Cardigans are wonderful. They are cozy, they are a great layer for a day at the office, they can be dressed up for a community organizing meeting with a tie or a lovely scarf, and they remind me of Mr. Rogers, whom I will love forever.
Cardigans are not, however, a garment that should be worn for important leadership appearances. They are soft and cozy, while such occasions call for structured and professional.
Cardigans are the garment you can wear after you get the job or pass the initiative or deliver the speech or the sermon. They are not the top layer you wear when you are trying to make an impression.
Herein ends the lesson.
I once heard a stylist say something like, “Wear a blazer! If you turn up at a meeting wearing a cardigan, people will try to give you all the bad jobs. If you turn up wearing a blazer, people will assume you are important and busy and will listen to you.” [Oh, I love it! – PB]
I’ve weeded out a few of these from my wardrobe, once I went from associate minister for pastoral care (“Trust me! Feel comfortable around me! Let me into this embarrassing hospital situation and feel totally okay!”) to lead minister for a large church (“Let me tell you where I see the church budget this year… Here’s why black lives matter.”) Now of course you need both on occasion for both jobs, but def a matter of emphasis. Especially the nubbly, fluffy variety of cardigan.