The Men’s V-Neck Cardigan: A Wardrobe Staple

A practical guide to the V-neck cardigan. Fit, fabric, and styling advice for real‑world men who want a dependable, versatile everyday staple.

Source: The Neat and Tidy Man

Depending on the type of man you are and the impression you want to make, the classic V-neck cardigan can be stylish, staid, understated, or sharp, but it will always accentuate the masculine silhouette.

Buttoned up, it emphasizes the chest, narrows the waist, and lengthens the torso. Wear it over a shirt and tie for a severe but polished look; beneath a sport coat or blazer in place of a vest; or over a T‑shirt, polo, or Henley for a casual but orderly effect.

Unbutton it, and the silhouette softens. With a dress shirt, it says you’re finished for the day. With a T-shirt, it’s relaxed and laid-back.

Apart from cut, the classic V-neck cardigan has little to do with fashion, but it’s always appropriate.

In fact, it’s one of the most enduring and versatile garments a man can own. A wardrobe staple since the 1920s, it emerged as a knitted sportswear garment that allowed movement, warmth, and easy layering.

How to Look Your Best in a V-Neck Cardigan

The Right Fit for Your Body Type

I’ve been wearing V-neck cardigans since my teens for work and play. There’s nothing in my closet they don’t match and, with the exception of very formal events, there’s no occasion for which they’re not suited.

But my body has changed over the years.

Having reached midlife, my waist has thickened. To remedy this, I opt for a normal fit rather than slim or tailored. Buttons straining at the middle look sloppy, which defeats the purpose of the garment.

The buttons are the defining feature of the classic V‑neck cardigan and should be used in a way that complements your body type rather than working against it.

• If, like me, you’ve developed some middle-age spread, you can still button up to the top. But leave the last button at the bottom of the row open. This prevents the garment from flaring at the belly, which can make you look bloated.
• If your torso is long, avoid cardigans that button up too high. Alternatively, leave one or two of the top buttons open.
• If you want a less severe profile when wearing with a shirt and tie, leave the top and bottom buttons open.

Source: Lukasz Dunikowski CC BY 2.0 via Flickr

Choose Versatile Colors

For your cardigan to be as versatile as it should, choose colors that match the rest of your clothes.  

Despite having a capsule wardrobe, mine isn’t minimalistic. My cardigans must coordinate with 20 dress shirts.

For a mostly cool palette, mine are in mid-gray, dark red, navy, and black. Because most of my shirts are striped or checked, I keep my cardigans in plain colors. But I have favored heritage patterns in the past, like the argyle, which is a familiar sight on golf courses.

Fabric

If you have somebody to do your laundry for you, choose whichever fabric you like. For the rest of us, there’s probably little time or inclination for flat drying, reshaping, handwashing, delicate cycles, towel rolling, and blocking.

So, we don’t want lambswool or cashmere, even if we think we do.

Like most ordinary men running their own households, I want to be able to wash and dry in the machine without worrying about shape and texture. I therefore have to choose fine knit fabrics that can withstand this while looking similar to lambswool.

Without looking at the label, how many of us recognize the real thing, anyway?

All we need is a matte, fine-gauge, wool-adjacent appearance.

The closest visual match is a cotton-acrylic mix. Apart from being easy to care for, it provides warmth in cooler weather without adding bulk beneath a winter coat or jacket.

For the warmer months, cotton-polyester works well. It’s not as soft-looking, but extremely stable.

Pure cotton is the most widely available fabric in fine-knit cardigans. I like it for worship in the summer—it lends a polished look without having to wear a suit jacket or blazer.

To prevent pure cotton from fading too fast, rotate your cardigans and wash them on a cool cycle.

Source: Lukasz Dunikowski CC BY 2.0 via Flickr

How to Wear a V-Neck Cardigan

How you wear your V-neck cardigan depends on the occasion.

Unless the weather is too warm, I wear mine every day. Either with business casual, to worship, or for leisure. I prefer a blazer when going out in the evening, but if it’s just the pub, I opt for a cardigan.

Business Casual

At my place of work, dress code has gone the way of the typewriter. Anything is acceptable, from ripped jeans and T-shirts to shorts and tank tops. The less said, the better.

My standards have changed too. I wear dark jeans and chinos instead of cloth trousers. I no longer wear a tie—nobody does. But I won’t give up dress shirts, and the V-neck cardigan has become more of a staple than ever.

If you wear suits and blazers without a tie, the open neckline gives the collar no central anchor, and the lapels nudge it off‑balance. One side stays put while the other collapses, giving an uneven, slightly scruffy look. A button‑down collar is less prone to this, but a V‑neck cardigan removes the problem altogether.

Beyond that, there are no dry‑cleaning costs, and the cardigan is easy to pack for business trips.

For Formal Office Wear and Worship

For worship, I wear a V‑neck cardigan much as I did for the office before business casual took over. Always with a shirt and tie and cloth trousers.

In cooler weather, I wear it beneath a blazer in place of a vest.

When wearing a cardigan over a shirt and tie, make sure you show about half an inch of your cuffs, just as you would with a well‑fitting suit jacket.

Source: Lukasz Dunikowski CC BY 2.0 via Flickr

For Leisure

Like most middle‑aged men, I do little more than slip into my bedroom slippers and unbutton my cardigan when I get home from the office. It’s the quickest way to signal that the working day is over without changing clothes.

But when I’m working from home, or on weekends when I’m at the computer for hours writing my blog, I pair it with a polo or Henley and a pair of sweats. My only priority is comfort, and a fine‑knit cardigan provides warmth without bulk and never feels restrictive.

To go out shopping, I just add a pair of jeans or chinos and button up. It looks tidy enough for the outside world, but it’s still the same garment I was relaxing in ten minutes earlier. What could be more practical?

---

In the end, few garments are as versatile or as dependable. A well‑chosen V‑neck cardigan works for all but the most formal occasions, and that’s why it remains a staple.

© 2026 J. Richardson