A cardigan does something a blazer or coat just can’t. You look put together and relaxed at the same time. This year celebrities wore them everywhere, red carpets, talk shows, awards stages, prestige dramas, in colors and prints that go way past the plain button-up version most people picture. Here’s list of celebrity cardigans worth copying in 2026.
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Sydney Sweeney Cardigan
Euphoria gave Sydney Sweeney a cardigan this season that just fits her character. Soft, plain, nothing trying too hard.
Elle Fanning Red Striped Cardigan
Margo’s Got Money Troubles put Elle Fanning in a red striped cardigan, loose fit, a stripe running through the red. It matches the show’s whole messy, colorful vibe.
Mikenley Brown Oversize Cardigan
On The Voice this season, contestant Mikenley wore an oversized brown cardigan. Warm color, roomy through the body, the kind of fit that photographs well from far back in a big room.
Competition shows live or die on how an outfit reads from a distance, and this one reads clearly no matter where you’re sitting. It also just looks comfortable, which matters a lot when you’re standing on stage feeling nervous.
Cobie Smulders Knit Cardigan
Shrinking put Cobie Smulders in a plain knit cardigan this season. Nothing fancy about it, just comfortable and easy, which is honestly all it needed to be.
Tatiana Maslany Brown Cardigan
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed gives Tatiana Maslany a brown cardigan, warm and soft-toned. It doesn’t ask for attention, and that’s exactly why it works so well. Brown has quietly become one of the most reliable colors in knitwear this year.
Olivia Rodrigo Cherry Print Cardigan
When Olivia Rodrigo hosted SNL, she wore a purple wool cardigan with red cherries stitched across the front. Puffy sleeves, ribbed cuffs, an open front you’d just pull closed with your hands instead of buttoning.
It matched her whole look that week too, low-rise jeans, Mary Janes, polka dots, like she’d stepped out of the 60s. People noticed the cherries right away since she’s used that same fruit before in her merch, so it didn’t feel random at all.
Fans went looking for the exact cardigan within hours of the episode airing, which tells you a lot about how well the whole outfit landed.
Charlie Christie Lamb Cardigan
This one’s built around a lamb design, soft colors, kind of a storybook feel to it. Good pick for a cozy, low-key event, nothing formal.
Tanin Nikpey Beige Print Cardigan
The Valley’s Persian Style spinoff put Tanin Nikpey in a beige print cardigan. The neutral background keeps the print from taking over, so it reads classy instead of busy.
Ryan Gosling Rocky Grace Fox Cardigan
Project Hail Mary keeps giving Ryan Gosling interesting wardrobe, and this cardigan is no exception. It brings warmth into a story that could’ve easily felt cold and sterile instead.
One knit piece can soften a whole scene without a single line of dialogue doing the work. It’s a small detail that adds up over the course of a whole movie.
Tracey Ullman Leopard Print Cardigan
Elsbeth put Tracey Ullman in a leopard print cardigan this season. Animal print cardigans have basically taken over TV wardrobes this year, and this one’s sized just right, noticeable but not costume-y. It fits right into a bigger pattern of print showing up across several different shows this season.
Braden Rumfelt Green Floral Cardigan
American Idol dressed Braden Rumfelt in a green floral cardigan, softer and more romantic than most competition show wardrobes go for. It works well under stage lights without pulling attention away from his actual singing.
Morgan Embroidered Cardigan
High Potential gives the character Morgan an embroidered cardigan this season. The embroidery sits in specific spots instead of scattered everywhere, which keeps the whole thing looking put together.
Kate Chastain Multicolor Printed Cardigan
House of Villains keeps its wardrobe loud on purpose, and Kate Chastain’s multicolor cardigan fits right in. Different colors working together instead of clashing, and it’s honestly hard to look away from once you see it on screen.
Keke Palmer Cardigan
The Burbs gives Keke Palmer a clean, simple cardigan that photographs well against basically any background. She rarely gets wardrobe wrong, and this proves it again.
Jennifer Hudson Knit Cardigan
Jennifer Hudson wore this knit cardigan on her talk show in 2026. Soft, easy, warm color, nothing about it competing with her guests or the set.
Daytime TV wardrobes have to work hard without ever looking like they’re trying, and this one nails that. It looks fresh hours into filming too, never wrinkled by the end of the day.
Sofia Rosinsky Cardigan
The Miniature Wife dresses Sofia Rosinsky in a simple, easy cardigan. Fits the show’s down-to-earth tone well.
Jaafar Jackson Red Cardigan
For the Michael biopic press circuit, Jaafar Jackson wore a red cardigan, a bold pick against an otherwise pretty plain wardrobe for the tour. Red is a harder color to pull off in this category, but keeping everything else simple made it work.
Bold color in one piece, quiet everywhere else. That trick works more often than you’d think, and it’s a good rule to keep in mind if you’re trying something similar yourself.
John Legend Blue & White Sherpa Fleece Cardigan
John Legend wore this cardigan during his eleventh season coaching The Voice. Soft textured fleece, zipper front instead of buttons, smooth lining inside, ribbed cuffs and collar to keep the cold out. White base, light blue print across the front and sleeves.
It’s proof a cardigan doesn’t need to look old-fashioned to still count as one. That zipper gives it a more modern, sportier feel than a regular button-up.
Coaches sit in the same chair for hours at a time, so comfort matters here just as much as how it looks on camera. This one manages both without any trade-off.
Umeko Peterson Textured Cardigan
Million Dollar Secret gives Umeko Peterson a textured cardigan this season, one that leans on the feel of the fabric instead of print or color to stand out. Sometimes texture alone is enough to catch the eye on camera.
Celebrity Cardigans Worth Watching in 2026
From Olivia Rodrigo’s cherry cardigan on SNL to John Legend’s sherpa fleece look on The Voice, celebrity cardigans in 2026 cover a lot of ground. Some go loud with print and color. Others let texture and fit do all the work instead.
If there’s one thing this list proves, it’s that celebrity cardigans worth copying this year don’t follow just one rule. A good cardigan just needs to fit the moment, whether that’s a stage under bright lights or a quiet scene on a streaming show. Get the fit and fabric right, and the color usually takes care of itself.
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