Style Tip #255: Mandigans

If you've ever looked at yourself in the mirror and thought "Gee... my outfit looks so... incomplete", boy, have we got a tip for you!

I'd like you to meet a friend of mine - the mandigan.

Apart from being a worthy climate-control solution, the mandigan (because the word "cardigan" just isn't man enough) is an extremely versatile article of clothing which can be used both for casual and business dalliances - pair it with a V-neck tee to up your "prep factor" on a day out to the mall or with an oxford shirt to stand yourself out from the masses of similarly dressed drones in the workplace.

The mandigan subtly tones down the formality of the corporate outfit and adds a touch of aloof elegance to a casual getup.

The shining virtue of the mandigan is in its aloofness - it's not as pretentious as a blazer yet carries itself with an air of maturity when compared against say, a zip-up jumper.

Choosing a mandigan is relatively simple - a good starting point would be to select plain solid tones such as gray, black or navy blue - shades you can effortlessly match with. Secondly, you'll want to make sure your cardigan fits you like how a good shirt would - tapered, but not too tight. I know the straight guy in you is thinking "Shouldn't I buy it two sizes too big so I can, you know, wear layers under it?" Trust me brother, you don't want anything more than one layer (excluding innerwear) under your mandigan.

The ideal fit.