Where to Buy Cashmere Sweaters

The cashmere sweater is the perfect wardrobe basic for cooler months. It is lightweight, soft and warm. You can opt for a versatile neutral tone like black, grey or tan. Or you could choose a bold and bright color, like red for Christmas or orange to stand out from the crowd. Cashmere dyed lighter colors tends to be softer. The dying process can be rough on the fibers, so darker colored sweaters and garments can feel less soft.

Always shop for the best quality sweater you can afford. Cashmere can be found at lots of retailers and comes in a variety of prices. Thicker sweaters have more cashmere in them because they are more densely knit. To test the quality of a sweater, run your hand over the material. It should be soothingly soft and pleasing to the touch. Cashmere of quality is never mixed with lamb’s wool or other materials.

Next, gently tug on the material and release it. High quality cashmere springs back to its original shape easily. Lower quality cashmere, the kind made with the poorer fibers from the cashmere goat, is easily pulled out of shape. Also, try the sweater or garment on. Quality cashmere drapes well. It should not wrinkle or stick out stiffly. Cashmere made with the lesser fibers pills more easily since it uses the shorter hairs of the goat. Good cashmere uses the long fine strands from the underbelly.

According to rules established by the Federal Trade Commission, genuine cashmere is always labeled “100 percent cashmere” on the interior label. If there are other materials blended in, like wool, it must be stated on there as well. If there is no label there is no guarantee you are buying real cashmere.

This guarantee of quality and authenticity is the primary reason you should buy your cashmere sweaters and garments from a trusted retailer. Try a large department store or well-known catalog company.

A cheaper sweater is typically made with one ply strands versus the two play method that results in a warmer, strong and thicker weave. The ply is the method of twisting the yarns together. You can find two, four, six and even eight ply cashmere.

Check the label inside the sweater to see where the sweater was made. Scotland continues to be the maker of some of the world’s best cashmere. But that shouldn’t be your only goal – stylish and quality cashmere can come from other countries as well.

Italy, for instance, is also home to some beautiful and expensive cashmere garments. Loro Piana is an Italian cashmere designer, and their web site claims the company is the largest cashmere manufacturer in the Western world. Their high-end goods will definitely impact your wallet, however. You can find Loro Piana sweaters at Nieman Marcus, for instance, where a cashmere turtleneck sells for $860. A cashmere cape with leather trim by Loro Piana will set you back $4495.

Nieman Marcus also carries cashmere garments and accessories by other major designers. This department store carries cashmere designs by TSE, Burberry, Donna Karan and others. A knee-length Donna Karan cardigan sweater sells for $2895.

White + Warren is a New York based company. It was founded with the purpose of selling quality cashmere with a fashionable flair. However, their prices are a little more attainable. Their Cashmere Trapeze Cardigan sells for $220 on their web site. It comes in seven different colors, including black, peacock blue and heather grey.  

If this is still out of your price range, don’t despair. There is affordable yet high quality cashmere available elsewhere. However, you should always expect to spend somewhere between $100 to $200 on a good cashmere sweater. Land’s End is one such retailer that you can trust to deliver quality sweaters at a reasonable price. The Long Sleeve Cashmere Tee Sweater for women is made of two-ply genuine Mongolian cashmere. It retails for $89.50. They have a catalog and a web site but no actual stores.

You can also try J. Crew, which offers stores as well as catalog and online sales. The J. Crew V-neck Cashmere Sweater for women retails for $145. You can have it monogrammed for an extra cost of $10. It comes in nine different colors like vivid purple, tropical aqua and black.

L.L. Bean is another dependable catalog choice for cashmere sweaters. They have a satisfaction guaranteed policy and returning any item is a breeze. Their classic crewneck sweater retails for $99. It is two-ply and comes in colors like hemlock green, colonial red and plum peony.