Slim-Fit Shirt-Collar Wool Cardigan with Shell Buttons

The Slim-Fit Shirt-Collar Wool Cardigan combines the polished look of a shirt collar with the warmth and texture of a classic wool cardigan. Its slim-fit silhouette creates a clean, structured look without feeling overly formal, making it suitable for workwear, smart-casual collections, boutique fashion, and everyday autumn and winter styling.

The shirt-style collar gives the cardigan a distinctive layered look, while natural shell buttons add a subtle premium detail. The fitted shape works well with tailored trousers, skirts, jeans, and dresses, allowing fashion brands to position this style across multiple retail categories.

As a professional garment manufacturer, Qingdao Chengyuan Garment Co., Ltd. provides one-stop OEM and ODM clothing solutions, including design development, pattern making, sample production, customization, and bulk manufacturing. Buyers can customize materials, colors, sizing, labels, buttons, and other garment details according to their collection requirements.

Women’s Long-Sleeve Slim-Fit Cardigan with Natural Shell Buttons

Wholesale and private label

Overview

This is a women’s long-sleeve cardigan knitted in a 70% Tencel, 24% wool and 6% elastane blend, cut slim through the body and finished with natural shell buttons down the front. It is a layering piece for spring and autumn and for indoor winter wear, sitting between a light knit and a jacket in terms of warmth. The yarn is fine enough to wear under a coat without bulk, while the wool adds warmth and the elastane keeps the slim fit in shape. Sizes run XS–XXXL and can be graded to your own size chart. MOQ is 100 pieces per colourway.

Product specification

Fabric: 70% Tencel (Lyocell), 24% wool, 6% elastane.

Buttons: natural shell, 18L or 20L, with a spare button on the care label.

Fit: slim, long sleeve, button front, ribbed cuffs and hem.

Sizes: XS–XXXL (US 0–26 / EU 32–58 / UK 4–30).

MOQ: 100 pieces per colourway, mixed sizes accepted.

Sample: 7–10 working days per round.

Bulk lead time: 25–40 days after sample approval and deposit.

Customization: yarn colours, melange yarn, colour blocking, labels, packaging.

Quality control: inline and final inspection, needle detection, button check.

Why buyers choose this style

The cardigan gives buyers a premium piece with a real material story. A Tencel-dominant blend feels soft and drapes without weight; the wool content adds warmth and resilience; and genuine shell buttons photograph well and lift the garment above a basic knit. The slim fit works for layering, and the long sleeve makes it wearable across three seasons rather than one.

For the buyer, the style is simple to repeat. Yarn is dyed to Pantone, the fit and placket are fixed on an approved sample, and the MOQ is 100 pieces per colourway across our whole range. Sampling takes 7–10 working days per round and bulk production 25–40 days, so the style fits a normal buying calendar without special arrangements.

Natural shell buttons

All buttons on this cardigan are natural shell buttons, also called mother-of-pearl buttons. They are cut and polished from shell rather than molded from plastic, which is why they feel cool to the touch, have a slight weight in the hand, and show a soft, deep luster instead of a flat shine.

Because shell is a natural material, every button is slightly different. Tone, pattern and the amount of visible grain vary from button to button, and small variations between buttons on the same cardigan are normal. This is a selling point rather than a defect, but it is worth explaining in the product copy so buyers do not treat it as a fault. Buttons can be supplied in natural white, off-white or a smoky grey tone, in sizes such as 18L or 20L depending on the placket width.

Shell buttons are strong and chip-resistant in normal wear, and they do not carry the plastic sheen that makes a premium knit look cheaper. Each button is sewn with a cross stitch using a strong, colour-matched thread, and a spare button is attached to the care label. If you prefer a different look, the same cardigan can be made with horn-look, corozo or metal buttons, but the shell version is the one that lifts the garment into a higher price bracket.

Slim fit and construction

The cardigan is knitted in a fine gauge, which keeps the surface smooth and gives the fabric a soft drape. Fully fashioned panels are knitted to shape and linked at the seams rather than cut from a panel of fabric, so the seams lie flat, the garment holds its shape after washing, and production wastes less yarn.

The front placket is knitted to match the body and finished with a narrow border, so the button line lies flat against the chest and doesn’t ripple when the cardigan is buttoned. Buttonholes are worked with a tight, clean edge and reinforced, so they do not stretch out of shape with daily use. The front edge runs continuously from the neck to the hem, so the placket reads as one clean line.

The fit is slim but not tight. The body follows the waist without pulling across the chest, the sleeve is long and narrows slightly towards the cuff, and the sleeve head is set so the shoulder line stays soft rather than sharp. Ribbed cuffs and hem hold the cardigan in place and stop the hem from curling, and the rib is knitted in the same yarn as the body so the colour matches exactly.

For a slim-fit cardigan, the most common failure is the button line pulling open across the chest. We control this by knitting the front panels slightly wider at the bust, by testing the button position on a model during sampling, and by checking the placket length against the body length before bulk.

Tencel and wool, finished and washed

Fabric blend: 70% Tencel (Lyocell), 24% wool and 6% elastane. Tencel gives the cardigan its softness, drape and cool hand feel, and it breathes better than polyester, which keeps the knit comfortable indoors. Wool adds warmth, natural resilience and temperature regulation. Elastane is what makes the slim fit work: the knit stretches with the body and recovers, so the cardigan does not bag at the elbows, cuffs or side seams after a full day of wear.

Pilling: wool fibres migrate to the surface over time, so light pilling can appear at friction points such as the underarm, cuff edge and where a bag rubs against the side. We control this with a higher-twist yarn, by keeping the wool at this content, and by testing pilling before bulk. An anti-pilling finish can be added for higher price points.

Yarn and finish: yarn count is usually 2/48 Nm to 2/60 Nm for this gauge. Colour is dyed on the yarn, which gives an even shade and avoids the streaky look that can appear when a blended knit is piece-dyed.

Care: hand wash or wool cycle at 30°C or below; do not tumble dry; dry flat; cool iron with steam. Avoid bleach and hot water, as heat affects both the wool and the elastane.

Testing: fiber composition, colorfastness, pilling, shrinkage and stretch recovery can all be tested to the standard your market requires.

Fit and sizes

The cardigan is available in XS–XXXL, with US, EU and UK conversions listed below for reference.

XS (US 0–2 / EU 32–34 / UK 4–6)

S (US 4–6 / EU 36–38 / UK 8–10)

M (US 8–10 / EU 40–42 / UK 12–14)

L (US 12–14 / EU 44–46 / UK 16–18)

XL (US 16–18 / EU 48–50 / UK 20–22)

XXL (US 20–22 / EU 52–54 / UK 24–26)

XXXL (US 24–26 / EU 56–58 / UK 28–30)

Sizing varies between brands, so please check the size guide before ordering.

Customization

Colours: Pantone matching on yarn, solid shades, melange or marl yarns, and colour blocking on the placket, cuffs and hem.

Buttons: natural shell in white, off-white or smoky grey; horn-look, corozo or metal also available.

Fit: waist, chest, sleeve length and body length adjusted to your measurements.

Labels and packaging: woven labels, care labels, hangtags, barcodes and patches, plus poly bags, header cards or retail boxes with carton markings.

Sampling and production timeline

1. Inquiry. Send a photo, a sketch or a tech pack.
2. Yarn. Confirm the blend and colour, 3–7 days.
3. Pattern. Fit and placket development, 2–3 days.
4. Sample. First sample, 7–10 working days per round.
5. Approval. Your sign-off on fit, yarn, buttons and trims.
6. Bulk. Production, 25–40 days after approval and deposit.
7. Shipment. Final inspection and packing, then sea, air or express.

Most knitwear styles are approved in two rounds: the first sample confirms the fit and the placket, the second confirms the yarn, buttons and trims. A pre-production sample is approved before bulk knitting starts.

Quality control, stage by stage

• Yarn checked before knitting.
• Panels measured during knitting.
• Button strength and placket alignment checked.
• Measurement, colour and label verification.
• Needle detection on every garment.
• Third-party inspection arranged at your request.

Because shell buttons vary naturally, we check the buttons as a set on each garment rather than against a single colour standard, and any chipped or cracked buttons are rejected before packing.

Minimum order quantity

The MOQ is 100 pieces per colourway, and mixed sizes within one colour are accepted, so a 100-piece order can cover a full size run. This applies across our whole range, letting buyers test fit and sell-through before placing a larger order. Custom dyed yarn, melange yarn or special buttons may require a higher quantity because of the minimum dye lot at the spinner, and this is confirmed at quotation stage.

What we need from you

• A clear photo, a sketch, a sample from another market or a full tech pack.
• Your size range and grading, or we can develop one and send it for approval.
• Pantone colour references for the yarn.
• Button preference: natural shell, or an alternative finish.
• Label, hangtag and packaging requirements, plus barcode details.
• Destination country and any testing standard your market requires.

If you prefer to work with your own yarn, ship it to us and we will confirm the hand feel, shade and shrinkage before knitting.

FAQ

What is the MOQ? 100 pieces per colourway, mixed sizes accepted.

How long does sampling take? 7–10 working days per round.

How long is bulk production? 25–40 days after sample approval and deposit.

Are the buttons real shell? Yes. All buttons are natural shell, with a spare button on the care label.

Can I use my own yarn? Yes, or we can source and develop it for you.

Do you handle shipping? We ship by sea, air or express to your port or forwarder.

Other styles in the same program

Fine-gauge cardigans, crew-neck sweaters and shell-button tops. Same MOQ, same sample time and the same quality control, so they can be ordered together and shipped in one consignment.

Have a tech pack or a photo? Send it over.

We will come back with a sample plan, the MOQ and a quotation for your market. For repeat orders we keep your yarn, colour and pattern on record, so the next order starts from the approved sample.

Cheng Yuan Clothing Workshop 

OEM & ODM Wool Cardigan Manufacturer

Qingdao Chengyuan Garment Co., Ltd. provides an integrated garment manufacturing process covering design, pattern making, sampling, and bulk production.

Our production capability supports both small trial orders and larger B2B programs. With a monthly production capacity of approximately 80,000–120,000 finished pieces, we can support growing brands moving from initial samples to repeat bulk production.

For buyers developing a new women’s knitwear collection, we can help coordinate the product development process from the initial design concept through final production.

Contact us for competitive pricing.