Cashmere truths and consequences
Cashmere sale alert: Eric Bompard have a selection of styles for men and women at 20% off, till November 28. (I recommend Bompard cashmere for the quality, style and colours, as well as quick mail-order service.)
Cashmere is a deep topic for me, a woman living in a region (Southwestern Ontario) with general climactic ugliness at least half the year.
When I rise and put on a cashmere, I can face icy winds, clammy offices or sleet-hammered streets secure in its protection.
Cashmere is a deep topic for me, a woman living in a region (Southwestern Ontario) with general climactic ugliness at least half the year.
When I rise and put on a cashmere, I can face icy winds, clammy offices or sleet-hammered streets secure in its protection.
Read this terrific piece on cashmere quality, written by SimplyCashmere with an understandable bias toward Scottish product. Finally, a solid technical explanation of why a top-quality cashmere is still a luxury purchase, and why so much cashmere disappoints.
 |
| Nonpareil cookie |
I'm reluctant to identify low-pill brands, because some makers change their quality season to season, or use different types of yarn in various models. When a sweater pills, wash and dry it, then remove the little balls gently, by hand. (A shaver weakens the strand.)
High-quality cashmere can last decades, if the moths don't attack. Below, special pieces offered by innovative makers.
With one exception, prices are high, but as SimplyCashmere's cri de coeur reminds us, one fine sweater is worth a stack of shreddies.
Eric Bompard's tweedy cardigan in pepper brown and feather gray, a Chanel look, but in a lush, substantial 6-ply knit; price, €368.
If you're a hard to fit size, or long for something unique, visit Belinda Robertson's site and select Black Label, her bespoke service.
From the regular (White Label) collection, this chic Jacket with Patch Pockets, price, £290.
Ballantyne are famous for quality and for intarsia styles, as well as classics. If you are a dog lover, you will warm to this Westberk style, available by mail from Berk Cashmere.
The price, a significant £693.40 (exclusive of VAT) reflects the technical demands of the technique; the Ballantyne intarsias are prized by aficionados.
The Italian house Marlowe does not sell online; they have boutiques in Toronto, Chicago and San Francisco. Like their nearly-homonymous countrymen Malo, their pieces are treasures– so I wanted to show this cashmere and feather sweater for inspiration.
No idea how to clean it, but there must be a way... perhaps I'll have to stop by the local shop to ask.
Why are J. Crew among this chi-chi crowd? Because they offer some superb designs for the price (though the quality varies). Their Elette cashmere cardigan features a double-funnel neck collar that folds up or down; price, $225.
Even if you are in a warmer climate, you may find as the years pass that cashmere makes sense. Your body temps fluctuate, and air conditioning can bother you more than it used to.
No more hot flashes– and I don't miss those– but I'll welcome the "warm flash"– the soft cuddle of cashmere any time.
High-quality cashmere can last decades, if the moths don't attack. Below, special pieces offered by innovative makers.
With one exception, prices are high, but as SimplyCashmere's cri de coeur reminds us, one fine sweater is worth a stack of shreddies.
 |
| Bompard tweedy cardi |
 | ||||||||
| Belinda Robertson jacket |
From the regular (White Label) collection, this chic Jacket with Patch Pockets, price, £290.
Ballantyne are famous for quality and for intarsia styles, as well as classics. If you are a dog lover, you will warm to this Westberk style, available by mail from Berk Cashmere.
The price, a significant £693.40 (exclusive of VAT) reflects the technical demands of the technique; the Ballantyne intarsias are prized by aficionados.
 | |||||||||
| Ballantyne Westie intarsia |
 |
| Cashmere and feathers! |
No idea how to clean it, but there must be a way... perhaps I'll have to stop by the local shop to ask.
 |
| J. Crew double funnelneck |
Even if you are in a warmer climate, you may find as the years pass that cashmere makes sense. Your body temps fluctuate, and air conditioning can bother you more than it used to.
No more hot flashes– and I don't miss those– but I'll welcome the "warm flash"– the soft cuddle of cashmere any time.
Comments
Yes, even here in LA there's a need for cashmere. I've tried on a couple of Bompard pieces but they tend to run rather long on me. (I'll be featuring one of their scarves in tomorrow's blog post.) I've also had good luck with Pure Collection out of Britain; their pieces are reasonably priced and the quality seems to be quite good (not quite Bompard level, but neither are their prices).
There are some short-bodied Bompard pieces (check out the bolero!), the web site gives width and height measurements for all sizes.
materfamilias: Thank you, that *is* an adjective.
Sometimes cashmere is mislabeled; Lands End got caught selling sweaters as cashmere, and the product has none in it.
Besides starting with the best quality you can afford, the other key to making cashmere last is care. Don't overclean it -- I don't take mine to the dry cleaners at all -- and if you're hand-washing, use really gentle soap, such as Eucalan, which also has the advantage of not needing to be rinsed out.
None of this "delicate cycle in the machine" stuff. BY HAND. In a basin with ever so slightly warm water, gently massage a teensy amount of soap into the fiber. To dry, smooth out on a bath towel, roll gently, and squeeze gently. Then lay flat out of direct sunlight and don't touch until it's dry. (Have I said "gently" enough here?)
And even though the end of cashmere season is a long way away, remember not to put any animal fiber (wool, silk, mohair, cashmere, etc.) away dirty. It's the dirt and body oil that moth larvae feast on, and you don't want to overstock the buffet.
I'm open to trying again, so your links are timely! (But need to see if I'm returning that wool and fur cape first! LOL)
For those who blanch at the prices of the best cashmere, a couple of tips:
Even department-store sweaters (often on sale after Christmas) will be finer and softer in the lightest colors, for the reasons explained in the essay you linked to. And for real bargains, check your local thrift shop. Very high quality cashmeres are often donated when they have a tiny moth hole or two. I buy these, wash them immediately, (to get rid of any lingering moth activity) and when they are dry, I darn them with a light touch and ordinary sewing thread to match--from the inside of the garment, no knots necessary. On small holes in inconspicuous places, this method works like a charm, takes only a minute, and gives you a beautiful, wearable sweater for a few dollars. I usually wash my cashmeres with plain shampoo, and find that they get softer and nicer over time. I deal with pilling by drawing a natural bristle hairbrush from bottom to top of the garment before laundering; in my experience it's harmless and effective.
I only have one cashmere sweater at this time, a vibrantly cherry red 1940s fitted "sweater girl" piece, I think it must be Scottish.
I want to note here (as a knitter) that what people tend to think are moth holes are actually carpet beetle damage, so prevention and treatment should be done accordingly.
Essential to fill the tub *very full* for amount of sweaters and use a strong mesh lingerie bag.
I only dryclean wovens (shawls, scarves), always wash knits.
re moth issue, see post under Cashmere label.
Susan: Thanks for the link, a source for a capsule wardrobe will be useful for travelers.
spacegeek: Have not been impressed with the W&W I've seen- stylish but not great quality. But even high end can pill. And then- I have J. Jill cardi (consignment purchase) that doesn't at all, go figure.
Someone: Thank you, yes carpet beetles have a good appetite too!
- Put sweater (one per bag) in large zip mesh bag. (I do very darks or very pales in their own load.)
- Use baby shampoo or cashmere wash (such as The Laundress)-not Woolite; about 2 caps per sweater for normal soil.
- Cold water, fill tub up a level; so if you think the load is medium, use large fill; delicate cycle
- I add a few drops of Orange A-Peel, which I use for everything
- Air dry flat, patting gently to shape if needed.
For Ballantyne and Pringle sweaters, you might try vintage stores. I worked in one long ago and we had tons of them.
I'm always shocked by how slimy most new cashmere feels.
Question: is pilling a sign of inferior weave or quality?
The old pieces are classic- but if you want the newer styles and effects, you are looking at current production. Problem is, the flood of $100 cashmere makes people think prices of top quality pieces are too high- but they are not.
How to be sure: Go to the EB web site and you will see, in the listing for every garment, a little red "What's my size"?
Click on that and you will see length and width measurements for all sizes. IMPORTANT: the width and length will vary from style to style for say XL or XXL.
(In some styles, even XXL is too tight for me, with a definite bust.)
The best bet is to measure a similar garment you already own to compare.
You can order a catalog (Request Catalog feature on site) to get a card of wool samples, very nice to for deciding, but you might not get that in time for this sale.
EB has vastly more selection, more current styles and more colours than Mount Cashmere. I have never worn Mount so can't speak for quality. I find the styling classic, and far prefer EB's palette.
There's this EB colour called python grey this season- you can't see it on the site but it has tiny, tiny flecks of red, indigo and gold in it. It makes the grey breathe. My son ordered a hat in it.
Another wonderful post. Mmmm I adore cashmere. I love the sweater season upon us for that obvious reason.
Would you consider doing a post about how you organize your closet?
I seem to need inspiration in that area as well.
Cheers
Since fall-early spring is one long cold season here, I also rotate midway through winter, cleaning and storing some things in mid-Jan. or so. Otherwise my closet is too full and spring cleaning too onerous.
I'm devoted to multiple skirt hangers, the pinch kind, and it's very difficult to find these in specialty closet stores or department stores.