A cardigan is a year round closet essential, and there are so many ways to wear them. When you think of a cardigan, you might think of something to wear in the fall or winter. But, they’re actually nice to have in the spring and summer too. Cardigans keep you warm on cooler days, and they’re also the perfect sweater to wear over your dress on a summer night. Cardigans come in all different styles, so let’s look at what to wear with them!
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What to Wear Under Cardigan Sweaters And How To Style Cardigan Outfits
You can wear a lot of different things under a cardigan, ranging from a dress to a tank top to nothing! I love wearing a button up under a cardigan just as much as a fitted tee. The options are endless, and it also depends on what you’re getting dressed to do.
What To Wear Under A Cardigan
Sleeveless Dress
A sleeveless dress is perfect to wear under a cardigan just about any time of the year. I love the idea of a classic black cardigan with any of these dresses, but there are so many options for each dress. You can style them with a cotton cardigan to something warmer – like a wool or cashmere option since they’re reliable cold weather materials. Denim dresses are a great example of a dress that works perfectly under a cardigan.
Fitted Tank Top or Tee
A fitted tank top or t-shirt are my go-to items for what to wear under a cardigan, whether you’re wearing a v-neck cardigan or a crewneck cardigan. They’re easy to layer, they’re always comfortable, and it’s just a reliable outfit. So, if you’re getting dressed in a pinch, a fitted tank top, cardigan of your choice, and jeans, a skirt, or work pants will never fail you! This is one of my favorite outfit formulas. These are my favorite tank tops and t-shirts that I wear all the time.
Mockneck Shirt
A mockneck can add a level of elegance that you don’t always get with a t-shirt, tank top, or long sleeve tee. I love these in the colder days of fall, winter, and early spring. I find these are super easy to style under cardigans since they don’t have sleeves! I wear this grey one under everything, including cardigans, and it also comes in other colors.
Turtleneck
Turtlenecks fit differently under a cardigan than a mockneck for a couple of reasons. First, the turtleneck comes up higher on your neck than a mockneck, but it also means you can roll it down more or leave it higher for warmth. When I think of a mockneck, I typically think of a sleeveless sweater. But, a turtleneck typically has long sleeves, so you’ll want to make sure your cardigan has room for long sleeves!
Silk or Satin Blouse
A silk or satin blouse looks so chic under a cardigan. The blouse I’m wearing below is perfect to style under a cardigan. It’s a lightweight silk blouse, and the scalloped detail around the buttons and collar are basically made to wear under another sweater. I picked the photo below so you can see the details up close!
You can also consider a silk blouse that has a fun bow at the neckline. I especially love this type of look for work! It’s a fun way to add some of your own personal style to a professional outfit.
Button Up Shirt
A button up is another classic option to wear under a cardigan. Button ups come in all different styles, so there’s a button up that will work with just about any cardigan. For example, I love an oversized button up for an oversized cardigan, and a classic fit button up for a boxier cut cardigan. I actually shared more ways to wear this wardrobe staple in my post on how to style a classic white button-up shirt.
Bodysuit
A bodysuit should be easy to style with a cardigan as the whole point is to create smooth lines that you don’t always get when you tuck in other layers.
Nothing At All
I love cardigans with a high v-neck that you can style for date night. They’re perfect for the fall and winter, and you can easily style them with a slip skirt or a pair of jeans.
Outfit Ideas: Six Ideas For How To Style A Cardigan
Simple Tank Top With A Cotton Cardigan
This combination is perfect for spring! There’s nothing better than a cotton sweater when you’re ready to put away your heavy winter sweaters! A simple, fitted tank top is another one of my favorite pieces to wear under any cardigan. It is so comfortable, and it always looks nice. Plus, you can wear any jewelry and accessories with it to elevate the whole look.
This cotton sweater was kindly gifted to me, and I wear it constantly. It’s nice for a lightweight summer layer, and, like I said, it’s perfect for those fall and spring days when you need a layer that isn’t too heavy. I also love the other color options!
Oversized Cardigan and T-Shirt or Button Up
An oversized cardigan is one of my favorite things to wear to feel cozy. In the photo below, I wore a simple t-shirt underneath on a day when it was warm enough to go without a coat. But, I also style this cardigan with a button up. I love the button up fully buttoned for a work look.
My cardigan is old from Bloomingdales’ cashmere line, so I linked a similar one from Quince. I own a couple of Quince cashmere sweaters, and I love them. This one looks just like mine.
Fitted Knit Cardigan for Fall and Winter
A fitted knit cardigan works with everything from a slip dress to jeans. This style is easiest to layer with a tank top, fitted tee, or even a sleeveless mockneck for extra warmth.
Cardigan Jacket to Wear to Work or With Jeans
I recently got this cardigan jacket from Sezane, and it’s absolutely gorgeous in person. It fits like a dream too! I’m looking forward to styling it with jeans, a skirt, and it also goes with work pants. I bought it in the spice color, but I think this navy would be so chic with dark denim!
Leather Cardigan Jacket
Can you think of a better leather jacket than one that doubles as a cardigan? And, you can style so many different styles of tops with it – it will look nice with a button up, a tank top, a long sleeve top, or a fitted sweater. It looks nice with a simple t-shirt underneath, which is how I’m wearing it here, or you can style it totally differently with a sweater.
Long Sleeve Top With An Oversized Cardigan
I threw this outfit on for a busy morning when I just didn’t feel like showering to be honest, ha. You can easily elevate a long sleeve t-shirt, oversized cardigan, and jeans by adding accessories you love. I actually shared more tips on this look in my blog post about how to style a long cardigan.
I recreated this outfit with pieces I love below.
Fitted Dress Under An Oversize Cardigan
This type of look is perfect if you’re pregnant – or not! It’s the same cardigan that I’m wearing above with jeans and loafers, so this type of sweater is quite versatile. I’m wearing an old dress from COS, but it’s just a fitted tank top dress. I found a good option at Quince and it comes in several colors.
How to Choose the Right Layer for Your Cardigan
It’s important to pick the right layer for your cardigan so everything fits comfortably and doesn’t look bulky. For lightweight cardigans, such as cotton cardigans, I typically wear a tank top or fitted t-shirt. They make a great base layer.
If you want to wear a button up or blouse, make sure you choose a cardigan with enough space in the sleeves.
The neckline of your cardigan is almost important. I typically wear a v-neck cardigan with a button up or silk blouse so it all fits easily and you can see the button up. However, I also love to wear a t-shirt or tank top with a v-neck cardigan for a relaxed, casual look.
What to Wear Under a Cardigan by Season
In the spring and summer, tank tops and t-shirts are the best option to wear under a cotton or linen cardigan since they’re so lightweight. You can also style a summer dress with a cotton cardigan or even something a little warmer as the season turns into fall.
Once it’s fall and winter, I typically look for some amount of wool and cashmere in the cardigans I purchase so they’re warm. You can style them with dresses, pants, and skirts!
What Do You Wear Under Your Cardigans?
Let me know in the comments if you found something to wear under your cardigan or what you like to wear with a cardigan the most!
That’s all from me today. For more, see my favorite ways to wear sweater coats!
