Table of Contents
+Brand Comparison & Buyer’s Guide
Why Do I Think Cashmere Is Worth It
When I started in 2019 putting together my wardrobe step by step, after a lot of shopping and mixing and matching, I realized that a cashmere sweater was a must-have basic. I personally love cashmere sweaters because they are very warm. Cashmere is such a great choice for keeping warm. It's not only soft and cozy but also provides that extra warmth we need in winter. Having a cashmere sweater can really make a difference, especially when those cold hands need some comfort. For example, I always have cold hands and feet in the winter, so I can't imagine living my life without cashmere. But don't worry, cashmere is great even on summer evenings, because this amazing material now comes in a huge number of forms.
Have You Ever Thought About What Cashmere Is?
Let me tell you about the origins and basics of a fiber that you will love as much as I do. The most important thing is that cashmere wool is a natural material obtained from the hair of the cashmere goat and is highly soft, very smooth, and prone to pilling, which is a natural characteristic of the material.
In my opinion, the best things about cashmere are its amazing warmth and the fact that, if you take good care of a cashmere sweater or any other cashmere product, it will last for many years. That is also one of the main reasons why I decided to invest in my first cashmere sweater. And today I have 7 of them (and I still have nothing to wear like you 😂).
When you start thinking about buying a cashmere sweater, it is definitely a good idea to also look at the quality of the material from which a particular sweater that you like is made. The quality of the material directly affects the properties of the final sweater, scarf, or whatever you want to buy. Cashmere is an investment and a ticket to the world of comfort. That is why I will show you all my cashmere sweaters and compare them so you know how long I have had them and how often I wear them, and so you can look at them yourself and get an idea of which brand to choose. But I will come back to the quality. In general, the thinner and longer the fiber, the softer your beloved sweater will be, the less pilling it will have, and the longer it will last. These properties are divided into three basic quality levels.
Fiber Thickness
A micron is a thousandth of a millimeter. For example, a human hair has a thickness of around 70 to 100 microns, depending on the type of hair. With cashmere, the lower the number, the better for you. For your idea, top-quality cashmere is only 13.5 to 15.5 microns thick. For you, this means that the thinner the fibers, the softer they are to the touch and do not scratch even on bare skin.
Fiber length
The length is measured in millimeters (mm) and directly affects how long your sweater will last. The longer the fiber your sweater is spun from, the better for you. For a better idea, top-quality cashmere is sometimes 34-40 mm long. Length is important because the longer the fibers are, the tighter they can be twisted into a thread. A sweater made of long fibers holds its shape better and does not pill, or does so less, or at all. Cheap cashmere is made of short fibers (around 28 mm). That's why sweaters fall apart faster, even if you take good care of them, and they often start to pill after just a few wears.
The quality is also affected by the number of layers in the yarn. A light classic sweater usually has 2. You can usually find 4 layers in winter ones, which is why these knits are also stronger. What to avoid are single-layer, cheap cashmere variants. The yarn doesn't last very long, and the eyelet on your sweater will easily come off and start to slowly tear if you don't fix it right away.
This is interesting information, isn't it? Unfortunately, it is primarily listed by high-premium brands on their products. But I have prepared another quick guide for you on how to recognize the quality of cashmere even when the manufacturer does not list this information on the product label. Check it out here.
Knit Construction
What I have found since I have included cashmere in my wardrobe is that it is also a good idea to consider the knit density and surface finish when buying.
Regarding density, I have found over time that the denser the knitted pattern, the more likely the sweater will last you for many years.
You can tell a quality sweater by the high density of its knit. This means that if you hold it up to the light or put your hand in it, nothing will show through, or only very slightly. This means that the manufacturer used a sufficient amount of cashmere. Imagine how many extremely fine fibers had to be woven into your dream sweater. Such a sweater will keep its shape even after washing and will not show through.
On the other hand, you can recognize a cheap sweater right away. The manufacturer knitted larger stitches to save expensive cashmere. It seems to me that everyone is concerned with costs and returns these days, but we live in capitalism, right? 🤪 This makes the sweater more loosely knitted. It shows through. It may look good at first glance, but once you wash it, the stitches will shift slightly, and over time, after a few washes, your sweater will stretch, become loose, and go out of shape. (And thus you will run for another one.)
Sweater's surface treatment
The last and most important thing is the sweater's surface treatment. When a cashmere sweater is knitted in the factory, it is still hard. You can say that the cashmere is still sleeping. That is why it needs to be washed for the first time to soften it. I remember when I was a little girl, how my mother knitted sweaters. She washed the individual parts of the sling before the final sewing and dried them horizontally on a towel so that the fiber would settle, soften, and the sweater would get its final shape. It is the same with cashmere. It has to be washed very gently to soften it. That is the honest way. The fibers only open up a little. The sweater is nice in the store, but not crazy soft. It only becomes softer and fluffier as you wear it and wash it gently at home. It will easily last you over 20 years. I have 3 such sweaters at home, which are now over 10 years old.
Buyer’s Guide
If you want to choose the right cashmere sweater, beware of excessive softness and fluffiness. If the sweater is fluffy like a cloud, it will collapse soon after purchase because it was combed, which is not good for cashmere.
Real cashmere is firmer and only softens after washing.
Where do I like to buy cashmere?
If you are looking for the best cashmere sweater for women, I have personally tried cashmere sweaters from Massimo Dutti, Falconeri, and Esprit. I have a great cashmere scarf from COS, so I will also add it to the comparison, since we primarily focus on quality and affordability here. Each of these brands is intended for a slightly different target group. But they are all affordable.
How I perceive the brands:
Falconeri
I have a few cashmere sweaters, and the Falconeri ones look like they could last me a lifetime, even at my motherly pace. I am pleasantly surprised that they hardly ever shed. The brand is built on cashmere as such. This is their main product. It is their flagship and their main identity. The brand has its own Italian production and uses top-quality cashmere for its products. You can find different thicknesses in the assortment (Ultralight or Ultrasoft, and then of course the classic one for winter). The seams are well-made, and you can wear the sweater everywhere. To work with family, friends, or on a date. You just always look great. What I like most about this brand is that they also make thin yet high-quality cashmere, so you can wear it even on warm days or summer evenings.
Massimo Dutti
My second choice after Falconeri. They have elegant cuts, often of a looser type, that fit me perfectly and cover exactly what I want to cover after two children. 😁 Other mothers understand ... hahaha.
For me, their cashmere items are combinable for work, but I can also take them to dinner with a friend. What I noticed is that if you buy a cashmere sweater from Massimo Dutti, look at the label. They often start producing fiber blends, e.g., cashmere and wool, cashmere and silk, etc. It doesn't have to be bad at all. This will also help you achieve a lower price for the final product. Unfortunately, the sweaters' properties will also change. I currently have 3 100% cashmere sweaters from this brand. I've had the first one for almost 10 years and the other two for 7 years. They all serve great. The first one has just now got a small hole, which I'll show you how to fix. The other two are only occasionally slightly pilled, but otherwise they're great.
Esprit
It's a gateway for everyone who's on a budget. Its main weapon is the price. Cashmere sweaters and other products are cheaper. The price is directly reflected in the quality of the products. I have two 100% cashmere sweaters from Esprit. I wore the first one 3 times, and it has big pilling on it. I prefer to save a little for the second one. 😂 Oh yeah... I'm terrible... They are exactly those soft, fluffy sweaters that you immediately get comfortable in. At the time I bought them, I didn't know that fluffiness is directly proportional to pilling. So you can see for yourself what a fluffy cashmere sweater looks like and what can happen to it after 3 wears. I still wear these sweaters. They last for many years. But I have to take into account that I have to give them extra care and regularly pill them. Personally, I would consider Esprit a starting point for anyone with cold hands who needs to stay warm in winter.
COS
I wanted to add it because I have a cashmere scarf from COS. I got it from my friend Paulina for Christmas, around the time I was running e-commerce at SEPHORA. It’s been about 8 years now.
But what’s important is that it’s also a knit, which is why I also included the scarf. I wear it regularly, and it still doesn’t pill. That’s pretty impressive for something you have wrapped around your neck all winter. When I look at their sweaters, they are cut so they fit well. Even the seams are sewn with quality. You can find cashmere from this brand more in the fall and winter. Some of their products are even GCS (Good Cashmere Standard) certified. But Falconeri is still a level above.
If you have a budget, you can also shop at exclusive cashmere brands. The high-quality and luxurious cashmere brands I’ve just talked about are a great choice if you want an investment piece that will last you a lifetime.
Another interesting option is local markets, where you can buy the sweater directly from the person who knitted it.
But it is definitely worth mentioning that there are second-hand shops for cashmere. I love sustainability, and if you find a forgotten cashmere sweater in a second-hand (Slow store) that you like, buy it. What you see is a sweater that has been washed many times, and its condition is most likely unchanged. If there is a little pilling, you can wax it. Everything else will stay, and you will have a beautiful, sustainable piece for your wardrobe.
