Named after the 7th Earl of Cardigan, who led the Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854 and popularized the jacket.
Definition
A knitted sweater or jacket that opens down the front, typically fastened with buttons.
The Full Story
English (personal name)1868well-attested
Named after James Thomas Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan (1797–1868), who reputedly popularised the knitted wool waistcoat during the Crimean War (1853–1856). The Earl led the famous — and catastrophic — Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava. His title derives from Ceredigion, a historic region of westWales, from Old Welsh Ceretic (a personal name
Did you know?
The Charge of the Light Brigade was one of the most catastrophic blunders in British military history, but it gave English two garments: the 'cardigan' (named after Lord Cardigan who led it) and the 'balaclava' (named after the battle's location in Crimea).