Merino club cardigan in cream purple and green

Model wears size 40/M. He measures: chest circumference 36" (92cm); height 6"2 (188cm).

• This style runs small. We recommend that you take one size up from your usual size
• Please see size chart at the top of the page
• Slim modern fit but has a small amount of natural stretch and moulds to body over time
• Body of cardigan tapers slightly from the chest down to the hem to give a more fitted look when buttoned up
• Smaller armhole compared to traditional "baggy" sweaters, without being overly restrictive

Our merino club cardigan takes its inspiration from retro sports cardigans of the 60s and 70s, with their wide flat ribs and contrasting central plackets, made iconic by famous sports brands of that era like Fila and Umbro, as well as the clothing of English country clubs which favoured sweaters and cardigans often with striped trims and logos that are unique to them.

It is knitted in Scotland in a slim fit and designed with a deep v neck for a more contemporary look. The all over flat rib knit structure is a homage to the retro sports cardigans that were often worn by tennis stars in the 70s, as are the contrasting neck trims. The cream version is paired with a dark green and deep purple neck trim, and the navy version is paired with a burgundy and cream neck trim. It is then furnished with horn buttons for an understated, elegant look.

The merino club cardigan is perfect for transitional weather like a spring and autumn, given its relatively open and airy texture, making it ideal for throwing on over a t shirt or polo shirt after a day in the sun. With a slightly more casual and sporty design, it looks great accompanied by a pair of shorts and loafers, a pair of jeans, or casual chino trousers.

Hand Feel

This piece is unimaginably soft, due to it being made with the world's finest merino, but has a dense, substantial hand feel. 

It combines the very best of Italian and Scottish knitwear craftsmanship. With its yarn spun in Italy (we use the famous Cashwool® extra merino from what is recognised in the industry as the world’s leading merino yarn spinners, Zegna Baruffa), but knitted and washed in the Scottish Borders, the piece possesses the unique quality of being light, breathable and soft (characteristic of knitwear made with Italian yarn), but has a robustness that comes with having been washed in Scottish water, with all its unique minerals that strengthen the knitwear, making it last decades.

This is why even though the piece feels light when worn and the knitted fabric is incredibly flowy and breathable, it still weighs in around 600 grams. It is a departure from some spring/summer cardigans you might sometimes find which whilst soft, might also not be densely knitted enough and is therefore flimsy and not long-lasting.

We are confident in bringing you the world’s finest knitwear because we only use the very best at every stage of manufacture:

Quality of fibre: 100% extrafine merino wool of the highest quality, sourced from a special breed of Australian sheep that yields some of the world’s finest merino wool fibres, with a fibre diameter of c. 19.5 microns (the world's finest, hence softest, merino wool). By comparison, most ordinary lambswool averages 21 - 24 microns in fibre diameter. Fibre length is c. 58 – 60mm - the long staple length keeps the sweater in shape and avoids pilling. 

Quality of yarn: the world’s best extrafine merino wool yarn produced by world renowned spinners Zegna Baruffa at their famous wool mill in Borgosesia, Northern Italy. Italian specialists in the production of fine, light weight yarns since the early 1800s, Zegna Baruffa had been known in particular for their prestigious Cashwool® collection – merino wool yarns that are regarded as the world’s softest merino, hence “Cashwool®” – the hand feel being so comparable to the softness of cashmere itself, except that it is breezier than cashmere, making it the perfect yarn for lighter weight knits.  

Quality of knit: knitted, hand-finished and washed by fourth generation heritage knitwear specialists in Hawick, the Scottish Borders, a region whose expertise in the trade is without compare. Garments are knitted tightly to minimise gaps and to ensure longevity.

Quality of finish: there is a high degree of hand-finishing. The sweater is "fully-fashioned", as signified by the faint-dotted lines along the sleeve-head of the jumper. This makes the garment more well fitted, much like a bespoke suit. Individual pieces of the sweater are “hand-linked” - a meticulous process by which each tiny knit-loop at the end of each piece of the sweater is linked together by hand, ensuring the seams are the straightest and strongest. 

Quality of wash: the finished product is carefully washed in pure Scottish waters with the precise balance of minerals, so that the garment is given its famous soft handle without compromising the integrity of the fibres. Scottish knitwear may feel a little stiff to begin with but will soften naturally with age.

Find out more about the quality of our garments here.

Hand wash or dry clean only. Click here for more detail.