Can You Wear a Cardigan Over Another Sweater?

I love wearing a beautiful sweater with jeans, but sometimes it’s nice to layer something over top to create a slightly dressier or more finished look. A jacket can work, so long as it is not too heavy or stiff-looking. But what about another knit? Can you wear a cardigan over another sweater? Absolutely, yes! Take a look.

Layering knits is an excellent way to style a casually chic look, but you need the right pieces to begin with. This soft, flowy rust cardigan is a great layering piece for many reasons. It ticks all the boxes when it comes to styling sweaters with cardigans. For example:

1. Keep Your Cardigan Fine and Lightweight

When starting with a sweater that already has some weight and texture, you don’t add on anything too thick and heavy. Your layering piece needs to be relatively thin and lightweight. That is why I chose this rust-colored cardigan to go over my brown funnel neck sweater.

My brown sweater is medium-weight and,  if I wore a chunky cardigan on top, I would look quite beefed up, not to mention I would sweat to death! This cute rust cardigan is finely woven and lightweight enough to wear comfortably over this sweater. It also helps if the cardigan has some stretch built-in ( like this one), making it easy to pull on over the sweater.

2. Mix Textures

When you wear a sweater with a cardigan, it looks fabulous when mixing textures. For example, my base sweater is a boucle horizontal knit, giving it depth and character. To highlight that, I chose a very plain and smooth cardigan. The contrast makes it pop!

3. Not Too Long or Oversized

You also have to be careful that the cardigan you are wearing over your sweater is not too big or too long to the point where it looks frumpy. An oversize cardigan is a fashionable look, to be sure, but a cardigan that is just too big for you or has little shape is a frumpy look. If you are wearing an oversize cardigan as a fashion statement, make sure the sweater you wear underneath your cardigan is fitted.

It’s that mix of fitted with oversize that creates a stylish look, not oversized with oversized. Long cardigans can also be tricky when you wear a sweater underneath instead of a tee or blouse. Two sweaters and long layers can weigh you down and make you look dowdy, especially if you are on the petite side! You don’t want to look swallowed up!

4. Streamlined and Flowy is Good

Streamlined cardigans that draw the eye up and down and flow when you walk are sophisticated and modern. I love the simple draped look of this rust cardigan. It’s so soft, clean, and uncluttered. This cardigan flows when you walk, showing off your sweater underneath.

It looks worldly and sophisticated when you wear it with a pair of dark wash, bootcut jeans, and pointy suede booties! Don’t forget some fab sunglasses and a chic shoulder bag. Gorgeous hammered gold studs,   bracelets, and necklace from Dean Davidson upscale the look.

5. Go for an Exciting Color

Black, brown, gray, taupe … They’re all classic, versatile colors, and you can’t go wrong with any one of these in your wardrobe. However, maybe it’s time to branch out. This lovely cardigan comes in 13 colors, and each one looks fabulous. Maybe try this stunning rust color, bold blue, or lavender over a neutral-colored sweater. Or, color block using two bold colors- one as a base and one as your cardigan. This cardigan is so versatile it’s easy to create outfits with.

A cool belt always ties a sweater and cardigan together. I chose this wild leopard print to blend the rust cardigan with the brown sweater, but you could wear a black or brown belt if animal prints are not your thing. To shop for this fabulous everyday look ( cardigan is under $35), click the shop links below!

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So now you know you can wear a Cardigan over a sweater. Check out this post on How to Wear a cardigan over a dress!