Kate Moss Can Keep Her Skinny Jeans—It's Her ‘90s Cardi Trend I Want to Own
In this week's instalment of Vibe Check, junior fashion editor Imani-Nia Francis-Tsolaki dives into the unexpected return of the faux fur-trimmed cardigan.
Let's be honest: cardigans used to be considered one of the frumpiest items someone could own. This grandma-coded layering piece was usually found squirrelled away under long wool coats and paired with "sensible" skirts, but the late 2010s gave the cardigan its first "main character" fashion moment with the reveal of Katie Holmes' Khaite "bra-digan", and once we saw that knitwear could be sexy, the tables turned. Now in 2026, the faux fur-trimmed cardigan returns in all its nostalgic, maximalist glory after having quite the revamp, and it may be the hottest thing to happen to the cardigan since Holmes' memorable street-style spotlight in 2019.
Channelling '70s rock-and-roll decadence with boho, vintage glam, the style borrows its opulent fur trim from the opera and Penny Lane aesthetics, but all with the comfort of a cosy cardigan. And, you may not have considered it, but the style has a rich history. In the 1950s, icons like Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly pioneered the "sweater girl", wearing cashmere twinsets trimmed with mink or fox collars over structured "bullet" bras. Then by the '90s, the style swapped its bourgeois polish for something far more edgy but equally campy.
Think Blumarine's memorable pastel cardigans that instantly became a favourite of supermodels Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, or Alice Silverstone's Cher Horowitz in pastel fluff-trimmed cardigans in Clueless. Not to mention early-aughts pop royalty like Britney Spears, Geri Halliwell and Christina Aguilera, who were regularly seen sporting soft and "girly" plush fur collars.
Eventually, though, these cardigans would take a brief hiatus. As fashion embraced minimalism in the late 2000s, fur-trimmed cardigans were relegated to the "tacky Y2K" archive. Fast-forward to 2020 and House of Sunny’s Peggy (a sage-green sensation) became a social-native favourite, with many a fan proving cosy could still be high-fashion. And by autumn/winter 2025, Valentino reaffirmed the style's luxury status by showcasing elevated versions alongside grey pinstripes and supersized sunnies.
This year, we've reached peak faux-fur-trimmed-cardigan saturation, with tastemakers like Zoë Kravitz, Bella Hadid and Bryanboy styling their tactile collared knits with metallic gold skirts, straight-leg jeans and tailored trousers. And with brands like Zara and Carelli creating best-selling styles, it's officially a thing again. Scroll down to shop the trend below.
Shop the Faux-Fur-Trimmed-Cardigan Trend:
