The Lilac Cardigans We Keep Coming Back To Handpicked by Claire

Lilac sits in an odd, useful place between neutral and colour, which is exactly why the cardigan works so hard for so little effort. It reads as considered rather than sweet, provided the shade leans slightly dusty or greyed off rather than sugared. A good one earns its place through the fabric first: a fine merino or a cotton blend with proper stitch density holds shape at the cuff and hem, whereas anything too loosely knitted will bag at the elbow within a fortnight and look tired long before it’s actually old. Weight matters more than most people think. Something midweight drapes rather than clings, sits properly on the shoulder seam, and doesn’t collapse into a shapeless layer the moment you sit down.

Fit is where most lilac cardigans go wrong.

Oversized has its place, but only when the shoulder seam still lands close to where it should, otherwise you get a garment that looks borrowed rather than chosen. A slightly cropped or classic length, sitting at or just below the waistband, tends to be the most useful because it works over both trousers and skirts without needing to be tucked, folded, or negotiated with.

Buttons should sit flat, not strain, and the ribbing at the cuff and hem should hold its structure after a wash, not stretch into a slouch that never recovers.

Styling it well is mostly about contrast. Lilac against black or charcoal grey looks sharp and current rather than soft. Against cream or white it turns gentle without tipping into whimsical. Denim is the easy option and a good one, but it’s worth trying it over a slip dress or a plain white shirt, where the colour gets to do something rather than just complete an outfit. Layered under a wool coat with the collar showing, it adds warmth of tone to an otherwise grey winter palette without shouting about it.

Occasion wise, this is a piece for the in between moments: an office that isn’t strict about tailoring, a lunch that could tip into an evening, a weekend where you want to look put together without appearing to have tried. It photographs well, which matters more than people admit, and it flatters most skin tones far more reliably than lilac’s reputation as a difficult colour would suggest.