Cashmere sweaters

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I own six, 100% cashmere sweaters and I am surprised by the difference in the durability of them. The one I have found least durable is a Saks Fifth Ave label I purchased last year and already it is pilling noticably; what makes this even more disappointing is that it is my most expensive cashmere. My best performer is a Jos Banks label I purchased about nine years ago; there is no discernible pilling and it has retained its shape. I also have three no-name/off-brand cashmere sweaters my wife bought me over three years ago and they show little signs of pilling and have retained their shape. I also have a Land's End one I purchased about four years ago and it shows some pilling and has stretched a tiny bit. What I can't understand is the poor performance of my Saks sweater, which I thought, because of its price and brandname would be the best, but has turned out to be the worst. Any idea why this would be the case? What are the best brands for durable cashmere sweaters and what should I be looking for other than price?

 

[Dagwood]

Are you wearing your Saks sweater more than the others? The pilling could be caused by excessive friction (as a result of more wear).

 

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No, in fact I wear the two offbrand sweaters the most and they along with the Jos Banks are better than the Saks and the Land's End ones.

 

[CharlestonBows]

Cashmere durability can be dependent upon a number of different factors. Among these are the blend of the fabric, the type of cashmere (woolen v. worsted), the quality (or grade) of the cashmere fibers themselves, and the quality of the fabric, measured in the 'ply' (i.e., 2-ply, 4-ply, 6-ply, etc.)

Cashmere is a very special type of wool -- first and foremost -- and is known as the very finest natural fiber available, so this gives it some unusual qualities.

Since you say that all sweaters involved are 100%, I'll skip the bit about the blending. So next, consider the ply of the garment. The higher the ply number, the better - generally - the garment. Usually, in better shops you'll see 6 ply cashmere -- and you pay for it. Less expensive lines are, logically, less ply cashmere.

The biggest determination for your situation, I think, might be the manner the cashmere has been spun into yarns, and then woven. The tighter the yarn, the better the fabric can be woven, just like any wool. The tighter and better the yarns, the better the weave, and therefore the better the fabric.

Woolen cashmere, which is more often used in sweaters, is somewhat loftier than the more worsted cousins, and pills more readily because of the quality and grade of the yarns. More worsted cashmere fabric cannot make up correctly if the fabric has any real imperfections, so the 'lesser' yarn is used in sweaters, etc. So, if the quality if the fibers is cheap, then so will be the yarn, and then the fabric, and then the sweater. Department store private labeled items are usually made of this caliber materials.

With cashmere, I really have to emphasize a buyer beware. Everyone seems to be peddling the cashmere stuff nowadays, but you typically get what you pay for. There are some contrary examples, especially private labeled department store brands. If the sweater is a Saks labeled one, that means they bought it from poor schmuck supplier, strong armed him on the price, and slapped their label in the back of an inferior garment, bought at volume prices, and made for store sales. In some cases with dept. stores, the strategy to buy an item to put on sale with an artificial 'retail' price.

To answer your question, 2 things to look for:

1) Look at where the garment is made. This is not always a story of where the fabric is from, but it helps. If it's from Scotland or the British Isles, it should be fairly decent. As far as brands, Inis Meain is, in my opinion, one of the best in the world for sweaters. I also have a couple of v-necks and vests (including my most favorite cricket pullover) in cashmere from GNO Designs.

2) Examine the weave of the fabric itself. If it is multi-ply (6-ply), is fairly closely and consistently woven, and the yarns are heavier, then it should be a good product. Feel it, squeeze it, hug it if you want to. It should feel like something special.

A note as to care -- I recommend gently folding your cashmeres, NOT hanging them. Hanging them will stretch the weave of the garments. Cashmere needs to be allowed to reshape, and most importantly rest. Cashmere is special, so don't rock it unless it's a special time, or unless you have some to circulate.