Shopping for Cashmere

[fullymooned]

I have been doing some research here on cashmere sweaters but cant make up my mind which one to buy.

J. Crew - I could get some for as low as $130 on sale
Loro Piana
Brunello Cucinelli - My top choice but too expensive. Any stores that have sale on them?
Johnstonf of Elgin - I found some deals on STP but the colors are very awkward. Also I like the italian sweaters more as they are lighter and am getting this for family that lives in the middle east.

Any thoughts on which one I should go for? Thank you.

[shirtguy]

go for brooksbrothers they were rated the best by consumer report plus thay have a great return policy should u have a problem with them

[fullymooned]

go for brooksbrothers they were rated the best by consumer report plus thay have a great return policy should u have a problem with them

Brooks Brothers has a 2 for $500 offer so I am looking into that too. What about Costco sweaters? Any one used them? They are very cheap I hear. Not sure of the cost.

[FrankDC]

I posted this about a week ago, you might wish to read it:

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/f...37#post1007837

[fullymooned]

I posted this about a week ago, you might wish to read it:

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/f...37#post1007837

Thank you. I had read this post before. BB are good sweaters but are they really that better than J.Crew. Isnt Brunello and Loro Piana a whole lot better than BB. If I can get a Brunello for $375 or so I did rather get that.

[ajo]

I bought a Johnstons of Elgin crew neck sweater this year and have no complaints love the colour. I also picked up a Raffi V neck sweater which is a lighter weave than the Johnstons at STP. Another place to try is http://stores.shop.ebay.com.au/Kathy...__W0QQ_armrsZ1

[fullymooned]

I bought a Johnstons of Elgin crew neck sweater this year and have no complaints love the colour. I also picked up a Raffi V neck sweater which is a lighter weave than the Johnstons at STP. Another place to try is http://stores.shop.ebay.com.au/Kathy...__W0QQ_armrsZ1

How does Raffi compare to other top Italian brands?

[Matthew Schitck]

I vote for Johnsons, a local business for me and they do make fine cashmere.

[jimbob]

You also might look at Ben Silver. They are a little dear but they are quite nice.

[thefancyman]

Although, the J. Crew sweater will most likely be of lower quality than Loro Piana and made in East Asia the cashmere that is used in their sweaters is woven by Loro Piana at one of their mills in Valsesia. However, this wool is much less fine than the fabric Loro Piana uses in their own sweaters but it is still a good quality product for a very reasonable price. Also the Brooks Brothers cashmere sweater is very good quality as well. The sweater is made in Scotland and woven from Scottish cashmere from a mill that is reportedly located on the River Tweed.

[FrankDC]

How does Raffi compare to other top Italian brands?

It doesn't. Better Italian labels (Loro Piana, BC etc) have much higher minimum quality requirements for their raw cashmere fiber.

Costco (i.e. their Kirkland brand) can be thanked for single-handedly ruining the significance of a "Made in Italy" label on cashmere sweaters. Raffi and 100 other brands quickly appeared to take advantage of the same scam. It's absolute junk, but it's a good example of the minefield pricing I referred to in the other post. One can go to Costco and pay $30 for a Kirkland, or buy a Raffi for $120 at STP. It's the exact same crap Chinese yarn.

EDIT: Speaking of STP, I just noticed they have some Johnston's of Elgins on sale for $200. That's a great deal, if they have the size and color you're looking for:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,...e-For-Men.html

[jamgood]

Have you checked these folks www.cuffsclothing.com ?

Not to be a smart a$$, but sweaters/jumpers are not woven, a small detail that seems to have escaped the Ben Silver copywriters over the years. Sweaters are knitted from spun yarn. Cloth is woven from spun yarn.

There are some 18 grades of cashmere + the spinning and finishing processes affect quality. Diameter in microns and length of individual filaments determines grade. "White" cashmere is the most expensive.

Scottish machine knitted cashmere sweaters are almost always completely full-fashioned, that may not be the case with cursorily similar expensive Italian knitwear.

The primary Scottish processor and spinner of cashmere, Todd & Duncan, is now Chinese owned, not Scottish.

Pringle is Japanese owned, not Scottish.

There's a good chance that Paul Stuart crew neck is from the Heather Wallace knitter, William Lockie, but PS may have changed to an Italian supplier.

jamgood's "niece": click the arrow and continue to click the panels adjacent to "jamima" for some unusual Scottish cashmere knitwear www.scottishcashmereclub.com Members: For over a year Brooks Brothers has been a 1/4 owner of J.J. & H.B. 1778, but the former Ballantyne may not be the knitter of its run-of-the-mill Scottish cashmere knitwear.

[FrankDC]

Jamgood, according to that site:

"Johnstons is the UK’s last remaining vertical mill, the only mill still to carry out all processes from raw fibre to finished garment."

Scary.

[jamgood]

Jamgood, according to that site:

"Johnstons is the UK’s last remaining vertical mill, the only mill still to carry out all processes from raw fibre to finished garment."

Scary.

I think that's been the case for several years. Todd & Duncan was a subsidiary of Dawson International (Scotland), which not that many years ago dominated the cashmere business, world-wide. Now it seems to be just a skeleton of its former self. Hinchliffe is still UK owned and processes exotic fibres in the UK, but does not, I think, knit or weave. If you're interested in such info., peruse the entire site as well as www.cashmere.org
Within the decade, raw cashmere and camel hair were processed in N.C. and woven in Pennsylvania by Amicale for fabrics used by Brooks, Hickey-Freeman, etc., no more.

Dunno, but Loro Piana may process cashmere at its Ulan Bator, Mongolia facility rather than Italy.

[unmodern]

Don't buy J.Crew cashmere for $130, it gets lower than that if you're at all flexible about color.

[ajo]

How does Raffi compare to other top Italian brands?

I cant offer a comparison to other Italian brand my other cashmeres are all Scottish.

[La Fin du Monde]

It doesn't. Better Italian labels (Loro Piana, BC etc) have much higher minimum quality requirements for their raw cashmere fiber.

Costco (i.e. their Kirkland brand) can be thanked for single-handedly ruining the significance of a "Made in Italy" label on cashmere sweaters. Raffi and 100 other brands quickly appeared to take advantage of the same scam. It's absolute junk, but it's a good example of the minefield pricing I referred to in the other post. One can go to Costco and pay $30 for a Kirkland, or buy a Raffi for $120 at STP. It's the exact same crap Chinese yarn.

EDIT: Speaking of STP, I just noticed they have some Johnston's of Elgins on sale for $200. That's a great deal, if they have the size and color you're looking for:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,...e-For-Men.html

"Sizing is definitely "British" -I normally wear size 44 sport coats, 16-1/2x 35/large shirts but upsize sweaters due to "athletic build" (OK-plus middle age spread). Like other reviewers I went up in size. Johnstons size 48 fit comfortably- 46 would have been trim/too tight for my taste. So, one size up as a minimum in my experience, depending on your preferred fit. Beautiful, soft sweater- very pleased with purchase."

"Very nice sweater in very nice colors, but the sleeves were too short for me, even when ordering 48", and the underside of the sleeves piled after first wear. I have many cashmere sweaters and haven't had either of these problems prior. Go with the Raffi..."

I pulled these two quotes from the STP reviews about the Johnstons. Are they accurate?

[FrankDC]

"Sizing is definitely "British" -I normally wear size 44 sport coats, 16-1/2x 35/large shirts but upsize sweaters due to "athletic build" (OK-plus middle age spread). Like other reviewers I went up in size. Johnstons size 48 fit comfortably- 46 would have been trim/too tight for my taste. So, one size up as a minimum in my experience, depending on your preferred fit. Beautiful, soft sweater- very pleased with purchase."

"Very nice sweater in very nice colors, but the sleeves were too short for me, even when ordering 48", and the underside of the sleeves piled after first wear. I have many cashmere sweaters and haven't had either of these problems prior. Go with the Raffi..."

I pulled these two quotes from the STP reviews about the Johnstons. Are they accurate?

The sizing advice is accurate, especially if the sweater will be worn over a shirt.

As for the pilling claim, that's a tougher one to answer. I've run into a few Johnstons in the last few years that were clearly inferior in weight and fiber content to their traditional sweaters, and I'm not sure if this was a function of crop quality (cashmere fiber is a natural product, and quality varies from year to year), or they've divided their line into separate categories, i.e. sweaters from Scottish-produced and Chinese-produced yarns.

The only way to know for sure is to ask them.

[La Fin du Monde]

The sizing advice is accurate, especially if the sweater will be worn over a shirt.

As for the pilling claim, that's a tougher one to answer. I've run into a few Johnstons in the last few years that were clearly inferior in weight and fiber content to their traditional sweaters, and I'm not sure if this was a function of crop quality (cashmere fiber is a natural product, and quality varies from year to year), or they've divided their line into separate categories, i.e. sweaters from Scottish-produced and Chinese-produced yarns.

The only way to know for sure is to ask them.

Thanks! I did not realize that STP had them at such a good price. I'll keep my eye out for future sales.

[FrankDC]

When you see one negative review among otherwise glowing feedback, especially one that steers you toward another specific product (e.g. "Go with the Raffi"), usually these reviews should not be trusted. They're called "shills".

[La Fin du Monde]

When you see one negative review among otherwise glowing feedback, especially one that steers you toward another specific product (e.g. "Go with the Raffi"), usually these reviews should not be trusted. They're called "shills".

Thanks for your advice; that's why I use this forum.

I read that the FTC is now going to require bloggers to disclose if products were provided to them free of charge for review. I think this will help, your comment shows that it's even harder to deal with online reviews. Who knows how many reviews are honest and how many come from 'shills?'

[fullymooned]

How does Johnstons of Elgin compare with BB?

"Sizing is definitely "British" -I normally wear size 44 sport coats, 16-1/2x 35/large shirts but upsize sweaters due to "athletic build" (OK-plus middle age spread). Like other reviewers I went up in size. Johnstons size 48 fit comfortably- 46 would have been trim/too tight for my taste. So, one size up as a minimum in my experience, depending on your preferred fit. Beautiful, soft sweater- very pleased with purchase."

"Very nice sweater in very nice colors, but the sleeves were too short for me, even when ordering 48", and the underside of the sleeves piled after first wear. I have many cashmere sweaters and haven't had either of these problems prior. Go with the Raffi..."

I pulled these two quotes from the STP reviews about the Johnstons. Are they accurate?

[FrankDC]

No one can answer that, because BB sources their sweaters to other manufacturers, and their sources change on a regular basis.

[FIHTies]

At the risk of shilling for myself I invite you to my site.

Colombo cashmere (Italian) Sweaters and sweater vests ranging from 300 to 500.

Murray Allan (Scottish) cashmere sweaters from 375 - 500.

http://www.fourinhand.com/catalog.asp?dept=1060