# Best Quality & Value (Thin) Cashmere V-Neck Sweater?



## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

Here's some of the common ones to start. I don't have a strong view as to their quality yet...

Brooks Brothers
RLPL
Murray Allan
Pink
T&A
J Crew


What do you think? What else is out there? What offers the best quality and also value? Preferably available on-line internationally!


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## hangthree (Apr 16, 2005)

Ballantyne



currently available at bluefly.com


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

hangthree said:


> Ballantyne
> 
> currently available at bluefly.com


That's a little bit on the wrong end of the value scale for me! What about the other brands carried by bluefly, e.g. Harrison or Theory?


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## kitonbrioni (Sep 30, 2004)

Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Malo, Tse, Loro Piana, Zegna, etc all do nice thin cashmere sweaters. If price is your top priority, then try Filene's Basement, outlet malls, etc.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

yes if only www.filenesbasement.com, online and shipping to Ireland. Hence the additional criteria, unfortunately. But thank you.


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## RJman (Nov 11, 2003)

Pink would be at the bottom of that scale. Unimpressive quality, overpriced, made in China.

Murray Allan is now out of business. It was good quality when it existed, so if you find someone selling what they have left in stock, it's good.

T&A's cashmere is OK, didn't set me on fire. Not likely to be a value proposition.

J. Crew's cashmere used to be decent for what it was. They now tout that they use Loro Piana yarn. Not sure how much value that adds.


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## cgc (Jan 27, 2007)

Lands End makes pretty decent 2 ply cashmere for about as cheap as you can find. It is probably better than what J Crew or Theory offer but the fit will be much roomier. Shipping via Post will be about $20-30 for one but considering the hammering the dollar continues to take you probably have double that in your couch.


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## SirSuturesALot (Sep 2, 2007)

RJman said:


> J. Crew's cashmere used to be decent for what it was. They now tout that they use Loro Piana yarn. Not sure how much value that adds.


I've always wondered about this. I've found the items sold at the actual Loro Piana boutiques (i.e. made by Loro Piana using Loro Piana fabrics) to be of high quality. Can one say the same in regards to items that utilize Loro Piana fabrics, but aren't actually made by Loro Piana?


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## Tonyp (May 8, 2007)

I bought a beautiful 4 ply cashmere in Southern Italy made out of Loro Piana cashmere. It is beautiful. I paid $270 last year. If you are spending money for Cashmere and you want it to last for a number of years don't buy made in china cashmere. There are some good ones but for the most part I have found that they pill and ball up. Scottish or Italian cashmere is better. However you sill need to be careful.

When you say thin I assume you mean 2 ply. If you are looking for a designer like theory the fit will be very slim. Not a classic fit. You can find decent cashmere in the States at most department stores for around $300.00. At the better stores like NM, Barneys, Saks etc.. you will pay around $500 retail or more.

The best Cashmere I have ever felt and would recommend especially for a thin quality hand is Brunello Cucinnelli. They have the best IMHO. If you buy a good quality sweater it will last for years if properly cared for. You don't want to drop $200-$300 every couple years.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

I tend to agree about Pink. I thought their cashmere was worse than their wool. A bit clunky. There doesn't seem to be a huge swell in favour of any producer, what about brooks brothers?

RJMan, BTW Fourinhand stocks Murray Allan. It could be an option depending on the future movement of the dollar!


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## JDC (Dec 2, 2006)

Rossini said:


> I tend to agree about Pink. I thought their cashmere was worse than their wool. A bit clunky. There doesn't seem to be a huge swell in favour of any producer, what about brooks brothers?


BB is usually slightly better than average. But aside from top-end manufacturers like Loro Piana, you really can't go by brand any more. Even labels which were formerly reliable for quality (RLPL, Johnston's etc) are moving partially or completely to Chinese yarn and production.

It's coming down to just two basic categories: cashmere yarn and garments which are still produced using traditional methods in Scotland and Italy, and everything else. You'll pay through the nose for that first category, while quality for the second is almost entirely hit or miss.


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## Tonyp (May 8, 2007)

BB is a 3 ply cashmere. I just bought one. It feels very nice. Classic fit. they run a little on the big size so go down one size. They will be on sale this weekend for 15% off. If you have an AAAC card you get an extra 15% off.


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## Concordia (Sep 30, 2004)

I think the request was for thin cashmere-- T&A is single-ply and seems to be of good quality. I have a vest that does quite well under a jacket. Nice colors.


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## zegnamtl (Apr 19, 2005)

Avon Celli


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

Tonyp said:


> BB is a 3 ply cashmere. I just bought one. It feels very nice. Classic fit. they run a little on the big size so go down one size. They will be on sale this weekend for 15% off. If you have an AAAC card you get an extra 15% off.


Thanks TonyP - not sure what size you are but I'm a 42L & 36" waist with 16.5" in a shirt, with a slim athletic build. So I'm guessing L in BB, would you think?


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## hangthree (Apr 16, 2005)

I would not recommend the other brands on bluefly.com

I bought two Harrisons a few years ago....they almost lasted one season. cheap cashmere, it pilled and stretched. definately not worth it. if you see 'made in china', run!

My wife has two Theory cashmere sweaters...also crap. pilled ,etc.

You may want to try for a nice merino sweater....they are generally very thin (i have one from John Smedley that is awesome)


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## kbuzz (Apr 2, 2005)

cgc said:


> Lands End makes pretty decent 2 ply cashmere for about as cheap as you can find. It is probably better than what J Crew or Theory offer but the fit will be much roomier. Shipping via Post will be about $20-30 for one but considering the hammering the dollar continues to take you probably have double that in your couch.


+1- decent a bit a bit better then you would think. agree on the roomy cut


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## Buffalo (Nov 19, 2003)

Tonyp said:


> BB is a 3 ply cashmere. I just bought one. It feels very nice. Classic fit. they run a little on the big size so go down one size. They will be on sale this weekend for 15% off. If you have an AAAC card you get an extra 15% off.


How do you get a AAAC card?


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## Buffalo (Nov 19, 2003)

Never mind, I just found it, thanks.


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## jamgood (Feb 8, 2006)

*THIN*

In the fall of '05 I sold a variety of 15 of these on eBay. They're actually made by one of the famous Itai cashmere specialists. Dunno which one. Superfine 1 ply cashmere. Only a few knitters in the world are capable of making sweaters of this yarn. RL calls it Platinum Cashmere. I think the retail is up $100 since then to $795. They are relatively unknown and under appreciated on eBay, as with many things. With patience, should be able to acquire on eBay for less than $200. Of course then there's shipping and Eire taxes.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

Don't get me started on Irish taxes! :-o


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## Chris H (Oct 30, 2004)

Try TKMaxx, lots of cashmere in my local UK branch last week. I picked up a nice RL Polo cashmere cable crewneck for £59.

https://www.ralphlauren.com/product...ewneck&kw=cashmere+crewneck&parentPage=search


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

jamgood said:


> *THIN*
> 
> In the fall of '05 I sold a variety of 15 of these on eBay. They're actually made by one of the famous Itai cashmere specialists. Dunno which one. Superfine 1 ply cashmere. Only a few knitters in the world are capable of making sweaters of this yarn. RL calls it Platinum Cashmere. I think the retail is up $100 since then to $795. They are relatively unknown and under appreciated on eBay, as with many things. With patience, should be able to acquire on eBay for less than $200. Of course then there's shipping and Eire taxes.


Thanks Jamgood - there's an ebay seller polosphere that does similar sweaters but, sadly, they only ship in the US.


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## shirtguy (Oct 12, 2006)

How do you obtain an AAAC card?


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## Artisan Fan (Jul 21, 2006)

For value I like J Crew or Lands End.
For quality I like Cucinelli and Loro Piana.


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## Tonyp (May 8, 2007)

Rossini said:


> Thanks TonyP - not sure what size you are but I'm a 42L & 36" waist with 16.5" in a shirt, with a slim athletic build. So I'm guessing L in BB, would you think?


large is too big for you. I am a 46L 17" shirt and a 36 waist and I took a large and it fit perfectly. XL was too big for me and I don't wear them tight. I would say M would be perfect for you. :icon_smile:


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## Tonyp (May 8, 2007)

Buffalo said:


> How do you get a AAAC card?


You need at least 100 posts which you have. go down to the AAAC events etc.. below the regular forum stuff and you just follow the instructions. :icon_smile_big:


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## red96 (Jun 26, 2007)

Have you checked STP lately? they had some fantastic Johnstons of Elgin cashmere sweaters, and with the frequent discounts and shipping codes, it would certainly be a great value - you'll find cheaper but not better at that price point.


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## Monte Cristo (Aug 15, 2005)

*Steer Clear of J Crew*

I bought three "year-round" cashmere v-neck sweaters from J Crew last year (pine green, navy and brown). I believe that each one retailed for somewhere in the $150 range, but I did not pay full price for any of them.

The fit (I am slender and take a size small) was absolutely spot-on. It was rather fitted, but not tight. I appreciated this because I loathe baggy or overly-roomy clothes.

The quality, however, is something else entirely. Two of them developed rips at the seams on shoulder. They happily exchanged the first one that ripped (after about a month of ownership), but the second one did not develop the rip until several months later and I have not tried to exchange it.

Also, these sweaters "pill" horribly. I bought them to wear both casually and around the office (we are business casual, and I typically wear wool trousers and a dress shirt). After only a few wearings of each one, the cashmere had either pilled so much or just generally looked so worn that I wouldn't consider them nice enough for office wear, and barely sufficient for casual wear.

In summary, the fit is good (for me), but the quality is so bad that I will not be buying any more cashmere from J Crew. That said, I believe that their merino wool sweaters do represent a good value and I will continue to purchase those.

Just as an aside, if last year you took a size small in J Crew sweaters, don't assume that this will be the case this year as well. I tried some size small sweaters on over the weekend and they have gotten noticeably roomier. I suppose that is why they introduced the new size "Extra Small" in some of their sweaters, which of course they don't stock in the store. I am expecting a shipment of size XS sweaters today, and am eager to see how they compare with the old size S.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

Tonyp said:


> large is too big for you. I am a 46L 17" shirt and a 36 waist and I took a large and it fit perfectly. XL was too big for me and I don't wear them tight. I would say M would be perfect for you. :icon_smile:


Cheers Tony, I feel slighly nervous about being Medium, but I know US sizes are always larger so I reckon you could be right.

It would have been a done deal had I not got slightly conflicting advice from BB themselves this morning:

_"Thank you for contacting Brooks Brothers customer service.

In response to your inquiry regarding our merchandise, please be advised that the size large sweater
is for a size 42-44 chest size, and a 16-16 1/2 neck. I would suggest ordering a size large.

Please contact us if you need further assistance."

_I assume they are just reading from their standard sizing chart and that, as you say, their sizes do actually run a little larger than the figures...


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## burnedandfrozen (Mar 11, 2004)

Oddly enough I find the Costco Kirkland Signature 2 ply cashmere sweaters to be less soft then their merino wool sweaters.


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## constantmystery (Apr 18, 2006)

*a variation on this theme..*

If you are looking for a great long lasting and yet thin enough to wear under a sport jacket..I recommend the super fine merino wool sweaters from Paul Stuart. bought one several years ago for about $170.

It's very soft, and merino generally outlasts cashmere as well as for shape retention.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

Paul Stuart would be an option, they have an alpaca range at a similar price online https://www.paulstuart.com/product_...MainCatId=14&HEADERMENUID=1&SUBPRODCATID=2047
shame about their crazy fedex shipping charges of $77+. Plus I'll probably get hit for taxes of, say, $60. Makes it $300 or €200. Not sure if that's good value versus Brooks Brothers Cashmere at $298 less up to 30% discount plus other charges would work out at a similar cost. Hmmm...


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## dfloyd (May 7, 2006)

*for Scottish cashmere...*

try Robert Old in England. They sell a 2 ply and a 4 ply woven and knitted in Scotland. They are a retailer and get their sweaters from William Lockie of Scotland. They also pay shipping. I bought C&J Weymouth from them and they are nice to work with. They were cheaper than C&J store in NY and the one in London. Also much cheaper than Ben Silver. I recommended that Leather Man of this forum try them, so you might e-mal him and ask how he like them.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

The Robert Old option looks interesting for sure..... at €242 for the 2-ply option (which i assume is better for my purposes of sometimes wearing under a jacket), it's a little more than Brooks and Paul Stuart's Alpaca option. Though I guess it is better quality?


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## Tonyp (May 8, 2007)

Rossini said:


> Cheers Tony, I feel slighly nervous about being Medium, but I know US sizes are always larger so I reckon you could be right.
> 
> It would have been a done deal had I not got slightly conflicting advice from BB themselves this morning:
> 
> ...


I normally wear XL and can't even get a large on but I tried on both the XL and the L. the XL was big but not ridiculously baggy. the large fit perfectly over my long sleeve sport shirt. It looked perfect on and my girlfriend said get the large for sure. XL was too big.


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## alaric (May 23, 2005)

I will second Brunello Cucinelli and Avon Celli.

There is a lot of inexpensive cashmere out there that doesn't even have as nice a hand as good merino wool.

I got some sweaters for TJMaxx by a company I had never heard of before, Daniel Bishop, that had a great hand, when I sorted through all the tags it seems the fabric was provide by Zegna. Really quite nice and very inexpensive. 

I go by the hand, the density of the knit and, of course, the fit. these vary a lot unfortunately.

alaric


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## Tonyp (May 8, 2007)

I agree that Cucinelli, Avon Celli and Malo are some of the best around but they are not inexpensive. Just stay away from Chinese cashmere and you will be ok.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

I'm a bit worried about Paul Stuart Apalca, has anyone tried it? I've heard bad things about apalca in the past despite the good write-ups.

There's a limited colour choice on the Robert Old site in 2-ply so that brings me back to Brooks Brothers. Is their Cashmere scottish though?


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## SirSuturesALot (Sep 2, 2007)

alaric said:


> I will second Brunello Cucinelli and Avon Celli.


+3 

I've also had good luck with Costco cashmere.


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## Lance99 (Aug 9, 2006)

cgc said:


> Lands End makes pretty decent 2 ply cashmere for about as cheap as you can find. It is probably better than what J Crew or Theory offer but the fit will be much roomier. Shipping via Post will be about $20-30 for one but considering the hammering the dollar continues to take you probably have double that in your couch.


I have to agree and say Lands End is better than decent.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

Lands End comes in at around 150 euro plus shipping. So it's a good bit cheaper than Robert Old but within range of Brooks Brothers. It's hard to know if Lands End is real 2-ply? With LE at 150, BB at 200, and RO at 250 (in euro), does this represent a fair increase in price to quality ratio, or is one much better value than the rest in relative terms?


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## gusvs (May 1, 2005)

John Smedley has a fantastic (but not cheap) thin cashmere v-neck.


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## RJman (Nov 11, 2003)

Anam on avenue Victor Hugo or Rhodes & Brousse sell excellent cashmere... in 1981...


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## hangthree (Apr 16, 2005)

gusvs said:


> John Smedley has a fantastic (but not cheap) thin cashmere v-neck.


+1 The merino sweaters are extremely nice as well.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

is john smedley on-line anywhere?


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## Artisan Fan (Jul 21, 2006)

I would also add Avon Celli to my list. Excellent fabrics.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

Any views on Johnstons of Elgin? They're available via House of Bruar, which has just come up in another thread.


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## FIHTies (Jun 24, 2004)

Rossini said:


> is john smedley on-line anywhere?


Why I do this is beyond me...



https://www.john-smedley.co.uk/shop/section.php?qs_sid=20


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## hangthree (Apr 16, 2005)

Rossini said:


> is john smedley on-line anywhere?


I believe you can order direct from their website: www.johnsmedley.com/shop/


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## jamgood (Feb 8, 2006)

May I suggest that you check out the "Inis Meain" at Havana, Dublin to see if they offer any light weight cashmere or alpaca knitwear. Light weight is not Inis Meain's forte. You'd be supporting Eire knitwear. Not inexpensive in the states. www.inismeain.ie

If there is a TJ Maxx in Dublin check out the Daniel Bishop cashmere alaric mentioned above. The exact same sweaters are often at Marshalls under the Allen Solly brand. China. Plain two ply cashmere v-neck sleeveless pullover is US $40. With sleeves $60. Are they the equivalent of Ballantyne or Columbo? No. But at about 1/6 the price of the 3-ply BB product that is not 6 times better.

Maxx is selling a zippered funnel neck 4 ply cashmere pullover in two tone grey diagonal stripes, for a twill effect, that could well compete with similar Scottish or Italian sweaters in the $500 or more range. Beefy and soft. May have a few more guard hairs than European versions. China. $99. Scoff if you will. I think the brand is Davis and Squire.

Daniel Bishop, Allen Solly (in the US), Davis and Squire, and a couple of other brands of cashmere to be found in Maxx/Marshalls are TJMaxx Corp. brands. They are probably sourced trough the Chinese "Forte" division of Dawson International. https://www.dawson-international.co.uk/06.html A few years ago Maxx sold a Chinese made private labelled hand knit multi-ply cashmere fisherman cabled sweater for $150. The same sweater was sold by SAKS the previous year with a SAKS label for $395 or $495.

A somewhat dated Wall Street Journal article that may be of interest. Emphasis on the date. I'd think LE is more particular now.

I was in a Saks Off 5th store yesterday and noticed cashmere sweaters by "McGeorge, Division of Ballantyne, Made In China" and "Alan Paine, Made In Madagascar". Last year the store had some Ballantyne cashmere sweaters that had been regular stock in a Saks store. Ballantyne is now an Italian owned company that still makes some of its knitwear in Scotland, some in Italy. Of course if you want to spend $1100 for a not-that-great Ballantyne cashmere argyle sweater that's your business. The ones remaindered to the Off 5th store were not very handsome and were marked down several times before they cleared. I doubt the purchasers had a clue about Ballantyne.

You have to request their catalogue to order cashmere items directly from Johnstons www.johnstonscashmere.com In the US, STP has better prices if they have something you find appealing.

For the inquiring mind: (i have to get my life coach to 'splain this stuff to me)

http:www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0612170360dec17,1,413840.story?ctrack=1&cset=true


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

FIHTies said:


> Why I do this is beyond me...
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.john-smedley.co.uk/shop/section.php?qs_sid=20


^ An all round decent sort I would say!

Anyway, at this rate, I may just go with Merino and save up for some of the really good cashmere at FIH.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

jamgood said:


> May I suggest that you check out the "Inis Meain" at Havana, Dublin to see if they offer any light weight cashmere or alpaca knitwear. Light weight is not Inis Meain's forte. You'd be supporting Eire knitwear.


Yes, good old Irish Knitwear. Thanks Jamgood. I have a feeling they'll be mostly chunky but you never know....


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## robin (Jan 6, 2007)

Rossini said:


> Yes, good old Irish Knitwear. Thanks Jamgood. I have a feeling they'll be mostly chunky but you never know....


Inis Meáin Knitting Co. actually makes various styles that are not in the usual chunky Aran type knits and I'm currently in the process of trying to source some more. Here are some examples that I had for sale recently:



















Both of those are 75% cashmere, 25% merino. I still have the second one for sale in a size large, in case anyone wants it.


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## Tonyp (May 8, 2007)

SirSuturesALot said:


> +3
> 
> I've also had good luck with Costco cashmere.


 I wear Costco cashmere for golf. they are pretty good, but of all the Cashmere I own, the moths went for the costsco and not the others. Lucky for me. I guess the moths don't look for quality just what tastes good!


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## Tonyp (May 8, 2007)

FYI BB cashmere is sourced form scottland. if you really want something exceptional then get a Brunello Cucinello on sale or Avon Celli.


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