Cardigans, cardigans, cardigans!

[Lady Day]

Ladies, I ask for your help.
Where oh where is a nifty place to find the jems of the sweater world. Any favorite sites (other than eBay ) that I can find em?

Vintage cardigan sites?
Paticular types of cardies I should look for?

Thanks dolls,


LD

 

[magneto]

Hi LD,
I know...it is hard to find a nice vintage cardigan around here that doesn't cost $90+. If you don't mind modern stuff, the Benetton stores (here in SF) sometimes has a perfect pure wool crew-neck classic cardigan that *fits* (I can't wear Land's End/J Crew/etc women's cardigans, they all look like potato sacks).
...Usually sold with the shell/under-sweater to make the set. I have a pearl-buttoned set I bought in the end-of-winter sale last year, as well as about 6 plain ones, all look very retro/vintage. They last very well, unfortunately 1) they don't carry them every year and 2) you definitely want to wait till they are on sale...70% off yeah.
I had a link saved for this great cashmere website, I'll see if I can find it again.
I *really* like sweater sets but have zero luck finding good condition old ones on ebay or elsewhere.
Good luck!

 

[Miss Neecerie]

not vintage....

But Target has some lovely retro sweater sets and cardigans a lot of times.

I have several sets from there that are quite old fashioned looking.

 

[Viola]

Eddiebauroutlet.com has a number of cardigans on deep sale right now, probably because this is not a big season for sweaters.

Not a full range of colors, but the prices are really good.

 

[Lady Day]

Oh they dont have to be vintage,
The cardigan is timeless like that

Thanks for the suggestions, keep em coming.

And Magneto, I totally know what you mean by the 'tent' phenomenon that faces the cartigan wearing society today. I got one in my size (kept it, it was supercute) but fits like a box.


LD

 

[Viola]

http://www.eddiebaueroutlet.com/product.asp?product_id=28713&nv=444|465|911&cm_cg=C465&tid=&c=&sc=

From $59.00 to $20.00! And FWIW, they say the fit is "traditional...[snip] not too loose."

EDIT: http://www.lizclaiborne.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2139866 I rather like the crochet detail on this one.

 

[skinnychik]

Ann Taylor. They also have shrug-style cardigans, which look great with those 50s strapless dresses. (The dress in the picture isn't very vintage-inspired though.) This is just a tiny dose of what they carry though...I didn't want to spend an hour copying URLs.

 

[Tourbillion]

I am a cashmere fanatic, so I am not too sure I should give away my sources, but here goes...

jcrew.com classic styles
landsend.com ditto
I Magnin cashmere I got mine at Macy's last year--about $200, but fabulous

I also like vintage I Magnin and Saks Fifth ave cashmere, but you have to comb a lot of vintage/thrift stores to get them.

 

[RetroMom]

Try changing the buttons on a ho-hum cardigan....

A quick fix to get a "vintage-y" look, is to simply change the buttons. Switching to a pearl or rhinestone button will really jazz up a plain one!

I've done this and it really looks nice - try it on an inexpensive cardigan (Target or Walmart) and it really makes a difference! Plus you get something unique!

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've got a bunch of vintage/vintagey-looking cardigans -- and every one of them came from Goodwill. Most every Goodwill I've ever been in has a rack of sweaters -- and there's a pretty good chance there'll be some cardigans in the mix.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I've gotten some cute cardigans at New York & Company--they might still have some on their clearance rack right now.

 

[AllaboutEve]

A quick fix to get a "vintage-y" look, is to simply change the buttons. Switching to a pearl or rhinestone button will really jazz up a plain one!

I've done this and it really looks nice - try it on an inexpensive cardigan (Target or Walmart) and it really makes a difference! Plus you get something unique!

I'll second that. You can get some great vintage buttons and make new pieces look great. If you shop around for simple classic twinsets in good quality yarns you can make them look very much like the real thing with some good buttons.
You also don't then end up with thread bare patches on your 1940's cashmere sweaters......... ( they can be very delicate)
I tend to interchange my new and my old, they all look good with a wool skirt seamed stockings and a pin!

 

[magneto]

Ann Taylor.
....

I forgot about them, AT and AT loft have surprisingly good quality usually...the only thing that annoys me... is the 3/4 length sleeve!! It's everywhere! I refuse to buy it... I feel like I am wearing my shrunken old cardigan from the "Brownies"... and sometimes you want to hide those non-vintage-appropriate tattoos...(i.e. work)

 

[Lady Day]

I forgot about them, AT and AT loft have surprisingly good quality usually...the only thing that annoys me... is the 3/4 length sleeve!! It's everywhere! I refuse to buy it... I feel like I am wearing my shrunken old cardigan from the "Brownies"... and sometimes you want to hide those non-vintage-appropriate tattoos...(i.e. work)

AMEN! I hate 3/4 cut on most stuff. That and empire waste cuts, but thats a different story.

LD

 

[Irena]

I forgot about them, AT and AT loft have surprisingly good quality usually...the only thing that annoys me... is the 3/4 length sleeve!! It's everywhere! I refuse to buy it... I feel like I am wearing my shrunken old cardigan from the "Brownies"... and sometimes you want to hide those non-vintage-appropriate tattoos...(i.e. work)

I'd like to be able to agree with you but... with really long arms (5'8 1/2 wingspan, 5'4 height) 3/4 length sleeves are the lesser of the two evils. I rarely find a cardigan with long enough sleeves that doesn't turn me into a tent.

 

[magneto]

I'd like to be able to agree with you but... with really long arms (5'8 1/2 wingspan, 5'4 height) 3/4 length sleeves are the lesser of the two evils. I rarely find a cardigan with long enough sleeves that doesn't turn me into a tent.

Ha ha, I know what you mean, I'm the same way about capri pants, I'm overjoyed they exist because they fit as regular pants on me!.. back to cardigans... I just ordered an on-sale cardi. from eddiebaueroutlet.com ... fingers crossed it will be good.

 

[skinnychik]

I forgot about them, AT and AT loft have surprisingly good quality usually...the only thing that annoys me... is the 3/4 length sleeve!! It's everywhere! I refuse to buy it... I feel like I am wearing my shrunken old cardigan from the "Brownies"... and sometimes you want to hide those non-vintage-appropriate tattoos...(i.e. work)

That's funny. I have a really hard time finding sleeves that are long enough (or pants that are long enough) so 3/4 length makes it look like they were supposed to be like that. Gangly sucks. Thank god for sewing machines.

 

[magneto]

New cardigan review.

First, thanks to Viola for the alert to the cardigans on sale at eddiebaueroutlet.com I ordered the "cardigan with chunky trim" (I don't know why the name, the "chunky trim" looks just like normal ribbing I have on my old 1950's cardies) and received it today. Marked down from $59 to $19, this is a steal. The sizing/fit is accurate (there are measurements on the website) and not sacklike, the material is a cotton/angora blend (very light and soft) and there are, apparently "real shell buttons" (which I will probably replace anyway) down the front and on the cuffs too which is cute. I got the "ruby" which (confusingly) is a bright pure orange-toned red. This is regular Eddie Bauer merchandise, not a lesser-quallity line made for the outlet store (as Gap et al are notorious for doing). I recommend this item. Only caveat, I don't know if it will pill horribly or something, but since it is mostly cotton, I should guess/hope not.

 

[Lady Day]

My latest cardigan finds

I went ot this fab costume shop on Hyde and California here in the citay, and found these two treasures.

I was at my fave thrift place (thrift town) and found this, which incidentally there was also one at the costume shop!

And II got this at a thrift store for $6, and sewed the appliiques on it myself.

The first three still need to be laundered, right now they are airing out. And Im goiing to take the linings out, makes them too hot (the white one even has the arms lined )

Thanks for all the tips ladies. Im still on the look out for supercute cardigans.

LD

 

[Etienne]

I just got a J. Jill catalog in the mail and they had some "vintage inspired" cardigans in there that are really cute!