Cardigan Hunting 2011

Happy Monday!  Hopefully everyone had a nice weekend full of lovely weather and fall clothes.   My sweet husband and father in law have been working nonstop since Friday night on our new floors, and won't be totally done for a while.  It turns out that 1,000 square feet is a lot to tile in one weekend.  My job is mostly errand runner and chef until it's time to grout, so I've been cleaning the rest of the house and browsing online from my bed since the kitchen/living area is off limits.

Another task I undertook was reorganizing our closet and moving the summer clothes to their winter home in the guest room dresser.  I donated a lot of clothes to the fire relief efforts in Texas (thousands of homes have burned, so sad) and was left with the things I actually wear, or should be wearing more.  I even got rid of some cardigans that were showing their age, and realized that I needed to replace several of my staple pieces.

I'm pretty picky about my cardigans, and it turns out that this season's styles rarely meet my criteria.  I look for thin but not too thin knit, hip length, 3/4 sleeves, and saturated colors.  You'd think this would be easy to find, right?  It wasn't.  However, I did luck out and find these babies at Target for $15 (!!!):

Mossimo Ultra Soft Cardigan Sweater
I was initially skeptical of the quality for $15, but I can happily report that these cardigans are awesome.  I originally bought one to try out, and now have three (and counting).  There are 16 colors, but only 6 options in store.

I replaced my black and gray cardigans with new, unfaded ones and couldn't resist the (Texas A&M Aggie) maroon hue, which looks purple on my screen but isn't.

If Mossimo isn't your thing, I also found a similar line at Lands End Canvas.  The Heritage cardigan comes in 26 colors and has a crew neck

And of course, there's always Jackie.  Perfect shape, rainbow of colors, and not the highest price out there.

And finally, LOFT is always a great source for cardies.  (I should know, I have 5.)  This year they have lots of great embellished and longer cut styles, but their basic 3/4 sleeve pima cotton sweater is my favorite and it's very affordable at about $25 with discounts included.

 Does anyone else swear by the basic cardigan?  What brand/style is your favorite?

P.S. I don't have an impressive floor picture to share yet, but as soon as it looks complete enough to photograph I'll post something!