So, waterfall cardigans…

In many ways, they offer the features of the perfect over-garment, especially now someone, in their (apparently misogynistic) wisdom, has decided to cool our office daily to just short of Arctic.

And yet, for me, they’re a perpetual sartorial conundrum.

Firstly, how does one appropriately drape the bosom: over, around? Ought the plumes to flow over the precipice or snake their way down the sides? There are no buttons, obviously, which would suggest the fabric ought to flow around, but then you’re left with a chesty chasm and whole point of the cardigan is negated, surely?

So, what does ones wear under it in that case?

A shirt is no good; a collar and draping knitwear – nope. Same goes for a turtle neck – again, there’d be too much fabric about the neck. So, vest top..? Don’t get me started – that brings me to a whole other domain of dilemmas (for another time…) So, just a plain t-shirt I guess?

Furthermore, if one has  opted to encircle the bosom, then the fold of the fabric doesn’t ebb and flow in quite the right way and you end up with the inside-out bit displayed – very problematic if you’re dealing with an intarsia, patterned knit,as you can see here on the left.

I find I’m always tempted then to draw the whole thing around me, which doesn’t help matters, at all – see right.

Ultimately, I think the truth is that the waterfall cardigan has suffered that style relegation worse than mass-market: it has become pregnancy wear.

Just watch out for it: when someone in the office starts wearing the waterfall cardigan, it’s usually only a matter of months. Perhaps that is its point: it is meant as a distraction garment, by its very (bewildering) design?

Anyway, given this realisation, I am now suspicious of the enthusiasm generated by my attempt at wearing one last week – so much joy for a rather rogue cardie?  

And yet, I still feel like there ought to be potential there, so, anyone have any tips, if so please share?!