Cardigans for Winter: Button, Zip or Shawl Collar?
Key takeaways:
- Button cardigans are the formal end: a V-neck button knit (£95) sits where a waistcoat would, over a shirt.
- Zip cardigans are the functional end: the Holland (£59) — textured, stand collar — works as a light jacket.
- Shawl collars are the home end: the Primrose (£66) is an open-front layer for evenings; heavier shawl knits run to £95–£219.
- Choose by where it will be worn, not by which looks best on the page — the three closures are three different garments.
WARDLEY London is our own store — prices and product facts below are taken from our own listings.
Why does the closure decide the cardigan?
Because a cardigan is defined by how it opens. Buttons make it a garment you compose an outfit around; a zip makes it outerwear’s understudy; a shawl collar removes the closure altogether and makes it a wrap. The cardigans collection holds all three families, and our cardigans buying guide covers the range in full — this piece is the head-to-head, for winter specifically.
Button: the shirt-and-tie end
The Burlington V-Neck Button Cardigan (£95) and the Cadogan Button V-Neck (£95) are the formal cardigans: worn buttoned over a shirt, they read as knitwear’s answer to a waistcoat, and they are the only cardigans here that belong anywhere near tailoring. In winter their job is the middle layer — shirt, cardigan, overcoat — where the V opening keeps the line clean. The cost of the formality is fuss: buttons ask to be done and undone, and the style fails worn open and flapping.
Zip: the jacket substitute
The Holland Zip Cardigan (£59) — a textured knit with ribbed panels, a full-length zip and a stand collar — is built to be worn as a light jacket: zipped against the wind, open over a tee, no decisions in between. The Bridport Cotton Zip (£95) is the smoother version of the same idea. Of the three families, the zip is the winter commuter’s cardigan: it layers under a coat without button bulk and stands alone in milder weather.
Shawl collar: the home layer
The Shawl Collar Cardigan (£66) has no closure at all — an open front, a soft shawl collar, two patch pockets, in a cotton-blend knit. It is not trying to be a jacket; it is the layer for evenings at home, over a tee or a shirt, and it is the piece our range is known by. Heavier versions exist for colder houses: the Rye Heavyweight (£95) and the Whitby Pure Wool (£219). The shawl collar buying guide and our styling piece cover the family properly.
The three, in one table
| Closure | Piece | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Button | Burlington V-Neck Button | Over a shirt, under a coat | £95.00 |
| Zip | Holland Zip Cardigan | As a light jacket, commuting | £59.00 |
| Shawl (open) | Primrose Shawl Collar | Evenings at home, soft layering | £66.00 |
The Black Friday note
Until Sunday 29 November 2026, 23:59, two items in a basket take 15% off automatically and three or more take 25% off — no code. Free tracked UK delivery on every order; dispatched in 1–2 working days, with delivery 6–10 working days from order, and 30-day returns.
Frequently asked questions
Which cardigan is warmest for winter?
Worn alone, the heaviest shawl knits (the Rye at £95, the Whitby at £219). Worn as part of a system, the zip cardigan under a coat — closure and layers beat any single garment, as our warmest jumpers comparison explains.
Can a cardigan replace a jumper?
The zip can — it is cut like one. The button and shawl styles are layers over something else, and read unfinished worn alone over nothing.
How should a cardigan fit?
Like the jumper it stands in for: neat at the shoulder, straight through the body. Our knitwear buying guide covers measuring before you order.
