In the mid-19th century, a disastrous cavalry charge gave the world one of its coziest wardrobe staples. 

The cardigan sweater takes its name from James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British army officer who commanded the Light Brigade during the Crimean War — most famously at the Charge of the Light Brigade, a catastrophic assault brought on by muddled orders and poor communication.

The charge, launched at the Battle of Balaklava in October 1854, sent British cavalry straight into heavy Russian artillery fire. The results (heavy losses, but also the destruction of a Russian battery) became a symbol of both extraordinary bravery and military blunder. The event was immortalized in Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s famous poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” Cardigan himself emerged physically unscathed and, somewhat improbably, became a national celebrity.

That celebrity helped turn his preferred knitwear into a fashion trend. According to contemporary accounts, the earl was frequently seen wearing a collarless, button-front wool jacket, which was practical for the bitter Crimean cold. It’s often said he either popularized or helped develop the garment for his troops, and when Cardigan returned to Britain, the public’s fascination with the “hero” of Balaklava extended to his clothing. 

The snug sweater became known as a “cardigan,” cementing the earl’s name in everyday language — even as his reputation as a commander remained deeply controversial. 

Interestingly, the word “cardigan” has military connections that go even farther back. “Cardigan” is a place name in Wales, an Anglicization of the Welsh “Ceredigion,” which literally means “Ceredig’s land.” Ceredig was a legendary chieftain of North Britain who is said to have pushed back an Irish invasion of Wales in the fifth century CE and received the aforementioned land as a reward. In other words, every time you button up a cardigan, you’re wrapping yourself in layers of military history.