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The Modern Way to Wear Your Traditional Cardigans

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February 11, 2020
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Hi there and welcome to Spring Trends Week 2020 at Dressed for My Day. We kicked off the week yesterday with a simple but pretty blue jeans outfit, in which I incorporated 5 spring trends. And today I’m sharing the new modern way to style your traditional cardigans. I am so excited about this simple, but oh-so-modern styling hack. This is a great way to make your spring looks very contemporary without buying a single thing!

The Modern Way to Wear Your Traditional Cardigans

I think I actually gave away several of my traditional cardigans at the end of last summer, but now I wish I had them back. I’ve been noticing a new, modern way to wear these simple front button cardigans everywhere from high fashion runways to online storefronts.

The Modern Way to Wear Your Traditional Cardigans

The current trend is to wear your traditional button up cardigan more like a wrap cardigan, tucking in the front in a sort of criss-cross fashion.

The Modern Way to Wear Your Traditional Cardigans

Right now is a great time to practice this new styling hack because you can layer it under a blazer or coat, letting just the front peek through like I have here. That way you’ll have this trend down pat when you pull out your spring cardigans and prepare to wear them with your favorite cropped jeans or denim skirt. You’ll be a trend setter!

The Modern Way to Wear Your Traditional Cardigans

Let’s walk through the simple 1-2-3s of this style hack.

STEP #1 – Pull the button side of your cardigan across your front toward the opposite side and tuck it in neatly. You may or may not tuck the back of your sweater. That’s up to you.

How to do the Styling Hack

STEP #2 – Pull the button-hole side of your cardigan across the front to the other side and tuck it in likewise. Again, you don’t have to tuck in the back if you don’t want. Don’t worry if it feels a little tight.

How to Style the hack

STEP #3 – Now simply zhuzh up the front flap a little, making it look a little more relaxed and effortless. This just takes practice and playing around with the style.

zhuzh it up

I simply wore my button up cardigan over a silky, plain black tank top. You could pull of this look, however, by wearing your cardigan over a sleeveless, short sleeve or long sleeve t-shirt, too.

The Modern Way to Wear Your Traditional Cardigan

But you don’t have to stop there. You can add another modern touch by rolling/cuffing the sleeves of your traditional cardigan a little. Here’s how I rolled up my sleeves so that they look effortlessly chic and stay put.

Step #1 – Double the sleeve up by pulling the hem of one sleeve up and back over the sleeve, as seen below.

Rolling your sleeves

Step #2 – Now pull the folded edge up and back over the folded portion of the sleeve, as shown below.

Rolling your sleeves

Step #3 – Now roll down the raw edge just a little over the new fold.

Rolling your sleeves

Step #4 – Finally pull all of this folded sleeve a little further up your arm, scrunching it a bit as you go. The goal is to create an effortless look (even though it definitely takes a little effort!), but also to lodge the sleeve into place so it doesn’t keep slipping down.

Rolling your sleeves

Do these little styling hacks stretch out your cardigan a little? Yep. So if the thought of stretching out your sweater bugs you, don’t do these. But I see it as a trade off that’s worth keeping my look more modern and interesting.

The Modern Way to Wear Your Traditional Cardigan
The Modern Way to Wear Your Traditional Cardigan

I shared these style hacks with black and taupe so that you could easily see the details in my photos, but you can use these tricks with any color or printed cardigan. This is a great way to make the traditional cardigans in your wardrobe look more contemporary and stylish.

The Modern Way to Wear Your Traditional Cardigan
black tank // similar cardigan // black trousers // similar pumps // blazer // necklace // similar handbag (economical option) // earrings // similar sunglasses // similar belt

Will you try this style hack? Do you have any questions? I’ll do my best to answer. And I’d love to hear what you think of this modern way to wear your traditional cardigans.

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The Modern Way to Wear Your Traditional Cardigans

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Blessed for My Day

Election years make me nervous. But it’s not just the results of the races that put me on edge. I get a little nervous about conversations with people in my life who have different views from mine. You see, I do indeed have people within my own family with varying viewpoints and political affiliations. And these are no black sheep, mind you. These are people I truly love and esteem.

So I’m reminded once again that it really doesn’t matter what I say if I don’t speak with and demonstrate love. In fact, there is no argument or opinion or fact or witty banter more important than expressing love. Love trumps everything else. Let’s be sure to remember that without love we are just noisy gongs and clanging cymbals. And that scripture doesn’t imply that we’re just supposed to speak with love. Instead, we are truly to love the people with whom we disagree. And that love should guide every interaction.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

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xoxo, Kay
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15 thoughts on “The Modern Way to Wear Your Traditional Cardigans

  1. Kay, I am so excited to see this new ‘hack’ for Spring or now! About three years ago I started collecting cardigans in a lot of different colors and patterns and wore them all up until now. But I was getting real concerned that I would look too ‘dated’ if I wore them now or this Spring. I LOVE this new way to style my cardigans! THANK YOU for sharing this with us. I have one question though. All of my nice pants like yours are pull-on’s…..no belt loops so wearing a belt might not work with this hack. I would love your opinion on this and whether or not you think it will work for me. Glad you’ve had such an enjoyable trip to see your parents and have a safe trip home tomorrow.

    1. Hi Sondra. I’m so glad you like this. Yes, I think as long as the pants have a nice plain front (not the elastic look) you can certainly still do this. Have fun with it!

  2. Good morning! This is the coolest new way of wearing a cardigan. I haven’t been wearing mine as much since I lost weight. They felt big and looked like they aged me. Well, I’m all in on what I’m wearing today! Thanks so much.
    Awesome Fashion Hack!

  3. Good morning Kay! Enjoy your final day with your parents. This is a trend that I will have to play with, for sure. I don’t own too many cardigans, but I’m willing to give this hack a try. I pray that your flight home will be uneventful.

  4. Kay—I have never written a comment “on line “ before, but I must tell you that reading your philosophical and spiritual thoughts gives me a sense of calm. I have been so concerned about the anger, fear, ugliness that has been heightened in our country. You have such a thoughtful and gentle way to frame many of the things that concern me. You have been a blessing to me and I thank you.

  5. I LOVE this idea! I still wear cardigan. Don’t care if they are ‘out’. Going to try today! I wore a cardigan to work!

  6. This makes me SO glad I haven’t given away all my shorter cardigans!! You’re brilliant, Kay.
    XOOX
    Jodie
    PS. Funny story. My new blog model, Lesley, texts me the other day saying she found a wonderful new blogger. And she sent me your name and blog. I told her that we had already even met and that yes, Kay is fabulous!! Maybe we should do another collaboration so I can introduce you to my newer readers??

  7. This is new and I’ll certainly give it a try. I might have to resort to a foundation garment to have a flatter tummy but I like the casual way it looks. I expect I’ll just have to try this with a shirt or two as well. You inspire and the message to love in spite of our difference is a good reminder. I’m blessed to be surrounded by friends and family who don’t talk politics.

@dressed_4_my_day