Cashmere Sweater Hierarchy

[TheShetlandSweater]

Thanks for the replies on camel hair. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to buy a camel hair cardigan?

Ben Silver. They have with sleeves, without sleeves, and a shawl collar cardigan.

 

[Knurt]

They are a brand that uses one of the mills on that original list.

Hawico? I assumed Sunspel had bought the factory. Wrong?

 

[RJman]

From my understanding there are currently 12 Scottish cashmere manufacturers still standing:

1. Barrie
2. Begg (owns Scott & Charters)
3. Esk
4. Glenevan
5. Hawico
6. Johnstons of Elgin
7. McGeorge
8. Pringle
9. Robert Mackie
10. William Lockie
11.
12.

Brands like Berk, Colhays and Drakes use these mills.

Can anyone complete the list?

Pringle does not have its own facilities to my knowledge. Neither does McGeorge. Both of those are now just brands. In addition, my understanding is Glenevan may no longer be producing.

Is Inverallan in Scotland? It makes a few cashmere garments. I think Hillary Rohde and Stephanie Laird also still hand knit a little cashmere.

There are probably some other very small producers too but I think you've hit what's left and known.

 

[TheShetlandSweater]

From my understanding there are currently 12 Scottish cashmere manufacturers still standing:

1. Barrie
2. Begg (owns Scott & Charters)
3. Esk
4. Glenevan
5. Hawico
6. Johnstons of Elgin
7. McGeorge
8. Pringle
9. Robert Mackie
10. William Lockie
11.
12.

Brands like Berk, Colhays and Drakes use these mills.

Can anyone complete the list?

Harley does some cashmere. There are also very small places like my cosy store that knit their own stuff (and, in this case, for a very good price).

 

[PairOfDerby's]

They are a brand that uses one of the mills on that original list.



No, that would be Jawn Laing

?

 

[RJman]

forgot to add, is Hawick Knitwear (not to be confused with Hawico) out of business after Brooks Brothers pushed it into bankruptcy?

 

[JamaisAssez]

Pringle does not have its own facilities to my knowledge

Thanks for the correction. I think Pringle still maintains an Intarsia division in its Glebe mills facilities.

Made in Scotland - Pringle of Scotland

pringlescotland.com

 

[dieworkwear]

forgot to add, is Hawick Knitwear (not to be confused with Hawico) out of business after Brooks Brothers pushed it into bankruptcy?

Hawick Knitwear closed about five years ago, I believe. Peter Scott closed right before them and there was some offloading of old stock on eBay.

Thanks for the correction. I think Pringle still maintains an Intarsia division in its Glebe mills facilities.

Made in Scotland - Pringle of Scotland

pringlescotland.com

Are you referring to the photos on that Pringle page? If so, those photos show William Lockie's mill.

Pringle does not make all of their knitwear at WL.

 

[RJman]

Thanks for the correction. I think Pringle still maintains an Intarsia division in its Glebe mills facilities.

Made in Scotland - Pringle of Scotland

pringlescotland.com

Thanks for the correction. I think Pringle still maintains an Intarsia division in its Glebe mills facilities.

Made in Scotland - Pringle of Scotland

pringlescotland.com

That page is a masterwork of careful drafting to avoid confirming whether or not they produce anything themselves. From Business of Fashion: "Pringle of Scotland closed its main factory in Hawick in 2008, however the brand does still produce in the area, outsourcing the production of its medium and coarse gauge cashmere pieces to local firms." Outsourcing means they don't actually make the item themselves; I guess there is ambiguity about whether the phrase beginning with "however" indicates they do produce something in-house somewhere in Hawick.

In any case, according to WWD, the Pringle brand has now gone into "hibernation". Pringle Presses Pause, With Last Collection Set for Fall 2020 – WWD

I was once like you guys. I wanted to believe. ****, I wrote a book about it. The truth is that things are contracting for anyone who makes nice things that are hard to make as long as someone can sell something flashier and cheaper to make at the same price.

 

[dieworkwear]

I was once like you guys. I wanted to believe. ****, I wrote a book about it. The truth is that things are contracting for anyone who makes nice things that are hard to make as long as someone can sell something flashier and cheaper to make at the same price.

One of the great things about this thread and StyleForum in general is how we oscillate between wistful, emo posts about how everything good is disappearing ("Scottish knitwear used to be such a thriving industry and look at it now!") and then backsourcing every factory, treating things as commodities, and then finding the cheapest possible source, buying from an absolutely swagless Scottish website with the worst photos possible.

 

[RJman]

One of the great things about this thread and StyleForum in general is how we oscillate between wistful, emo posts about how everything good is disappearing ("Scottish knitwear used to be such a thriving industry and look at it now!") and then backsourcing every factory, treating things as commodities, and then finding the cheapest possible source, buying from an absolutely swagless Scottish website with the worst photos possible.

yoooooooooooo I paid full price for as much of my good cashmere as I could even after it went out of business,,,

 

[JamaisAssez]

I love being proved wrong. Here's my amended list of scottish cashmere mills:

1. Barrie
2. Begg (owns Scott & Charters)
3. Esk
4. Hawico
5. Johnstons of Elgin
6. Robert Mackie
7. William Lockie
8. Miscellaneous smaller producers

 

[aristoi bcn]

One of the great things about this thread and StyleForum in general is how we oscillate between wistful, emo posts about how everything good is disappearing ("Scottish knitwear used to be such a thriving industry and look at it now!") and then backsourcing every factory, treating things as commodities, and then finding the cheapest possible source, buying from an absolutely swagless Scottish website with the worst photos possible.

Would you pay a mark-up of 100 pounds for a William Lockie rebranded via Berk instead of buying via teviotdale mills website just for the fancy website? It’s 250 vs 350 pounds.

 

[dieworkwear]

Would you pay a mark-up of 100 pounds for a William Lockie rebranded via Berk instead of buying via teviotdale mills website just for the fancy website? It’s 250 vs 350 pounds.

I buy sweaters that I like from the places I like. I don't buy Berk but this is not a barb against Berk. I just don't shop there.

Last Christmas, I bought a 4-ply cashmere shawl collar cardigan for someone as a present. I think I know who made it, but am OK with buying from a US retail store because I like the company and felt the person would enjoy the sweater.

 

[aristoi bcn]

I buy sweaters that I like from the places I like. I don't buy Berk but this is not a barb against Berk. I just don't shop there.

Last Christmas, I bought a 4-ply cashmere shawl collar cardigan for someone as a present. I think I know who made it, but am OK with buying from a US retail store because I like the company and felt the person would enjoy the sweater.

This is a very touching Christmas story but doesn’t answer the question whether you would pay a 30% mark-up for the very same product if you can avoid it.