Cardigans and men. Too Mr. Rogers?

Ask A Woman: Can younger guys effectively wear cardigans?

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Beth –

Cardigans are big right now, but recently a female friend made a comment about my favorite cardigan and called it a “Mr. Rodgers Sweater.”  Now I’m second guessing it.  Your thoughts?

– CJ

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Hi CJ,

Much like the man v-neck and whether you can wear a suit (rather than a tux) to your own wedding, I suspect that this topic will have readers feeling very strongly one way or the other.  Sometimes I tread lightly on such dynamic topics, but today is not that day.  Maybe it’s because I’ve not been sleeping well lately; maybe it’s because hell is a Midwestern winter that WILL NEVER EVER END.  Either way, today YOU will follow MY rules, because I am the Ask a Woman woman.

I say yea to the man cardigan.  Yes, it looks like something Mr. Rogers would wear–because he did–but sometimes style is ironic, and hip as a result of this irony.  Sound familiar?  This basically describes the hipster wardrobe.  Newsboy caps, fedoras, heavy-framed glasses, plaid in all its glorious arrangements–these are things Grandpa liked to wear before you put him in a pine box.  The man cardigan says to me: “I am cool enough to not worry about whether I look like an old man in this sweater.  And I’m trying to keep warm in this winter that WILL NEVER EVER END.”

There are many varieties of man cardigan.

• Slim-fitting, high V-neck
• Looser-fitting, deep V-neck
• Heavier, longer, shawl-collar
• The Bulkier Mock-Neck
• Double-breasted
• Striped

The slimmer the fit and thinner the fabric, the better suited for a tall, thin body–think Kenyan marathon runner.  But, if you’re of the stockier persuasion, you can still wear the man cardigan.  Stick with the heavier knits, and be sure you’re buying the right size.  Baggy is just as bad as skintight.  Finally, a salute to The Dude–founder, protector, and warrior of the poorly-worn man cardigan.  There’s no one we’d rather have a White Russian with, but we don’t want your wardrobe, Dude.

–Beth

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