The Best Men's Cardigan Sweaters Are the Ultimate Layering Hack

Your grandpa's go-to knit is the biggest team player in menswear.
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The best men's cardigan sweaters have wildly enduring, multi-generational appeal. What's the one thing Arnold Palmer, Kurt Cobain, and Young Thug can all agree on? Cardigans are dope as all hell. Grab a thin dressy cardigan, and it turns a boring old suit into the nattiest three-piece you own. Throw on a gigantic, freaky patterned take, and you're instantly vibing out with Dude-level chill.

With plenty of options that range for well under a $100 to ones that require a bit more investment, there's a cardigan with your name on it. Maybe you're still riding the minimalist wave, great opportunity to lean into solid hues and funky textures crafted from the likes of cotton, merino wool and buttery smooth cashmere that won't overpower your understated vibe. But if you're looking for your fit to be as loud as your personality then there are plenty of patterned picks that don't hold back.

And no matter where you land between those two extremes, the best cardigans will make whatever you're wearing—whether it's a graphic tee and Dickies or a slim turtleneck and trousers—feel a little more considered and dignified and just plain cool. To help you reach that higher plane of fit-dom, we've assembled a roster full of winners—the very best men's cardigan sweaters, thank you very much—to button up in from now till the end of time.


The Best Cardigans Shopping Guide


The Best Really-Feeling-Yourself Cardigan

Marni

Striped Cardigan

There's no better introduction to Francesco Risso's vision for Marni than the brand's consistently excellent knitwear, a fixture of NBA tunnels and high-flying fit pics since the designer introduced them. Though it might conjure images of a certain ‘90s-era grunge icon, its made-in-Italy pedigree is better suited to swanky night outs than mosh pits (but if you do decide to freak it over a white tee and your best hanging-on-for-life ripped jeans, we certainly won’t hold it against you). If you want a cardigan that feels as cozy as it looks—and will earn you knowing nods from jawnz enthusiasts on the street—this fuzzy mohair joint is just the ticket.

The Best Hulked-Out Cardigan

Drake's

Drake's Lambswool Shawl Collar Cardigan

In the days of #menswear 1.0, few pieces signaled your commitment to quality threads quite like a chunky shawl-collar cardigan (and, like, the weight of the selvedge denim you paired it with). So if the mere sight of this beefy wool style from Drake's has you scrambling to repress images of Steve McQueen, chill: a decade-plus after Tumblr's heyday, the shawl-collar cardigan still feels like a piece that belongs on menswear's Mount Rushmore. Sure, this ribbed beauty costs as much as some coats, but it's also one of the few cardigans you can bet will remain a go-to in your rotation while other styles cycle through.

The Best Thoroughly Right-Now Cardigan

Corridor

Corridor Hand Crochet Knit Cardigan

We're not sure when, exactly, the sickest sweaters on the market started looking a whole lot like your aunt's quarantine knitting projects, but we're not complaining about it. Corridor's cardigan is handmade in Peru out of super high-quality cotton and done up in a pattern inspired by the type of vintage blankets you remember hunkering down in on visits to said auntie's house over the holidays. If you're looking for a sweater that offers all the comforts of a home-cooked meal coupled with the swaddling powers of a well-worn family afghan, this is the one to reach for.

The Best Anti-Itch Cardigan

J. Crew

J.Crew Heritage 14 oz. Fleece Cardigan

We love cardigans of all kinds—alpaca, cashmere, and mohair, oh my!—but nothing quite beats the lounge-around coziness of fleece. J.Crew's is made from the same stuff as the brand's premium run of sweats, except unlike most of those, you can wear this over a crisp Oxford shirt to the office. Just wanna wear it while you binge House of the Dragon for ten hours straight? Cool: It's about to be the most stylish ten hours you've ever spent on the couch.

The Best Vintage-Inspired Cardigan

Beams

Stripe Jacquard Cardigan

Remember when we told you that Beams Plus needs to be on your radar? This cardigan is exactly why. It's a perfect distillation of vintage Americana, filtered through the prism of Japan's answer to J.Crew. In other words, it's a retro-doused cardigan that looks like the type of sweater you'd catch a '60s crooner wearing while belting out the blues in a smoky jazz bar—but instead of digging through the vintage bins to unearth a similar version, you can buy it from your phone sans the cigarette burns.

The Best No-Frills Cardigan

Lands' End

Lands' End Supima Cotton Cardigan

Sometimes you don't need your cardigan to be warm enough to replace your coat or loud enough to be the focal point of your fit. Sometimes you just need a crisp, quiet background player, something that'll fit under a blazer and won't make you drip sweat in the office. That's this Lands' End guy. It's made out of fine gauge cotton, comes in a quartet of pleasing neutral tones, and for an extra $8 you can go full prep and get it monogrammed.


Plus 12 More Cardigans We Love

Séfr

Kaito Mohair-Blend Cardigan

Like a warm hug, on demand.

Abercrombie & Fitch

Stitched Cardigan

Straight and to the point—like a good cardigan should be.

Guess USA

Shawl-Collar Intarsia-Knit Cardigan

Like the nostalgia-tinged quilts decorating every cushioned interior at your grandparents but make it fashun.

Maison Margiela

Distressed Argyle Cardigan

Here's to staying the opposite of distressed once you layer up in this funky knit.

Stüssy

Stripe Cardigan

The only time we'll gladly accept a Beetlejuice reference.

Todd Snyder

Squares Merino Cardigan

This lightweight yet sturdy knit is for the guy who isn't afraid to lead the style pack but would cringe at any association with the words "buzzy" and "on-trend."

Alex Mill

"Ellsworth" Reverse Seam Cardigan

The subtle "reverse" detailing at the seam is what takes this woolly sweater cardigan from simply "nice" to "impeccable."

Taylor Stitch

The "Crawford" Sweater

This burly shawl cardigan is just like your grandpa's trusty, fall layer but loosened at the waist for a contemporary fit.

Lemaire

Twisted Cardigan

Out: Hurriedly buttoning up your cardigan and failing to see that you've missed a few. In: Slipping into a cardigan that intentionally looks slightly (yet still tastefully) disheveled.

Pendleton

The Original Westerley Zip Up Cardigan Sweater

Tell us you've got a soft place in your heart for Americana without saying a word.

Our Legacy

Patch-Pocket Textured Cardigan

This fuzzy layer is magically equipped to turn even the most basic oufit into an eye-raising stunner.

Fucking Awesome

Fucking Awesome Acid Hairy Cardigan

A single dose of this sweater is plenty.