Cashmere Sweater?

Kafe

I am interested in getting a nice cashmere sweater for fall but have heard some are much better quality than others. There's a J Crew outlet near me, but I hear theirs pill like crazy.

Could you please recommend a good brand and/or store? It's about time I upgrade some of my sweaters.

Thank you.

14 years ago

General

17 replies

Latest reply was from christina

(website)

Veteran

I have heard that getting a Scottish made is a good bet - and I guess pashmina is a particular weave of indian cashmere that is also supposed to be superior. Beyond that, I suppose the 2 and 3 ply are things to look for. I have a Tse Say sweater set that has held up quite well that I found on eBay for 1/4 the retail.
Here is a little info on pilling and fibers from their website, in the Q & A section under the About link. http://www.tsecashmere.com/

14 years ago

Kafe

Active Member

Thanks, Mo. This is very helpful.

14 years ago

Diana

Veteran

I agree with Mo - Scottish cashmere is always a good bet. Beyond that, I'd look for something a bit thicker with multiple plies (cashmere yarn is fairly weak and has short fibers (hence its softness), so it breaks easily) - I've not found very thin cashmere sweaters to be worth it as they sprout holes very easily. I'd be wary of things labeled "pashmina" because I don't believe the term is regulated - often a "pashmina" scarf will be acrylic. Mo is correct in that pashmina is supposed to be a specific kind of cashmere, but the term seems to be abused a lot. If it's real cashmere it will most likely say "100% cashmere."

Unfortunately, price is often a good indicator of cashmere quality... in general you can even tell by feeling a sweater that a $99 cashmere sweater does not feel nearly as luscious as a $300 one.

I have a sweater from Autumn Cashmere that is still going strong after several years of fairly frequent wearing, so you might want to check them out. (Nordie's carries this brand.)

Oh, and something everyone should know about cashmere - you should always hand wash it (and flat dry, never wring) and never send it to the dry cleaners. Something about the dry cleaning chemicals is supposed to make the fibers weaker, less soft, and more prone to breakage.

14 years ago

Scarlet

Veteran

I have had great luck with Vince but haven't bought from them in a few years.

14 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

Another vote for the Scottish kind. Every time I find an impeccable vintage cashmere sweater, it's from Scotland. Every time I find one from last season that's pilled beyond saving, it's from China.

14 years ago

Barbara

Veteran

Another vote for Scottish cashmere. I scored some beautiful sweatshirt-styled jewel toned cashmere sweaters at TJM. ALL made in Scotland!

14 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

I love cashmere! The very best stuff does come from Scotland, but you can find some good stuff made in China as well. The pilling comes from the quality and fluff of the cashmere, but it is somewhat unavoidable. The best way is to test the hand feel. If it feels thin, light and fluffy, it will pill horribly. If it feels thicker or denser, less so.

Brands that have worked for me include TSE, Lutz and Patmos, ParkVogel, Inhabit, Eileen Fisher, Christopher Fischer, and Vince. Neiman Marcus and Henri Bendel house brands are often good bets. Good vintage brands are Dalton, Pringle, and - shoot - blanking on the last one! Argh!

The best places I've found for cashmere are vintage stores and ebay. Prices are going to start going up now since it's fall, but will drop post-holiday as well.

14 years ago

Kafe

Active Member

Wow, you are all so knowledgeable. Thank you for the recommendations! I am off to start looking all of these up.

ironcurtain, do you have any pictures of your cashmere? It sounds like you have quite a collection.

14 years ago

MsMaven

Veteran

Nordstrom usually has decent cashmere at a relatively affordable price, but they don't show up until closer to the holidays. They will be classic styles though. If you wait until the fall sales, NM has good cashmere at a reasonable price: look for their brand and White + Warren.

There is a store in Carmel, CA that sells Scottish cashmere. It's been a long time since I bought anything from them. I don't know if this is the same one, but you could check out this website.

http://www.cashmereclub.com/

14 years ago

Kafe

Active Member

Carmel? Drat! I knew I didn't want to leave Monterey when we lived there!

14 years ago

MsMaven

Veteran

Oops! I just looked at a few of their prices--not as reasonable as I remember.

14 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

Yeah, I have an embarrassment of cashmere. I'm out of town but can post later if you like.

14 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

My j. crew one has held up okay, but it is thin! Garnet Hill has some nice cashmere, from what I've seen in consignment stores it holds up well.

14 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

Oh, and pashmina is a made-up term - it can mean any kind of a shawl, or a wool blend, or what it is supposed to mean, a very fine superior kind of wool from goats. It's become a noun somehow ("I wore my pashmina").

14 years ago

taylor

Veteran

I love cashmere and have MANY, MANY sweaters and cardi's...honestly Ann Taylor has some of the best...way better than JCREW!!
An article InStyle ( I believe)? that did a review and ranked Ann Taylor as having the best of the 3/4 brands they studied!!

Pilling is just the nature of the beast with cashmere , but AT pills the least

14 years ago

Kafe

Active Member

Thank you everyone. This is all so helpful.

ironcurtain, if you have time when you get home, I'd love to see some pictures.

In fact, if anyone has pictures I'd love to see them.

14 years ago

christina

Active Member

I have had good luck with Garnet Hill, Talbots, Nordstroms and JJill. I have not had good luck with JCrew lasting - mine have barely made it through a season. I often buy bargain cashmere, knowing it will only last a season, in unique styles and colours. Sometimes I get lucky and it lasts longer.

14 years ago

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