Cardigan Outfit Inspiration, No Matter the Season

They're a year-round staple—allow us to prove it.

woman wearing cardigan skirt set; woman wearing red cardigan button-down and pants, woman wearing cardigan and jeans; woman wearing skirt suit and cardigan, woman wearing cardigan and jeans
(Image credit: Launchmetrics, Getty Images)
Lauren Tappan's avatar
Sara Holzman's avatar
By ,
published
in Buying Guides

No matter the season, cardigans are the perfect transitional piece, taking you from chilly spring mornings to breezier summer nights and then back again for fall/winter. As the sun goes down in the summertime and the breeze elicits goosebumps on your skin, you can cover up with a cozy cropped cardigan. For us 9-to-5 folks, office air conditioners are the number one enemy, so you can keep a cardigan on hand to wrap yourself up. And in the cold winter months, you can layer a cardigan over a knit for a double layer of warmth that's both fashionable and functional. Ahead, cardigan outfit ideas for 2021 that are perfect for whatever you have planned.

woman wearing red cardigan, white top, and gray pants

(Image credit: Getty Images)

woman wearing trench coat, cardigan and tailored pants

(Image credit: Getty Images)

woman wearing cardigan and jeans

(Image credit: Getty Images)

woman wearing cardigan, coat, skirt, and loafers

(Image credit: Getty Images)

woman wearing cardigan, leather jacket, and jeans

(Image credit: Getty Images)

woman wearing cardigan, skirt, tank, and heels

(Image credit: Getty Images)

woman wearing cardigan, coat, and tailored trousers

(Image credit: Getty Images)

woman wearing zip-up cardigan, jeans, and shoes

(Image credit: Getty Images)

woman wearing a leather coat, a cardigan, pants, and sneakers

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

woman wearing cardigan, blazer, jeans, and sneakers

(Image credit: Launchmetrics)
Sara Holzman
Sara Holzman
Style Director

Sara Holzman is the Style Director at Marie Claire, where she has worked in various roles to ensure the brand's fashion content continues to inform, inspire, and shape the conversation around fashion's ever-evolving landscape. A Missouri School of Journalism graduate, she previously held fashion posts at Condé Nast’s Lucky and Self and covered style and travel for Equinox’s Furthermore blog. Over a decade in the industry, she’s guided shoots with top photographers and stylists from concept to cover. Based in NYC, Sara spends off-duty hours running, browsing the farmer's market, making a roast chicken, and hanging with her husband, dog, and cat. Find her on Instagram at @sarajonewyork.