the fashion staple look fresh and original in every frame. Here, her shimmering golden yellow sleeveless top is given a slightly sporty edge with a longer cardigan, almost like a letter sweater, but with a more sophisticated stripe.'

And why wouldn't Helen wear this versatile piece.  It is the perfect spring garment to keep out a chill now that it is available in so many different styles and fabrics. 
So what is the origin of the cardigan?  Apparently it was created during the XIX century, by James Thomas Brudenell, in Wales, who took the traditional sweater and opened in front.

Recently it became a fashion statement for men with celebrities such as David Beckham and Jude Law adopting this comfortable item and making it look so good many men followed the trend back in 2008.  No doubt it will reappear on the runways in another few years. One suspects more guys wear one around home throughout the year anyway.

The Evolution of the Cardigan over the past 50 years.
Pauline Weston Thomas chronicled the recent history of the cardigan, detailing how it has evolved to meet the changing whims of fashion:
'In the 1950s twin sets worn with pearls were in every woman's wardrobe. The fully fashioned, classic cardigan, also doubled as a jumper when worn back to front. Natural merino botany wool fibres were soon replaced by versions made of Bri-nylon and later in the acrylics then called Orlon or Acrilan.

In the 1970s the French company Phildar put a shop in most UK high streets and popularised a wide range of textured looped yarns. The knit patterns demanded little more than plain stocking stitch or garter stitch to assure the home knitter success. The textured yarns covered any irregularity in the hand knitting techniques of inexperienced knitters.

In the 1980s drop shouldered highly colour blended wool, silk or cotton cardigans with multi coloured fair isle patterns and pictorial scenes were produced on domestic knitting machines. Small cottage industries produced many of the styles.

The famous white sheep with one black sheep sweater worn by Diana Princess of Wales helped create the fad for picture knits and intarsia sweaters. Commercially made Penny Plain, Laura Ashley or Jumpers knits often hand loomed by low paid domestic workers, were all the rage. One style by Penny Plain knitwear had been worn by Prince Charles when he told a Jackanory story on children's television. Soon after copies of similar fair isle sweaters were everywhere.

Hand knitting also had a surge of popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Kaffe Fassett promoted the use of multi coloured Rowan yarns, including silk and chenille yarns.

Simply shaped dropped shoulder styles were very suited to a shoulder pad and pads were worn in cardigans for about ten years. I cannot help but wonder that the fashion lasted so long because the shoulder pad gave such great support on the hanger for the soft knit fabric!'

By the mid 1990s patterned knitting was superceded by the short, almost shrunken, fully fashioned, body shaped shoulder hugging cardigan in cashmere or cashmere and silk mixes. Worn with dainty strapped dresses it was an attractive fashion particularly on younger girls, but made grown women look somewhat too girlish and too childlike. One very attractive fashion in cardigans in the late 1990s were the various beaded cashmere or embroidered versions which were available very reasonably as products came out of a more commercial China.

Today the cardigan is produced in a wide range of knitting yarns, especially luxury fibre yarns and ribbon yarns. It is also popular when made in sweat shirting fabric, other jerseys and in fleece. All these fabrics lend themselves to the simple cut and the simple cut in turn, lends itself to motif embroidery.

Favourites and Where to buy Them:
Geraldine says that her long cardigans are the staple of her wardrobe and I know she finds them in Country Road and Kimberleys

Raewyn loves a more cropped version available at Veronika Maine at very reasonable prices in a myriad of colours

Share your favourite cardigan styles and where to buy them below: