Cashmere Sweater Hierarchy

[DorianGreen]

Brora cashmere doesn't get much discussion here (and I didn't see them on the Excel hierarchy sheet), but I am considering a couple of their items. What are people's experiences with the quality and fit?

Brora seems more specialized on womens clothing and knitwear.

Style and fit look classic, a little uninspiring. I have a cashmere waistcoat in Verdigris, good but nothing impressive. What left me rather disappointed is the absence of those different stitches I love on the vee neck and at the armholes.

 

[Bayou Tiger]

Brora seems more specialized on womens clothing and knitwear.

Style and fit look classic, a little uninspiring. I have a cashmere waistcoat in Verdigris, good but nothing impressive. What left me rather disappointed is the absence of those different stitches I love on the vee neck and at the armholes.

Thanks. I compared the measurements carefully before ordering, and maybe this would work better for a taller person. I am an athletic 5'9", and Colhay's fits perfect for me. It's getting to be hard to buy anything else.

Colhay's has great quality and value. I just picked up a cashmere jumper - 2ply, 12gauge, 15.5micron, 38mm staple length. That seems top notch, especially for the price.

Here is my all-time favorite cable knit / aran knit pattern, from this year's chalet sweater. I got one in Navy, but unfortunately brown was sold out in my size.

 

[epsilon22]

Colhay's make great stuffs, but their stocks feel kind of weird. Last year I was looking at some of their mid-weight turtlenecks, but many color/size combinations were already sold out some time in late Autumn. This year I got their short-sleeved polos in cream, and when I wanted to get another in navy, my size was sold out, this was last month, April, so they already run out of stuffs in their Spring/Summer collection before Summer even arrives.

Maybe I'm just too slow, maybe they were too conservative in estimating stock vs demand. When do they even get new stuffs into the shop?

 

[Bayou Tiger]

Colhay's make great stuffs, but their stocks feel kind of weird. Last year I was looking at some of their mid-weight turtlenecks, but many color/size combinations were already sold out some time in late Autumn. This year I got their short-sleeved polos in cream, and when I wanted to get another in navy, my size was sold out, this was last month, April, so they already run out of stuffs in their Spring/Summer collection before Summer even arrives.

Maybe I'm just too slow, maybe they were too conservative in estimating stock vs demand. When do they even get new stuffs into the shop?

Same problem here. I would have bought more items, but my sizes sell out quickly. Signing up for the email list helps. Their emails are very well done with style tips and insights, not just bulk mailings. Now that I know my sizes and that I like their stuff, I can pounce quicker on the autumn new releases (which hopefully they will announce on their email list).

 

[elysiumfield]

Just got a sweater from Barrie, the intarsia is quite nicely done.

 

[DorianGreen]

Thanks. I compared the measurements carefully before ordering, and maybe this would work better for a taller person. I am an athletic 5'9", and Colhay's fits perfect for me. It's getting to be hard to buy anything else.

Colhay's has great quality and value. I just picked up a cashmere jumper - 2ply, 12gauge, 15.5micron, 38mm staple length. That seems top notch, especially for the price.

Here is my all-time favorite cable knit / aran knit pattern, from this year's chalet sweater. I got one in Navy, but unfortunately brown was sold out in my size.

That aran brown sweater looks absolutely stunning.

 

[TheFoo]

Just bought a black turtleneck in black baby cashmere from Loro Piana. Phenomenal fit—similar to a Celine turtleneck I was looking at. I’ve historically stayed away from Loro Piana due to the blousy golf dad cut they typically use. Obviously, they’ve changed things up!

 

[Spaghettimatt]

Just bought a black turtleneck in black baby cashmere from Loro Piana. Phenomenal fit—similar to a Celine turtleneck I was looking at. I’ve historically stayed away from Loro Piana due to the blousy golf dad cut they typically use. Obviously, they’ve changed things up!

Did you go MTM or did they do alterations? As a fellow short person I’m curious how you found one that fits.

 

[TheFoo]

Did you go MTM or did they do alterations? As a fellow short person I’m curious how you found one that fits.

Neither—totally off the rack. XS fits perfectly.

 

[Spaghettimatt]

Neither—totally off the rack. XS fits perfectly.

Wild. I think we’re similar size and I’ve always had to go MTM or womens sizing. I’ll have to check it out.

 

[HotDilf]

Did you know that Lockie makes for Chanel?

 

[ianskelly]

Did you know that Lockie makes for Chanel?

View attachment 2185429

And James Bond ??!

 

[epsilon22]

Thanks. I compared the measurements carefully before ordering, and maybe this would work better for a taller person. I am an athletic 5'9", and Colhay's fits perfect for me. It's getting to be hard to buy anything else.

Colhay's has great quality and value. I just picked up a cashmere jumper - 2ply, 12gauge, 15.5micron, 38mm staple length. That seems top notch, especially for the price.

Here is my all-time favorite cable knit / aran knit pattern, from this year's chalet sweater. I got one in Navy, but unfortunately brown was sold out in my size.

I'm seriously thinking about this piece now that @Bayou Tiger brought it to our attention here haha. I wonder if this style would look better in a slightly looser fit or in a trimmer fit?

I'm hovering between 40 and 42 usually, for things I wear directly on skin like polos I go 40, for things worn on top of shirts, I go 40 for trim silhouette, and 42 for slightly more relaxed look.

 

[reuterscnn]

I assume people can make high-quality sweaters outside of the UK. Most high-end companies source their yarns from Todd & Duncan anyway. It just comes down to how much material they're willing to use and how they finish their knits.

The stuff I happen to like isn't that soft. IMO, half the problem with modern cashmere is that people assume softness alone is a mark of quality. But the best Scottish cashmere -- the stuff that seemingly lasts forever -- actually doesn't feel that soft at all. It feels more like regular wool. That stuff has mostly disappeared from the market because no one picking up that kind of sweater would want it. They want something as plush as possible.

But softness can be a result of different things: over milling, which weakens the yarns, and at times chemical treatments.

The old Scottish stuff got softer with time. You basically milled it yourself by wearing it. On the upside, it's very durable and warm.

Even with the same yarn suppliers, they carry different grades of yarn, so each sweater maker may choose better or worse T&D yarn, depending on those companies’ design and marketing need. This happens in all mills! That’s why there is variations of the quality of cashmere products.