10th Commandment: June 4
Jun 4, 2013
Dear Belle,
Can you help me find some summer cardigans made out of cotton? All of the sweaters I find are either wool or acetate. I just want a fabric that breathes. Is that so much to ask for?
Thank you, Erin
Signature Mid-Length Cardigan ($78)
Due to the rising cost of cotton, it’s tough to find 100-percent cotton cardigans that costs less-than-$100, so you may have to be open to a blend. This stylish cardigan from C. Wonder is mostly cotton and looks like the much more expensive Tory Burch cardi. It comes in eight colors, and a striped version. C. Wonder also offers this adorable dotted jacquard cardigan in a dotted pattern and a geometric one.
Loft also sells some great basic cardigans at affordable prices. I like this short sleeve cardi and this crewneck cardigan.
As for other sweaters that I liked, this Dorothy Perkins lace cardigan in ivory is very pretty. This Roxy cardigan would be lovely on women with shorter torsos or someone looking for a slightly cropped look. And I love the print on this cotton and silk cardigan from Sierra Trading Post.
Plus size? Land’s End makes good basics, and I also like this cardi with the lace yoke. Petite? Loft sells their cute cardigans in petites, including this fun sheer stripe cardi.
I actually had good luck finding cotton cardigans from Target about a month ago.
Nice recommendations, though I find that I don’t even need to spend that much to get a good cardi. H&M has tons of options all around $20 dollars, and I even got a great cardi I wore for years from Forever21 for like $10 bucks.
Style by Joules
I get my cardigans from either Loft of JCrew Factory. If you shop the sales, you’ll never pay more than $20 for a button-up cardigan, and they last for years.
@Bellafortuna – I bought a few cardi’s from Target last year, and it was such a waste. One stretched out after only a few wears and the other had pretty trim that started to unravel as soon as I got it home. Quality just isn’t that great.
Watch out for Dorothy Perkins. I recently ordered from them, paid expensive shipping, received the wrong item, and discovered their terrible return/exchange policy. Worst customer service I have experienced for a while.
I had this one from Gap from last year that was spectacular. It was super lightweight, but not that “slub” crap that looks and feels sort of like linen. It was just thin cotton, sort of almost cropped so not hanging down around your butt, but not too short, and the best color of light heather grey. It went with everything. You know how this story ends– I left it somewhere. Now all Gap has are these long shapeless ones.
sorry to hear that, Anon! I’m constantly on the hunt for the perfect black cardigan, because whenever I find one, it’s only a matter of time before it gets forgotten at a restaurant. on a plane, you name it….
I will never stray from the J.Crew Jackie cardi. Tried and true!
It’s true that Loft sells affordable cardis, but they pill after two wears. Just a warning.
If you can’t find inexpensive 100% cotton cardis, you aren’t looking very hard. The Chaps line at Kohls has them in a slew of colors, I paid less than $25 for mine.
TARGET! So many cardigans made by their in-store brand. My advice: don’t get white, 100% cotton cardigan. They always look dingy and limp after a few wears and don’t wash well.
Uniqlo will very often use 100% natural fabrics. It has an online shop now. Other than that, j.crew factory is the way to go.