Five ways to wear a cardigan this autumn

The cardigan is the piece you grab on the way out, the one that rescues a flat outfit, the one that ends up on the back of the office chair. Most of us wear it one way only: open, over a plain top. It has four more in it.

1. Open over a knit dress

The dress does the work; the cardigan adds the layer that makes it wearable on a Tuesday morning. Tonal, the two read as a single piece; in contrast, the dress is what stands out.

The Ribbed Lace Cardigan - Aubergine over the Flared Knit Dress - Aubergine, or over the Lace Knit Dress - Burgundy for contrast.

2. Buttoned up, instead of a top

Done up to the neck and tucked into high-waisted trousers, the cardigan stops being a second layer and becomes the top. It is the fastest way to look dressed without adding anything over it.

The Bow Collar Cardigan - Chocolate — or its ecru version — with high-waisted jeans.

3. Tonal, top to bottom

Two shades of one colour lengthen the silhouette better than any cut. The trick is to play with textures rather than tones, so the whole thing does not fall flat.

The Gathered Cardigan - Aubergine over the Short Sleeve Ribbed Top - Aubergine: gathered knit on one side, ribbed on the other.

4. Over a cotton shirt

The shirt collar sitting above the cardigan, cuffs folded back over the sleeves: it is the simplest gesture of the autumn wardrobe, and the one that does the most. A cotton shirt holds its collar all day; a fluid blouse does not.

The Gathered Cardigan - Beige over one of our cotton shirts.

5. In the evening, without changing

A lace cardigan over straight trousers, and you go from the office to dinner by simply leaving the morning jacket behind. The lace does the job a piece of jewellery usually does.

The Lace Ribbed Cardigan - Black, with straight trousers.

Where to start

If you keep only one, choose it in a colour that agrees with the rest of your wardrobe: ecru and chocolate do more than black. The rest of the selection is in Sweaters & Cardigans.