Oh, I do love cashmere sweaters, and live in them from October to May. Here's my experience: J. Crew sweaters come in interesting colors and styles, but the quality of their cashmere has declined sharply in the last 5 years, and all of my recent purchases have pilled badly right from the start. Land's End used to have amazing cashmere, but their product, too, has declined. If you can afford cashmere from any of the great Scottish firms, you won't regret it; unfortunately, their styles are not always up to date. I had a pleasant surprise this Winter when I ordered a (very affordable) sweater from Zara--thick, soft, a gorgeous pale shade, and not pilling so far. If you have narrow hips, try the Men's sweater department of any department store for classic v-necks--great quality and colors. Macy's store brand Charter House has nice mid-range cashmere for everyday which goes on sale at Winter's end for ridiculously low prices. If you don't mind hunting, try thrift shops, where a high-end cashmere sweater can sell for $5-$20; a small mothhole can be easily dealt with by taking small stitches (no knots) from the back of the fabric with regular thread to match. I've rescued many beautiful sweaters this way, including vintage ones from Scotland--definitely worth saving. Finally, here's a secret: white or pale shades of cashmere yarns are made from the softer, whiter belly fleece, dark & black ones generally from the coarser fibers, so light colored sweaters are usually softer and loftier than dark ones. Yum.
