The Earl of Cardigan was described as”vain” and “contentious” “foppish,” “hopeless,” “a notorious rake,” while Cecil Woodham Smith, in his book The Reason Why, calls Cardigan, “unusually stupid,” and “an ass.” Regardless of his character flaws, the Earl of Cardigan was a natty dresser, and made sure that the brigade he took charge of in 1857 was well dressed, sporting woolen button-down jackets. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding and an apparent lack of common sense, Cardigan lead that same well-dressed brigade into a disastrous cavalry battle against the Russians at Balklava during the Crimean war. Over half the men were slaughtered, and the event was immortalized in Tennyson’s poem, Charge of the Light Brigade. His name is used today to describe a knitted sweater that buttons down the front similar to the original woolen jackets worn by his ill-fated brigade.