Cashmere V-Necks: J. Crew vs. Saks vs. BR vs. ?

[Arms_Akimbo]

Originally Posted by RFX45

I love how Vince cashmere sweaters (or any sweaters they make) fit and I wouldn't say they are long at all. Their cashmere sweater seems just about right in length and I am not an overly tall person.
The vince cardi I have comes down to mid-fly (I'm 5'9"), but maybe that's just that particular piece. FWIW, I think the fit is great and don't mind the length at all. edit: +2 to jet

 

[revamp]

Originally Posted by jet

Why do you need cashmere? Just buy a nice wool sweater the yarn will be nicer for wool than any mall brand cashmere will be among cashmeres.

Well, this might deserve it's own thread then. But care to make some brand recommendations on general wool (merino?) v-necks?

 

[jimmy c]

Originally Posted by revamp

Well, this might deserve it's own thread then. But care to make some brand recommendations on general wool (merino?) v-necks?

john smedley

 

[Mauro]

Wool vs cashmere it's all based on the yarn.

I have been studying yarns and knitting lately. I go to knitting college next week.

I have started sourcing yarns for WvG and what jet says holds truth.

quality cashmere is ******* expensive bottom line. Cheap cashmere is well cheap.
the long the yarn the better the quality which doesn't mean that pilling won't be an issue.
That's when blends start coming in handy.

I am loooking at some extra long extra fine merino wool. The yarn is so soft I could put it next to a cheaper cashmere ( 100%) and you would probably think it was the cashmere and the cashmere was the wool.
It's a lot cheaper than extra long cashmere.

With knits you really do get what you pay for. 3 and up ply cashmere sweater can cost you some big dollars.
I will get back to you after I have finished knitting school.
Best,
Mauro

 

[revamp]

Originally Posted by Mauro

Wool vs cashmere it's all based on the yarn. I have been studying yarns and knitting lately. I go to knitting college next week. I have started sourcing yarns for WvG and what jet says holds truth. quality cashmere is ******* expensive bottom line. Cheap cashmere is well cheap. the long the yarn the better the quality which doesn't mean that pilling won't be an issue. That's when blends start coming in handy. I am loooking at some extra long extra fine merino wool. The yarn is so soft I could put it next to a cheaper cashmere ( 100%) and you would probably think it was the cashmere and the cashmere was the wool. It's a lot cheaper than extra long cashmere. With knits you really do get what you pay for. 3 and up ply cashmere sweater can cost you some big dollars. I will get back to you after I have finished knitting school. Best, Mauro
Hey Mauro! Thanks for chiming-in. Where does one go in the DC-area for knitting college out of curiosity? =) Would love to hear your recommendations (including Farinelli brands) on labels to turn-to for some basic V-necks in either a fine merino or cashmere then. Thanks!

 

[revamp]

After a few weeks of research, what I've been able to determine so far is that most of Bloomingdale's cashmere sweaters are 2-ply; 9-gauge garments (I think they have one 12-gauge sweater too).

Saks' cashmere sweaters are also 2-ply but with a 28-gauge stitch (30-gauge on their most expensive V-necks).

From a material standpoint, I've found Bloomingdale's sweaters to be "softer" than those from Saks but I like the fit (slimmer) and look of the Saks products better. For example, on the Saks' half-zips, the zipper is coated in a leather wrapper while on the Bloomingdale's version it's just a metal zipper. In all fairness, the Bloomingdale's version is also 35% cheaper than their Saks counterparts.

Just thought some might be interested in this info as a PSA.