A cardigan is a knitted woolen sweater that you can fasten at the front with buttons or a zipper.

Cardigans are knitted garments that have an opening at the front. They are, in essence, under the sweater category. The only difference is that they have an opening at the front which can be closed through buttons or zippers. Most modern cardigans don't even have buttons or zippers and are designed to simply hang open.

Winter is here and layering pieces such as cardigan sweaters are pulling us back into their orbit. Rooted in practicality and function, this sweater style is a wardrobe must-have.

The cardigan was named after James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British Army major general who led the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. It is modelled after the knitted wool waistcoat that British officers supposedly wore during the war.