Cashmere

[Cameron59]

Can someone recommend good sites to buy cashmere sweaters (jumpers). Prices vary so much. Some sites like Gobi are very reasonable but I don't know if the quality is there.

Thanks

 

[TheShetlandSweater]

Can someone recommend good sites to buy cashmere sweaters (jumpers). Prices vary so much. Some sites like Gobi are very reasonable but I don't know if the quality is there.

Thanks

With cashmere, it is often said that it's only really worth it to get the good stuff. The good stuff is costly, but it is more durable. William Lockie makes some of the best; I have their chirnside model from Ben Silver and it is a very sturdy sweater. You can get their stuff from Ben Silver (look for the 'WL' in the product code), A Hume, Teviotdale Mills, Frans Boone, Michael Jondral, the Armoury, Westaway, the Andover Shop, and a number of other places. The styling online is often not great, but that's mainly because the models are wearing too big of a size.

If you are looking for something cheaper:

Scottish makers are generally pretty good for knitwear. I haven't tried cashmere from other makers (I am more of a Shetland guy), but Harley makes decent knitwear and a lot of their cashmere is made with Todd & Duncan yarns, which is the same stuff Lockie uses (I think). You can get them from Dick's of Edinburgh, and a ton of other places, although they generally won't have the Harley name on them. Campbell's of Beauly has a 3-ply (higher ply is generally sturdier--don't get 1 ply) Scottish made cashmere sweater that is about the cheapest I have seen for Scottish cashmere. No first hand experience with their stuff, though.

There are other good Scottish makers, but their stuff is generally more expensive. Scott and Charter's has stuff at No Man Walks Alone. There is Colhay's. Ben Silver stocks non-Lockie cashmere. Anderson & Sheppard stocks a bunch. J. Press and O'Connell's each have their own cashmere offerings. Drake's carries some cashmere stuff and I believe much of it is made by Lockie. Cordings has some cashmere stuff, but not much. Johnston's of Elgin has their own stuff. Begg has stuff. Connolly's has some interesting designs. I could go on, but hopefully this gives you a start.

Cashmere feels very nice and can hold up very nicely, but there are other great sweaters that arguably look just as good if not better that can be had for less (though they won't be anywhere nearly as soft).

 

[michael1121]

With cashmere, it is often said that it's only really worth it to get the good stuff. The good stuff is costly, but it is more durable. William Lockie makes some of the best; I have their chirnside model from Ben Silver and it is a very sturdy sweater. You can get their stuff from Ben Silver (look for the 'WL' in the product code), A Hume, Teviotdale Mills, Frans Boone, Michael Jondral, the Armoury, Westaway, the Andover Shop, and a number of other places. The styling online is often not great, but that's mainly because the models are wearing too big of a size.

If you are looking for something cheaper:

Scottish makers are generally pretty good for knitwear. I haven't tried cashmere from other makers (I am more of a Shetland guy), but Harley makes decent knitwear and a lot of their cashmere is made with Todd & Duncan yarns, which is the same stuff Lockie uses (I think). You can get them from Dick's of Edinburgh, and a ton of other places, although they generally won't have the Harley name on them. Campbell's of Beauly has a 3-ply (higher ply is generally sturdier--don't get 1 ply) Scottish made cashmere sweater that is about the cheapest I have seen for Scottish cashmere. No first hand experience with their stuff, though.

There are other good Scottish makers, but their stuff is generally more expensive. Scott and Charter's has stuff at No Man Walks Alone. There is Colhay's. Ben Silver stocks non-Lockie cashmere. Anderson & Sheppard stocks a bunch. J. Press and O'Connell's each have their own cashmere offerings. Drake's carries some cashmere stuff and I believe much of it is made by Lockie. Cordings has some cashmere stuff, but not much. Johnston's of Elgin has their own stuff. Begg has stuff. Connolly's has some interesting designs. I could go on, but hopefully this gives you a start.

Cashmere feels very nice and can hold up very nicely, but there are other great sweaters that arguably look just as good if not better that can be had for less (though they won't be anywhere nearly as soft).

This is all extremely reliable and useful information to answer your question. There is a case to be made, however, for a different tradition or style- 'Italian' knits are often maligned for being thin and flimsy, but the thinner cashmere coming from Cucinelli, Malo, Fedeli, Fioroni, and to an extent, Loro Piana have their merits. Single ply coming from them creates an admittedly delicate garment, but is easier to wear under layers and can fit closer to the body if you're slim. Of course Cucinelli and Loro Piana also sell thicker cashmere- LP's baby cashmere might be the best available anywhere.

In Scotland I would add that Begg & Co is one of the most reliable, along with Berk which is a 'revival' of the old Ballantyne label. Johnston's of Elgin, Pringle of Scotland, and several others still have their royal warrants but have moved into making thinner garments that I feel aren't as refined as the aforementioned Italian makers. William Lockie is always good as well and if you finally fill a closet with cashmere and get bored, The Elder Statesman takes Cucinelli's colour to an extreme. Lockie makes for many retailers' private labels- ehaberdasher/wardrobewimbledon, Drake's, etc and it's all exceptional quality.

 

[TheShetlandSweater]

This is all extremely reliable and useful information to answer your question. There is a case to be made, however, for a different tradition or style- 'Italian' knits are often maligned for being thin and flimsy, but the thinner cashmere coming from Cucinelli, Malo, Fedeli, Fioroni, and to an extent, Loro Piana have their merits. Single ply coming from them creates an admittedly delicate garment, but is easier to wear under layers and can fit closer to the body if you're slim. Of course Cucinelli and Loro Piana also sell thicker cashmere- LP's baby cashmere might be the best available anywhere.

In Scotland I would add that Begg & Co is one of the most reliable, along with Berk which is a 'revival' of the old Ballantyne label. Johnston's of Elgin, Pringle of Scotland, and several others still have their royal warrants but have moved into making thinner garments that I feel aren't as refined as the aforementioned Italian makers. William Lockie is always good as well and if you finally fill a closet with cashmere and get bored, The Elder Statesman takes Cucinelli's colour to an extreme. Lockie makes for many retailers' private labels- ehaberdasher/wardrobewimbledon, Drake's, etc and it's all exceptional quality.

Don't disagree, but the OP seemed interested in less expensive stuff and the Italian stuff is a bit harder to navigate through because there is such a huge range of stuff. I also find that two ply or four ply works fine for layering. I wear my chirnside under a sport jacket comfortably.

 

[michael1121]

You're right and I did forget that, but Cucinelli has been liquidating stock aggresively- I recently picked up two 2-ply cashmere sweaters on Yoox for $200 each. Malo also is running a sale this week and most of those Italian factories are holding sales online so I'd say they're currently pretty close in price- Scott & Charters at NMWA is several times more expensive than you can find Italian knits. Just an alternative to Johnston's or Pringle in case you end up considering finer knits.

 

[Cameron59]

You're right and I did forget that, but Cucinelli has been liquidating stock aggresively- I recently picked up two 2-ply cashmere sweaters on Yoox for $200 each. Malo also is running a sale this week and most of those Italian factories are holding sales online so I'd say they're currently pretty close in price- Scott & Charters at NMWA is several times more expensive than you can find Italian knits. Just an alternative to Johnston's or Pringle in case you end up considering finer knits.

Thank you all. I am clearly a pilgrim in regard to cashmere. I will begin to explore.

 

[Nobilis Animus]

Treacherous are the forks along the way, but let the good Loro guide you. Many are appalled, but few are the promotions.

 

[Johnny80]

Can someone recommend good sites to buy cashmere sweaters (jumpers). Prices vary so much. Some sites like Gobi are very reasonable but I don't know if the quality is there.

Thanks

Luca Faloni is also a better garment than Gobi ; they make only 2 ply cashmere and also the price is not far off
You can check their site