Knitted Zip Cardigan – Bordeaux/Rose

A zip up cardigan is a knitted piece that opens all the way down the front. Unlike a woven jacket the knit gives and sits softly, unlike a sweater it can be opened and closed as the day goes on. The zip keeps the front edge in a clean line.

A two way zip has two sliders and opens from the top and from the bottom. It comes from outdoor and menswear and is now common on cardigans too. The advantage is the choice: fully closed, open at the top for the collar, open at the bottom for more movement.

In practice both words describe the same thing: a knitted piece that opens at the front. Cardigan tends to be used for the finer, longer version with buttons, knitted jacket for the heavier one. There is no fixed line between them, so it pays to search for both.

Bordeaux with rose stays within one color family and therefore reads softer than a hard contrast. Cream, beige and off white calm it down, navy and denim make it easy to wear every day, camel and gold add a warm accent. Bright red next to it takes the depth out of the bordeaux.

It is the layer between a sweater and a jacket and covers half the transitional season on its own. Over a shirt with jeans it reads relaxed, over a blouse with tailored pants it reads dressier. Outdoors it replaces a jacket on mild days, indoors it simply stays on.