A cardigan's size label tells you less than its shape. An oversized style in your usual size is meant to hang loose, and a cropped style is meant to stop at the waist. Here is how to read those shapes in our photos and pick the size that gives you the look you want.
Start with the photo, not the label
Every product description on our site says where the piece falls on the model: at the waist, at the hip or past the hip. It also names the shoulder and sleeve shape. Use those three details first.
- Find the hem. Note whether it stops at the waistband, the hip or the upper thigh.
- Find the shoulder seam. A seam that sits below the shoulder bone means dropped shoulders and a looser fit.
- Look at the sleeves. Balloon and batwing sleeves add volume; slim sleeves with ribbed cuffs do not.
Oversized cardigans
Oversized styles have extra room through the body and arms. They are cut to be worn loose, so most people take their usual size. If you want the relaxed look without the length, stay in your size and push the sleeves up. Our fuzzy knit oversized cardigan with balloon sleeves is a good example: the photo shows it past the hip with wide sleeves gathered at the wrist.
Cropped and fitted cardigans
Cropped styles end at or above the waist. They look best over high-waisted jeans, skirts and dresses. A fitted cropped cardigan, like our fitted cropped crew neck cardigan, sits close to the body, so choose the size you wear in fitted tops if you plan to button it.
Cocoon shapes
A cocoon cardigan curves out at the back and falls open at the front. The shape comes from the cut, so sizing up only adds length and weight. Our fuzzy chunky cocoon cardigan shows the rounded outline clearly in the photos.
Between sizes?
Think about what goes underneath. A thin tee needs less room than a collared shirt or a second sweater. If you still cannot decide, email us with the product name and we will tell you what we know about that style's fit. If the first size is not right, you can exchange it for a different size. The steps are on our Refund & Returns page.