Have you ever wondered why, among so many fanciful names in the fashion world, the cardigan has such a resounding name? It's not the name of a fabric, nor a modern acronym. Instead, it's the legacy of an era of empires, legendary battles, and a hint of aristocratic vanity.
Today we consider it the ideal companion for a cool evening or the symbol of the relaxed "office" look, but its origins are steeped in gunpowder and biting cold.
The Story: A General, a War, and a Practical Need
It all begins in the 19th century with James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan , a British Army general known as much for his difficult character as his impeccable elegance. We are at the height of the Crimean War (1853-1856) .
Legend has it that during the famous (and tragic) Charge of the Light Brigade , the Count and his officers needed a garment that would offer warmth against the freezing Russian winter, but that was less bulky than the heavy military coats. Brudenell had knitted wool vests made, open at the front.
Why open? The answer is purely practical (and a little vain): the Count hated messing up his hair or creasing his expensive uniform by pulling a sweater over his head. Upon his return home, despite the battle's controversial outcome, Brudenell was celebrated as a hero, and his style immediately became trendy. That "collarless" wool jacket officially took his name: the Cardigan.
Curiosity: From the trenches to the catwalks of Paris
If the Earl of Cardigan invented it for men, we owe its transformation into an object of pure style to a woman.
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Coco Chanel's revolution: In the 1920s, women still wore heavy sweaters pulled over their heads. Coco Chanel, tired of messing up her hair every time she got dressed, adopted the men's cardigan, made it more flowing, and paired it with her iconic skirts. It was the birth of the "twin-set."
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The symbol of "Gentle" rebellion: If in the 1950s it was the symbol of the good college boy (the Preppy style), in the 1990s Kurt Cobain transformed it into the symbol of Grunge. Wearing a baggy, worn-in cardigan became an act of rebellion against the perfection of glossy fashion.
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The original name: Before being called a cardigan, similar garments had been worn by French and British fishermen since the 17th century, but they were simply called "mail jackets." It was an earl's inadvertent marketing ploy that gave them the name we use today.