A cardigan is the buttoned knitted garment named after James Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan.
Brudenell was a British Army major general who commanded the Light Brigade during the Crimean War’s disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava in 1854. The garment’s name became associated with him because knitted wool waistcoats were reportedly worn by British officers during the campaign, and the earl’s sudden fame helped make the style fashionable.
Originally, “cardigan” referred more narrowly to a sleeveless knitted vest. The meaning broadened over time to include open-front knitted garments with sleeves, usually fastened with buttons. Unlike a pullover, a cardigan opens at the front and can be put on without pulling it over the head.
The historical story is partly wrapped in legend: popular accounts say the earl inspired or even invented the garment, but the evidence for direct invention is weak. Coco Chanel later helped popularize cardigans in women’s fashion, especially because their open front avoided disturbing carefully styled hair.