The Investment Dresser: cardi perennial

Major General James Thomas Brudenell, aka the 7th Earl of Cardigan, had the misfortune to serve in the Crimea in 1854 - and the good fortune to be kitted out with a type of knitted waistcoat adorned with gold trim and fur. It was 1854 and it was the Ukraine. Cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Ideal cardi climate.

The Earl's cavalry assault on the Russians was a disaster, later immortalised by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in The Charge of the Light Brigade. Still, the cardigan was a rip-roaring success, thanks partly to Tennyson's mournful masterpiece, which enshrined every detail of the apocalypse deep in the sentimental Victorian bosom.

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Chanel popularised the so-called Boyfriend Cardigan, of course. Helpfully, she specialised in stylish boyfriends. That is key if you're literally wearing Boyfriend Clothes. So is having a small boyfriend. Katie Holmes wore Tom's actual jeans in 2009 and was widely credited with kicking off the Boyfriend Jeans trend. No way would that have happened if she'd been married to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But this trend is meant to be conceptual. Boyfriend, when applied as a fashion-adjective, is simply shorthand for anything androgynous and oversized but not - repeat not - out-of-control big.

The Boyfriend Cardi must fit snugly on the shoulders and, unless you're tall, shouldn't fall past your mid thighs. Unlike its boxy, shorter relation, the Boyfriend Cardi is ageless. It won't make big breasts look as though they're trying to punch their way out of a carrier bag, and it will cover thighs. Perfect, in other words, with skinny trousers. Belt it over a slim skirt or a fluid dress and you've styled a budget-friendly, comfortable alternative to a jacket.

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I say budget-friendly, but my current go-to is an oatmeal cashmere one from Chinti and Parker. It was the pockets that did it. I'm a sucker for contrasting patches. For pragmatic and aesthetic reasons I also like contrasting patched elbows - many dry-cleaners can pop leather ones on for you.

All BCs go bobbly in the end. Buy economically and when it bags and flags, donate to the duster drawer.

Fromt left: Cashmere, £339, by Brora brora.co.uk , Wool and leather, £44.99, by Mango mango.com , Wool-mix, £99, by Hobbs NW3 hobbs.co.uk

Via: The Investment Dresser: cardi perennial