What Is A Jardigan?: Introducing the Jacket Cardigan

July 22, 2016

Blazers might make you look polished in a flash, but they can also be stiff and just… constraining. You know that crunchy feeling when you try to gesture wildly in a suit? Yeah. On the flip side, cardigans are comfortable, sometimes to the point of verging on dowdy. But what if those two things could be bred to create the perfect hybrid layer—one that combines a jacket’s structure with a cardigan’s ease (oh, and can be balled up and shoved into a carry-on bag, while we’re at it)? Well, we’ll spare you the suspense: We did just that, and the result is a jardigan. Made from a resilient, stretchy knit that resists wrinkles and maintains a smooth silhouette, our jardigans have a sharp, slimming cut that moves with your body (gesticulate all you want). For that jacket-y oomph, they even feature a subtle shoulder pad—which you can easily remove, if you’d prefer a softer shape.

As jardigans are a rare new species, it’s understandable that you might have questions. Here’s how you can take them for a spin.

Wear the jardigan with a pencil skirt.

Hailey wears the Sant Ambroeus jardigan in deep indigo over the Huston blouse and the Greenpoint skirt.

Our staple Sant Ambroeus jardigan features a delicate stitched detail at the cuff and a hip-length hemline—making it a great complement to a fitted skirt. Keep it stashed at your office to combat cold conference rooms, aggressive air conditioning, or other arm-covering emergencies.

Or throw the jardigan over a sheath dress.

Lindsey wears the Woolf jardigan in black, the Lydia dress, and the Broadway belt.

Just realized you’re the only person in the room not wearing a suit? Throw on the sleek, slightly longer Woolf jardigan—which skims the lower hip—and you’ll be business formal in two seconds flat. (Lindsey added our waist-defining Broadway belt for a finishing touch.)

Use the jardigan to break up basic black.

Hailey wears the ribbed Sant Ambroeus jardigan in Sahara, the Foster pant, and the Power camisole.

Ever heard of “column dressing”? It’s when you wear one base color from head to toe for a long, lean effect—and then top it off with some flair. In this case, Hailey wears cigarette pants and a camisole, topped off with a our ribbed Sant Ambroeus. This version offers a stretchier, more sweater-like texture with the same architectural cut as the original.

Make the jardigan one half of a “fake suit.”

Hailey wears the Annie dress and the Sant Ambroeus jardigan, both in deep indigo.

There’s something very chic about a monochrome look. In this case, we’ve created a “fake suit” by pairing a jardigan and dress in the same color. Avoid matchy-matchiness by mixing up the textures: Here, the thicker knit provides contrast to a tailored dress.

Related: For a step-by-step guide to removing your jardigan’s shoulder pads, click here.