Lily Spotlight: Cardigans

Surprising no one, I'm sure, for today's Spotlight I thought I'd focus on one of my very favourite things in the whole wide world: cardigans! As anyone who's met me more than twice can attest, I personally wear this versatile sweater style constantly and can often be heard telling folks in the shop that just about anything can be nicely paired with one (I can hear Glenda laughing now, in fact...). But it's true! Cardigans are that rare combination of comfortable, attractive, and flexible, making them an indispensable part of every woman's wordrobe.

Named after James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan (apparently in an attempt by merchants to make a quick buck off his fleeting post-Crimean War hero status in 1855), cardigans were originally worn as a warm, casual alternative to waistcoats. Mysteriously, one is never supposed to do up the bottom button on them--I have always been under the impression that this was because the Earl was a fairly rotund man and it was considered poor form to do up your own bottom button when he could not. He looks pretty slim in all the images I could find of him, however, so this information may be of questionable veracity.

My internet trawling also dug up the fact that our Earl had the dubious honour of leading the charge of the Light Brigade and, according to Wikipedia, "typified the popular stereotype of the snobbish, arrogant, bone-headed and incompetent aristocrat of the period." Wow. At least his sweater is well-considered (and guaranteed never to impel you straight into the Imperial Russian Army)!

In the shop right now are unisex American Apparel cardigans covered with our lovely silk screens (available in grown-up and toddler sizes!), as well as the last few Emmerdale Cardigans (so named after The Cardigan's debut album)!