CARDIGANS

This season’s variety of cardigans finds the open-front knit breaking free from the preppy associations that it intrinsically calls to mind. An emerging penchant for asymmetry translates to cropped lengths and artisinal patchworks that tie together a decidedly deconstructed look. Yet even convention-adhering designs follow suit on this unconventional take on the cardigan, offering relaxed, oversized styles alongside more streamlined cuts. Blending varsity signifiers with sportswear-infused stripes, many pieces in this curated selection emphasize the piece’s collegiate connotations. Yet a winkingly geriatric kitsch-factor is brought forth through exuberant graphics, similar to the way colorblocked check patterns accentuate a characteristically playful aesthetic motif. Remaining conscious of the fact that cardigans are often used as a nonintrusive layer piece, this season also pushes reliably straightforward designs that are essential wear for all seasons. By appropriating a sweater variation that has been pigeonholed as having a sort of anti-fashion stance, this latest selection of cardigans hints at a renewed sense of interest in the piece.