In the UK, slacks are what older women wear, tres uncool.
okay, so I didn’t know that. Ignorance fought.
But now I have a truly vital question: Why in og’s name is it necessary to have two words for this concept?
Is there any other item of clothing which is called by a totally different name just because it doesn’t have buttons?
:shrug: beats me. Just the vagaries of British apparel terminology I guess. Although it’s handy to have a distinct term rather than having to resort to “unbuttoned jumper” or somesuch.
And for the sake of uber-completeness, here in the US, a cardigan is any knit garment that has a slit all the way from top to bottom, designed to be worn over at least the top half of your body, below your head. No buttons necessary.
But but, they are TOTALLY different things. :eek:
To be fair, I think we’d call all those cardigans too.
(BTE your link took me to the British site, where all those garments are, indeed, cardigans)
We’re not only separated by language, but by web site redirection.
Oh the humanity!
Because the version with the buttons was thought up by/created for Lord Cardigan, the Crimean War commander (and FWIW, Raglan sleeves are named for his colleague). And sometimes one wants to make a distinction, since one is much easier to put on and take off, especially for the elderly and infirm.
Wow! you learn somethin’ new every day.
Now, me, I’ve heard of the Earls of Sandwich, and Mackintosh, whose names have entered the language.
But Lords Cardigan and Raglan are new to me…
What other aristocrats have you got that I can wear or eat? 
Well of course there’s Wellington boots.
DO NOT Google image search “Prince Albert piercing” though!
It’s not just the buttons, it’s the sweater being open down the front.
Kind of a poncho versus cape idea. And then there’s a shawl. And a wrap. And a pashmina. All things that go over your shoulders but don’t have arms.
Shrugs are a hybrid of the two.
To add further confusion in the north of England pants are trousers and underpants are underpants, or kegs, or some other local variant.
I agree with the notion that sweaters are not very close to sweatshirts or sweatpants on the mindmap. Perhaps it’s because we first start seeing and wearing sweaters at a far earlier age than when we learn about actual sweat, compulsory PE, gym towels, treadmills and all tne rest of it.
I agree, but point out that our word “pullover” seems preferable to jumper. Doesn’t “jumper” slso mean a type of little girl’s dress in American?
But isn’t there always some type of closure, like zipper or at least a belt?
Then there’s Prince of Wales check, a wool pattern frequently used in suits.
Nope. The unclosable cardigan is trendy. For example, run your mouse over the picture here. No buttons, zippers, belts, clasps. Or look at more of them here.
Yep, a sleeveless dress for any age woman, intended to be worn over a long-sleeved shirt.
I think I was remembering something different then. Can a jumper (in America) have buttons some other type of closure–not necessarily down the front–or does it have to pulled on like a pullover sweater?
How do you like to knot your necktie? I’m sure a King beats Earls and Lords.
You meanlike this? Sure.