Women's Light Cardigan

By Crystal Schwanke

A women's light cardigan can polish off any look and be worn during any season.

How to Wear a Women's Light Cardigan

You can wear a women's light cardigan during any season. It's a great layering piece and is easy to carry around in case you find yourself in an overly air-conditioned venue during the summer months.

In the Fall

At the beginning of fall, you'll find that you're not yet ready for a coat, hoodies aren't always dressy enough, and your thin long-sleeved shirts aren't quite cutting it either. A light cardigan is the perfect piece to layer over a fitted shirt that is either sleeveless or sleeved. Toss on a lightweight scarf for extra warmth without all the bulkiness of winter clothing.

Shirts that don't have a lot of buttons or other embellishments work best under light cardigans because the thin material on the cardigan may tend to show every bump on the shirt underneath. Plan to layer relatively simple pieces with your cardigan for the best results. If you're not quite ready to let go of those summertime camisoles, tanks, and tube tops, cardigans will help you extend your wardrobe a few more months.

In the Winter

Unless you live in the south, you probably laugh at the thought of just tossing a light cardigan on and heading out. However, for a woman, a light cardigan can be the perfect thing for adding some color to an outfit and layering under a heavier coat. It could also be the perfect in-between zone once you get to your destination. Who wants to sit down to a big meal, for example, in a puffy coat? You can layer a light cardigan between a fitted long-sleeve tee and your coat and maintain a little extra warmth without looking and feeling as if you're all bundled up. If you tend to wear a lot of dark colors during the winter, a light cardigan and a colorful scarf can keep you from looking (and maybe even feeling) too glum.

In the Spring

In the spring, light cardigans make a welcome appearance as an outer layer over tanks and fitted tees. You can wear them with jeans and heels for a day or night out or you can wear them to work with your slacks. Feel free to dress them up or down with chunky necklaces and your favorite earrings, especially when it's warm enough to leave even the lightweight scarves at home. Pastel colors and lighter neutrals will be the ones to scream, "It's spring!" the loudest, but if you have darker cardigans or jewel tones in your closet, bring those out, too.

In the Summer

In the summer, you may want to avoid layers as much as possible. However, if you work in an environment where the boss is always warmer than everyone else and cranks up the air conditioner, or you frequently find yourself in restaurants or nighttime summer parties wishing you had a thin cover-up, the light cardigan is ideal--especially in a bright color. It's dressy enough for most occasions, but not so dressy that you can't throw it on over a tank top or camisole worn with your faded, ripped blue jeans.

Find Your Light Cardigan

Women's light cardigans can be found in almost any type of store that sells women's clothing, from Target to Nordstrom. Some stores to browse online to get an idea of how many styles, colors, and fabrics are available include:

There's no real risk to stocking up on light cardigans because they're such a classic layering piece. Unless you choose one with an unusual shape or embellishments, there's a good chance you'll be able to wear your cardigans year after year with good care.