Cashmere cardigans
Cashmere cardigans have been a fashion staple in both men's and women's wardrobes for decades and with so many different styles, colours and sizes on offer at Pure Collection, it's easy to see why they are a time-honoured choice finding favour among a wide range of ages. From designer to high street collections, cashmere cardigans are continually reinvented spawning an array of designs that include twin-sets, capes and boleros, patterned and embroidered styles and hip-hiding maxi lengths. Although cashmere cardigans enjoy surges of increased popularity from time-to-time they've long remained a must-have wardrobe addition.
The origins of the cardigan can be traced back as far as the 1700s, when Thomas Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, led the Charge of the Light Brigade into battle. Brudenell's army officers were said to have worn long sleeved knitted worsted military jackets, which were trimmed with fur or braid down the front. The garment became known as the cardigan, and was found to be so useful that army officer's wives back at home knitted a version of it, featuring a buttoned band down the centre and long sleeves.
By the 1950s the cardigan had become a quintessential fashion staple for well-to-do women, with the twin-set (worn with pearls) firmly fixed as the favoured style. The coveted status of cashmere, which was assured because of its high value, led to the rise of the cashmere cardigan as the ultimate in luxury. The fact that it was not available to all further added to its appeal. In the 1970s the French company Phildar opened its UK high street chain of shops selling textured looped yarns along with knitting patterns including those for the cardigan, and home knitting became a popular hobby among women. Highly coloured and patterned cardigans were de rigueur in the 1980s and the shoulder pad made an (all be it brief) entrance in the ever-changing world of cardigans before being superseded by figure-hugging styles in cashmere or cashmere mixes. Today, while the cardigan is produced in a huge variety of yarns from luxury fibres like cashmere to jersey and even fleece fabrics, it's the cashmere version that consistently remains the most covetable and desired.
Pure Collection's range of cashmere cardigans offers something for everyone, from classic and timeless pieces to in-vogue seasonal trends and high quality items for occasional wear. Whether you're looking for this season's long, hip-hiding cardigan to wear in the office with jeans, a pair of smart black trousers or a miniskirt; a short cashmere cardigan to throw over a sleeveless shift dress, Grace Kelly style; a classic v-neck cashmere cardigan to team with a frock; or simply a cashmere twin-set cardigan to pack in your suitcase for weekend daywear, cashmere cardigans are great for layering as well as for dressing up (and down) as the mood takes you. For a light sporty look simply tie a striped cashmere cardigan at the waist, or, if forties glamour appeals, how about the all-American staple of a cashmere cardigan teemed with a maxi skirt?
Few garments make the wearer feel as comfortable and relaxed, yet at the same time as understatedly stylish as a cashmere cardigan and, when bought from Pure Collection, the cashmere cardigan will, without doubt, be of the highest possibly quality, providing a much-treasured keepsake that will last and keep looking good for years.
