Key Difference – Cardigan vs Sweater
Cardigans and sweaters are two similar knitted garments that are worn over the upper body. Sweaters can either be cardigans or pullovers. A cardigan is a type of a sweater that has an opening at the front. This opening at the front is the key difference between cardigan and sweater; all cardigans have an opening at the front whereas some sweaters don’t have openings at the front.
What is a Sweater?
A sweater is a knitted garment worn over the upper body. The term sweater is commonly used in American English; in British English, this is known as a jersey or jumper. A sweater typically has long arms and covers your body as well as arms. Sweaters were traditionally made from wool, but synthetic fibers are also used to manufacture sweaters in the modern clothes industry. Sweaters can either be cardigans or pullovers; the difference between cardigans and sweaters depend on the way they are worn. Cardigans have an opening at the front whereas pullovers have no openings.
Although sweaters are sometimes worn next to the skin, they are mostly worn over another clothing such as T-shirt, blouse or shirt. They can be worn with skirts or pants and are usually worn untucked. Sweaters can come in different patterns and designs. Some popular necklines include turtle neck, V-neck and crew neck, and sleeves can be full-length, three-quarters, short-sleeved, or sleeveless. Sweaters are worn by men, women and children alike.
What is a Cardigan?
A cardigan is a knitted garment that has an opening at the front. A cardigan is basically a type of sweaters. Cardigans generally have buttons or zips at the front, but some modern cardigans have no buttons and hang open by design. Cardigans typically have V-necks. They were traditionally made from wool, but today a variety of materials are used to make them. They are said to be designed after a knitted wool waistcoat that British officers used to wear during the 19th century.
Although men generally wear cardigans for casual occasions, women wear cardigans for dressy events such as teas and garden parties as well. There are women’s cardigans in different fabrics such as light wool, cotton, cashmere with jeweled or pearled buttons. However, these are only suitable for dressy occasions not, formal or semi-formal events. Cardigans may be easy to use than pullovers since they are easy to take off.
What is the difference between Cardigan and Sweater?
Cardigan and Sweater |
|
| Cardigan is a knitted garment that opens at the front. | Sweater is a knitted garment that covers the upper body and arms. |
| Sweaters | |
| Cardigan is a type of sweater. | Sweaters can either be cardigans or pullovers. |
| Opening | |
| Cardigans have an opening at the front. | Some sweaters don’t have an opening at the front. |
| Occasion | |
| Cardigans, especially women’s cardigans, can be worn for dressy occasions such as garden parties. | Sweaters are generally used as casual wear. |
| Clothing Underneath | |
| Cardigans are worn over another garment. | Sweaters can be worn alone, without another garment underneath. |
Image Courtesy:
“Tribal Aztec Christmas Trees Cosby Cardigan Ugly Sweater” by TheUglySweaterShop.com (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
“Bright Textured Multicolored Cosby Ugly Sweater” TheUglySweaterShop.com (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr