Cardigans without buttons pop up perennially. Read how to close a cardigan with a brooch, scarf or belt for a lean stylish look.
- Long Tail Cardigans Are Having a Moment
- How to Close a Waterfall Cardigan with a Brooch for a Sleek Look
- Other Options to Close an Open Cardigan, Kaftan, or Kimono
- Conclusions on How to Close a Cardigan with a Brooch
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Long Tail Cardigans Are Having a Moment
Cardigans with long tails are very trendy right now, but are not easy to style and wear. The same applies to the perennial trends of kimonos and kaftans. Closing these types of trendy jackets may be needed to adapt to the climate.
When you want to incorporate this trend in a business casual style look or adopted it for a work in general, you will have to close the jacket to avoid looking unprofessional. Closed this trend can even be used in dressing for the engineering enterprise. This post shows how you can let the open cardigan or kimono be your statement piece nevertheless.
How to Close a Waterfall Cardigan with a Brooch for a Sleek Look
To not look like a scarecrow 😉 all other parts of the outfit need to be sleek. To not cause a safety issue, the tails have to be secured in place to not be caught in the copier or other mechanical equipment at work. Another reason for closing the cardigan, kaftan or kimono is that you do not want to look heavier than you actually are. Unfortunately, society still associates weight with health.
The photos below show an example how I closed my brown tail cardigan with a brooch. I just draped the cardigan tails around my body and twisted the outer tail a bit before pinning it to the inner one. It produced a nice classic wrap style.
I added a winter white cashmere sweater under the cardigan and wore snake-print pants. The colors of the print tie the outfit together. At work, I wore studded flats, while for the commute to work I went with brown booties. I decided to stay with neutrals for the coat and thrifted hat (see next photo).
Other Options to Close an Open Cardigan, Kaftan or Kimono
Other ways to create a slim look are to use a scarf as a belt. You can find a guide how to best accessorize with belts in the post at the link.
Instead of knotting the scarf (which would create bulk), you may close the fake belt with a large brooch after doing a half knot (see the next photo to see a half knot). You can find a guide on how to up you style with scarves in the post at the link.
A sash or fabric belt can also be a great closure option for an open cardigan or a kimono.
Conclusions on How to Close a Cardigan with a Brooch
Of course, wearing a pin on your LBD, collar of your blazer or to hold your scarf in place are all stylish options. However, historically, brooches were invented to close jackets, blouses, shirts and capes. See the Norwegian dirndl blouse with brooch closure in this post on International Friendship Day for a historic example. A special type was even created to close kilts together. Thus, using a brooch to hold a cardigan together brings the jewelry piece back to its original (often overlooked or forgotten) purpose.
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Photos: G. Kramm
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