Womenswear
Ethical British-Made Women's Cardigans — Voted by the Community
This directory lists 10 brands that make ethical women's cardigans in the UK. Prices run from affordable to luxury. Ranked by community upvotes.
Oubas
Oubas is a British knitwear brand founded in 2012 by Kate Stalker, creating timeless pieces using ethically sourced materials and supporting UK artisans. They produce knitwear in Cumbria and work with traditional mills in England.
- Contemporary
- Ethical
- Timeless
Factory shop- Contemporary
- Ethical
- Timeless
Carrier Company
Carrier Company is a family-run British brand crafting sustainable clothing and equipment since 1995. Each piece is handcrafted using locally sourced materials, inspired by North Norfolk’s traditions of gardening and foraging.
- Classic
- Country
- Ethical
Shop to visit- Classic
- Country
- Ethical
See these brands on the map8 places from 5 brands, 5 of them shops you can visit.Open the map- Cara and the Sky
Cara and the Sky
Cara & The Sky is an independent British knitwear brand founded in 2019, specialising in colourful, sustainably-focused knits designed by founder Cara and made in the UK.
- Contemporary
- Ethical
- Contemporary
- Ethical
Phoebe English
Clothing made in England attempting a variety of solutions towards less extractive fashion systems. Est 2011.
- Bridal
- Casual
- Classic
Shop to visit- Bridal
- Casual
- Classic
Community Clothing
Community Clothing is a British brand founded in 2016 by Patrick Grant. They produce affordable, high-quality, seasonless staples in the UK, supporting local factories and minimising waste.
- Casual
- Classic
- Ethical
- Casual
- Classic
- Ethical
Sims Wear
Sims Wear crafts timeless British menswear using top-quality natural fibres, made to last. Discover elevated wardrobe essentials, knitted-to-order in the UK.
- Classic
- Ethical
- Timeless
- Classic
- Ethical
- Timeless
ROVE Knitwear
ROVE Knitwear, founded in 2013, is an independent British brand specialising in sustainable, long-lasting knitwear made in England using British spun wool.
- Classic
- Contemporary
- Ethical
Factory shop- Classic
- Contemporary
- Ethical
ELWIN
ELWIN is a British luxury brand crafting sustainable women's knitwear and clothing.
- Contemporary
- Ethical
- Slow Fashion
- Contemporary
- Ethical
- Slow Fashion
HERD
HERD, founded in 2020, crafts sustainable womens knitwear.
- Classic
- Ethical
- Slow Fashion
Shop to visit- Classic
- Ethical
- Slow Fashion
Navy Grey
Navygrey is a British knitwear brand focused on timeless, sustainable designs. Known for its high-quality natural wool, the brand emphasizes craftsmanship, eco-conscious production, and classic elegance.
- Classic
- Contemporary
- Ethical
- Classic
- Contemporary
- Ethical
Shops run by brands that make ethical women's cardigans
5 of the 10 brands that make ethical women's cardigans have a shop you can visit in Flookburgh, Holt, London and 2 other towns.
Flookburgh
Oubasfactory shop
Holt
Margate
ROVE Knitwearfactory shop
Stow-on-the-Wold
This independent directory lists UK-made clothing brands, and marks those that make only some items here.Why choose British-made?
A Brief History of British Made Cardigans
The cardigan takes its name from James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, the British Army officer who led the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava in 1854, during the Crimean War. The garment was modelled on the knitted wool waistcoat worn by British officers in that war. It began as menswear, and Coco Chanel later helped make it a staple for women with her jersey cardigan suits of the 1910s and 1920s. Knitting in Britain is much older than the cardigan. Hand knitting was well established before machines arrived, and the stocking frame, credited to William Lee of Calverton near Nottingham in 1589, began the mechanisation of the craft. Framework knitting later became a major industry in Nottingham and Leicester, and in the 1750s Jedediah Strutt's Derby rib attachment allowed ribbed fabric to be knitted by machine. British-made cardigans draw on this long knitting tradition, using natural fibres such as wool and established methods suited to a garment made for layering.