THROW ON A CARD- AGAIN

OF ALL OF THE ITEMS in one’s wardrobe, the cardigan is the one that gets an unfair amount of flack. Cashmere sweaters are considered luxuriously comforting. A cashmere mididress is chic. A cashmere coat? Even chicer. So why does the cardigan denote frump rather than fashion?

Even the word ‘cardigan’ is schlumpy. It conjures up mental images of the depressed mum in About A Boy, singing Killing Me Softly with her eyes closed. But the new way to cardi is far from bleak. Think Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl – fag-in-hand and super-cool, rocking her beige cardi in a sea of power suits.

This season, the cardigan is reborn in bright hues and with jazzy details that include embellishment (Preen Line) and logos (Balenciaga). Gucci reinterpreted it as a preppy, collegiate button-up, while Burberry did a universally flattering, oversized dressing-gown version – ideal for a Sunday when you’ve overdone it on the roast. Elsewhere, Christopher Kane made it sexy, with cut-outs and peekaboo shoulders.

As with everything, styling is key. Dare to pair with tonal Crayola-coloured trousers for a punchy take on office dressing. For something more everyday, team a cropped version with a slinky pleated midiskirt and sneakers. Or belt it up and style with jeans. Match your long cardi-coat to your dress, as seen at The Row and Gabriela Hearst, or simply throw an old one around your shoulders, ideally at a jaunty angle, as a trans-seasonal extra layer. Cosy, often cute, and always multifunctional – it’s time to lift the cardi ban.