How to buy a good cashmere sweater
November 29, 2022 9:00 AM Subscribe
It is not feasible to buy a good quality cashmere sweater for $50. (SL Twitter thread from Derek Guy, menswear writer.) (Previously)
This includes both cute goat pictures and specific brands to keep an eye out for when shopping for vintage cashmere. I actually like scratchy wool just fine - I always layer sweaters so I, um, sweat on them less - but this was still worth a read.
posted by the primroses were over at 9:19 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by the primroses were over at 9:19 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
Yeah I just read the thread myself and then saw that you posted it here. I'm the person who just fell for the hook of Quince's cheap cashmere, not considering the environmental impact as outlined in the Twitter thread. The cashmere definitely feels rougher than very fine cashmere sweaters, and of those from brands like Brooks Brothers, Everlane, and J Crew that I've bought secondhand on Poshmark. But this cashmere is still softer than wool, and it's so far as warm as other cashmere I've worn. No idea yet on longevity; I don't expect much and I'm hard on clothes. PS Quince's merino wool sweater that I bought is comparable to all other merino wool I've worn.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 9:22 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 9:22 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
You can definitely thrift one for that price point if you have the time/ability to do so (I understand that for some it's not possible).
posted by microscopiclifeform at 9:26 AM on November 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by microscopiclifeform at 9:26 AM on November 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
worth reading for the pic of the extremely cute child holding the extremely cute baby goat.
sad that global demand is impacting the environment, animal welfare etc., of these regions. I guess I will continue not wearing cashmere, since I cannot afford the good stuff anyway. (probably looks better on the goats!)
posted by supermedusa at 9:28 AM on November 29, 2022 [11 favorites]
sad that global demand is impacting the environment, animal welfare etc., of these regions. I guess I will continue not wearing cashmere, since I cannot afford the good stuff anyway. (probably looks better on the goats!)
posted by supermedusa at 9:28 AM on November 29, 2022 [11 favorites]
I saw his description of a good cashmeere garment as "an heirloom piece" and... yeah, maybe if you don't have a single clothes moth in your house.
posted by Pallas Athena at 9:41 AM on November 29, 2022 [13 favorites]
posted by Pallas Athena at 9:41 AM on November 29, 2022 [13 favorites]
It is not possible to buy a good cashmere sweater for $50. But it is possible to get a good, second-hand cashmere sweater for less than $5.
posted by parmanparman at 9:43 AM on November 29, 2022 [12 favorites]
posted by parmanparman at 9:43 AM on November 29, 2022 [12 favorites]
Thanks for posting! I was not aware of any of this. I like how clearly and civilly Mr. Guy lays it out, without making the commenter the piece is in response to look stupid. I was thinking of buying a nice sweater soon but will avoid cheap cashmere after reading this. Poor baby goats :(.
posted by Jess the Mess at 9:44 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Jess the Mess at 9:44 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
Gatekeeping nonsense.
A 90 dollar Uniqlo cashmere sweater isn't better than a 5K version, well duh, it is better than the non-cashmere version however, softer, warmer. If you wish to avoid cashmere for environmental/animal welfare reasons, you need to avoid the expensive versions too, he never really explains how they are different/better.
This Twitter thread is someone with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo angry that the proletariat may muscle in on his fibers.
posted by Keith Talent at 10:03 AM on November 29, 2022 [7 favorites]
A 90 dollar Uniqlo cashmere sweater isn't better than a 5K version, well duh, it is better than the non-cashmere version however, softer, warmer. If you wish to avoid cashmere for environmental/animal welfare reasons, you need to avoid the expensive versions too, he never really explains how they are different/better.
This Twitter thread is someone with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo angry that the proletariat may muscle in on his fibers.
posted by Keith Talent at 10:03 AM on November 29, 2022 [7 favorites]
China is the largest exporter and grower of cashmere wool. Overgrazing and the effects of climate change on grasslands is a worldwide problem. The price of the sweater has nothing to do with the money going to the growers or their practices. It is important either all woolen goods that you take the time to ensure that you are purchasing quality products that are sustainably and ethically sourced.
posted by interogative mood at 10:20 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by interogative mood at 10:20 AM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
I think the point is that the expensive versions are produced in a sustainable way: the goats aren't starving.
posted by suelac at 10:22 AM on November 29, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by suelac at 10:22 AM on November 29, 2022 [8 favorites]
I can't be the only one for whom any mention of the word cashmere evokes one of the greatest AskMes of all time...
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 10:23 AM on November 29, 2022 [43 favorites]
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 10:23 AM on November 29, 2022 [43 favorites]
Horrifying that just a few decades of demand for a luxury item can permanently damage an entire ecosystem. The topsoil that's blowing away won't come back even if the overgrazing stops and the grasses return.
posted by keep_evolving at 10:27 AM on November 29, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by keep_evolving at 10:27 AM on November 29, 2022 [6 favorites]
The sweaters still produced in Scotland (and even, to a degree, in Italy) are produced by skilled and fairly well compensated labor in smaller towns often on vintage machines. Workers have access to healthcare and welfare state provisions. The people making the cashmere sweaters for Target, etc....don't. Everlane says that they do some production transparency but there was an attempt to unionize there which was shut down so I don't know.
Furthermore, less but better cashmere production is better for the farmers and goats - I mean, here is a fiber where the animals really can be treated very nicely and humanely, why push into quantities where they are starved and less cared for?
My suggestion would be that if you want the softness and the color (because cashmere does take subtle colors more than other fibers), you should buy a better cashmere scarf or a cashmere hat. A good cashmere scarf or hat can still be pretty darn expensive, but you can buy a really good one and wear it for years for much less than a good sweater.
Derek Guy is pretty interested in unions, environmentally sound production and small production job creation. He's not just some schmoe - I've followed him for years.
Non fast fashion is intrinsically more expensive. If you literally need cheap new clothes on the spot, of course, you're going to buy fast fashion and there's no point in heartburning about it because you can only do what you can do. But for most people who are looking for cashmere sweaters, nice alternatives exist.
In fact, if you're looking mostly for an attractive, durable sweater for casual wear (rather than looking for, eg, merino for biking or something) you can get a good quality cotton from a good maker for about the price of a mid-low range cashmere sweater and it will last better and be easier to care for.
Or - and they are a bit harder to find - a cashmere-wool blend sweater (all wool and cashmere, no 20% polyester like J Crew sometimes tries to pull) will have a lot of cashmere softness and color and much of the durability of wool. Lands End at least used to do some like that in the 2010s. Since I realistically will never, ever have a $400 sweater, I think I'd probably shoot for a nice 20% cashmere/80% wool sweater if I were in the market.
posted by Frowner at 10:35 AM on November 29, 2022 [28 favorites]
Furthermore, less but better cashmere production is better for the farmers and goats - I mean, here is a fiber where the animals really can be treated very nicely and humanely, why push into quantities where they are starved and less cared for?
My suggestion would be that if you want the softness and the color (because cashmere does take subtle colors more than other fibers), you should buy a better cashmere scarf or a cashmere hat. A good cashmere scarf or hat can still be pretty darn expensive, but you can buy a really good one and wear it for years for much less than a good sweater.
Derek Guy is pretty interested in unions, environmentally sound production and small production job creation. He's not just some schmoe - I've followed him for years.
Non fast fashion is intrinsically more expensive. If you literally need cheap new clothes on the spot, of course, you're going to buy fast fashion and there's no point in heartburning about it because you can only do what you can do. But for most people who are looking for cashmere sweaters, nice alternatives exist.
In fact, if you're looking mostly for an attractive, durable sweater for casual wear (rather than looking for, eg, merino for biking or something) you can get a good quality cotton from a good maker for about the price of a mid-low range cashmere sweater and it will last better and be easier to care for.
Or - and they are a bit harder to find - a cashmere-wool blend sweater (all wool and cashmere, no 20% polyester like J Crew sometimes tries to pull) will have a lot of cashmere softness and color and much of the durability of wool. Lands End at least used to do some like that in the 2010s. Since I realistically will never, ever have a $400 sweater, I think I'd probably shoot for a nice 20% cashmere/80% wool sweater if I were in the market.
posted by Frowner at 10:35 AM on November 29, 2022 [28 favorites]
Gatekeeping nonsense
not really, he explicitly states how to get good quality cashmere if you can't afford it new
he never really explains how they are different/better.
from the thread:
"First, there's the quality of the yarns. Remember earlier, when I mentioned that some yarns have become coarser due to overgrazing?"
the implication here is that poor environmental practices lead to poor quality, he goes on to explain why explicitly:
"Poor animal husbandry, overgrazing, and starving goats—all a result of overproduction—have also led to a worsening of cashmere quality. Remember that sweaters are made from yarns, and yarns are made from fibers. These fibers have become coarser. A 2003 World Bank study stated:"
then explains what the quality differences are:
"Quality yarns are made by twisting longer fibers together. When you use longer fibers, there are fewer points for potential breakages. When you use shorter fibers, there are more points for potential breakages. This break happens through wear, which results in pilling, like this:"
posted by Dr. Twist at 10:36 AM on November 29, 2022 [21 favorites]
not really, he explicitly states how to get good quality cashmere if you can't afford it new
he never really explains how they are different/better.
from the thread:
"First, there's the quality of the yarns. Remember earlier, when I mentioned that some yarns have become coarser due to overgrazing?"
the implication here is that poor environmental practices lead to poor quality, he goes on to explain why explicitly:
"Poor animal husbandry, overgrazing, and starving goats—all a result of overproduction—have also led to a worsening of cashmere quality. Remember that sweaters are made from yarns, and yarns are made from fibers. These fibers have become coarser. A 2003 World Bank study stated:"
then explains what the quality differences are:
"Quality yarns are made by twisting longer fibers together. When you use longer fibers, there are fewer points for potential breakages. When you use shorter fibers, there are more points for potential breakages. This break happens through wear, which results in pilling, like this:"
posted by Dr. Twist at 10:36 AM on November 29, 2022 [21 favorites]
Can I recommend possum/merino, the only sweaters I buy - soft and durable and the possums (Australian ones, not the ones from the Americas) are an official noxious pest in NZ where it's made, removing them from the environment is a good thing, stops them overgrazing an ecosystem not evolved for them
posted by mbo at 11:00 AM on November 29, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by mbo at 11:00 AM on November 29, 2022 [5 favorites]
Fast fashion is dreadful, to both the buyers and the environment. But you're getting "a good deal"!
This didn't merit an FPP so I'll put it here: The Golden Age of Thrifting is Over (NYT, probably paywalled). Fast fashion has put most of the traditional companies out of business, and finding good stuff secondhand is only going to get harder.
posted by meowzilla at 11:03 AM on November 29, 2022 [7 favorites]
This didn't merit an FPP so I'll put it here: The Golden Age of Thrifting is Over (NYT, probably paywalled). Fast fashion has put most of the traditional companies out of business, and finding good stuff secondhand is only going to get harder.
posted by meowzilla at 11:03 AM on November 29, 2022 [7 favorites]
This didn't merit an FPP so I'll put it here: The Golden Age of Thrifting is Over (NYT, probably paywalled). Fast fashion has put most of the traditional companies out of business, and finding good stuff secondhand is only going to get harder.
I'll say! The golden age of thrifting has been over around here (south MPLS) since about 2010. There used to be a huge thrift store near my house. In the mid nineties through about 2005 I found unbelievable things there - fifties and sixties clothes, good scottish cashmere, a real Bonnie Cashin for Coach bag, a Dior silk-satin dress (department store, not couture). But more than that, I found just ordinary good stuff all the time - nice shirts and sweaters, useful housewares, small furniture. I still have several chairs, a sofa and a couple of small tables that I thrifted.
By 2008, I'd stop by and it was extremely hit and miss - I still found some good stuff but the contemporary, cheap stuff was creeping in - you'd see secondhand stuff from Target for almost as much as it cost new on sale, for instance. I pretty much stopped going by 2010 because I almost never found anything, and the smaller thrift stores were worse. A few years later the store closed and now it's a fast fashion place.
Part of this is that sales have moved to eBay/Poshmark/etc so things cost more and require shipping, although of course you do get an expanded selection. I get most of my clothes secondhand online now and a lot of my housewares and small goods. But we're getting to a point where stuff made in the nineties is the last good stuff out there and it's getting worn out and falling out of the market. After that it's going to be all garbage all the time.
posted by Frowner at 11:13 AM on November 29, 2022 [10 favorites]
I'll say! The golden age of thrifting has been over around here (south MPLS) since about 2010. There used to be a huge thrift store near my house. In the mid nineties through about 2005 I found unbelievable things there - fifties and sixties clothes, good scottish cashmere, a real Bonnie Cashin for Coach bag, a Dior silk-satin dress (department store, not couture). But more than that, I found just ordinary good stuff all the time - nice shirts and sweaters, useful housewares, small furniture. I still have several chairs, a sofa and a couple of small tables that I thrifted.
By 2008, I'd stop by and it was extremely hit and miss - I still found some good stuff but the contemporary, cheap stuff was creeping in - you'd see secondhand stuff from Target for almost as much as it cost new on sale, for instance. I pretty much stopped going by 2010 because I almost never found anything, and the smaller thrift stores were worse. A few years later the store closed and now it's a fast fashion place.
Part of this is that sales have moved to eBay/Poshmark/etc so things cost more and require shipping, although of course you do get an expanded selection. I get most of my clothes secondhand online now and a lot of my housewares and small goods. But we're getting to a point where stuff made in the nineties is the last good stuff out there and it's getting worn out and falling out of the market. After that it's going to be all garbage all the time.
posted by Frowner at 11:13 AM on November 29, 2022 [10 favorites]
Archive version of the NYT article.
I’ve noticed the same thing, I think it’s partially quality goods aging out, and partially it being much easier to 2nd hand things via Craigslist/eBay/fb marketplace, etc.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:50 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
I’ve noticed the same thing, I think it’s partially quality goods aging out, and partially it being much easier to 2nd hand things via Craigslist/eBay/fb marketplace, etc.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:50 AM on November 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Part of this is that sales have moved to eBay/Poshmark/etc so things cost more and require shipping, although of course you do get an expanded selection. I get most of my clothes secondhand online now and a lot of my housewares and small goods. But we're getting to a point where stuff made in the nineties is the last good stuff out there and it's getting worn out and falling out of the market. After that it's going to be all garbage all the time.
1000x this.
I am a seasoned, borderline obsessive thrifter and I did not realize how good I had it throughout the 90s and 00s. These days good stuff goes to Poshmark/Depop before it ever even makes the racks, and the vintage sellers have raised the prices of the even just barely decent secondhand stuff to well above new prices, even if you aren't shopping fast fashion (a vintage shop in my home town is currently selling 1980s Sears gingham zip-up housedresses for $250/per).
The last really nice cashmere sweater I bought is borderline couture sort of by accident. It is the most expensive thing in my wardrobe. I bought it because the used version was literally more expensive.
posted by thivaia at 11:52 AM on November 29, 2022 [5 favorites]
1000x this.
I am a seasoned, borderline obsessive thrifter and I did not realize how good I had it throughout the 90s and 00s. These days good stuff goes to Poshmark/Depop before it ever even makes the racks, and the vintage sellers have raised the prices of the even just barely decent secondhand stuff to well above new prices, even if you aren't shopping fast fashion (a vintage shop in my home town is currently selling 1980s Sears gingham zip-up housedresses for $250/per).
The last really nice cashmere sweater I bought is borderline couture sort of by accident. It is the most expensive thing in my wardrobe. I bought it because the used version was literally more expensive.
posted by thivaia at 11:52 AM on November 29, 2022 [5 favorites]
Just expressing gratitude for linking to Twitter in the FPP, and providing Threadreader and Nitter as alternatives.
posted by emelenjr at 12:03 PM on November 29, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by emelenjr at 12:03 PM on November 29, 2022 [5 favorites]
Left out is the more sensible option of buying a recycled or thrift shop cashmere sweater for like $30-$100.
Not sure I buy that you can't source quality cashmere from ill-treated goats, if you have enough material to work with I'd think you could get the right length from across a swath of goats at a lower percentage of the total and then just dump the short fibers on the market for the $50 sweaters. If someone who doesn't work for the industry tells me that goats pastured in overgrazed environments never produce long fibers I'll believe it, but someone who sells $1000 sweaters telling me everything is open and transparent would have to work harder to convince me. I'm certainly not going to take the tweets of a cashmere enthusiast without citations as convincing.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:28 PM on November 29, 2022
Not sure I buy that you can't source quality cashmere from ill-treated goats, if you have enough material to work with I'd think you could get the right length from across a swath of goats at a lower percentage of the total and then just dump the short fibers on the market for the $50 sweaters. If someone who doesn't work for the industry tells me that goats pastured in overgrazed environments never produce long fibers I'll believe it, but someone who sells $1000 sweaters telling me everything is open and transparent would have to work harder to convince me. I'm certainly not going to take the tweets of a cashmere enthusiast without citations as convincing.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:28 PM on November 29, 2022
Almost all my wool clothes are thrift, army surplus, or invasive species (NZ possums). I've got a couple sweaters from UNIQLO's clearance rack, and I'm definitely rethinking buying more.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:32 PM on November 29, 2022
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:32 PM on November 29, 2022
Ye old saying "You get what you pay for" is usually true. People expect everything to be cheap these days and then wonder why the quality is so bad?
posted by Liquidwolf at 12:36 PM on November 29, 2022
posted by Liquidwolf at 12:36 PM on November 29, 2022
Left out is the more sensible option of buying a recycled or thrift shop cashmere sweater for like $30-$100.
This is literally one of the main points of the Twitter thread:
This is literally one of the main points of the Twitter thread:
You can also shop secondhand. Remember how I said that Scottish cashmere knits are heirloom quality? This means that you can find vintage ones for fairly cheap. On eBay, vintage cashmere knits from reputable brands can be had for as little as $40.posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 12:46 PM on November 29, 2022 [14 favorites]
On eBay, search for brands such as Barrie, John Liang, Ballantyne, Peter Scott, Alan Paine, Hawico, Pringle, William Lockie, Johnstons of Elgin, Malo, Fedeli, Della Ciana, Cruciani, and Gran Sasso
Also, note all knitwear pills—be realistic—but quality ones pill less.
Gatekeeping nonsense
Uh, I think you mean goatkeeping nonsense. And it's goatherding.
Lay-ee odl lay-ee odl lay HEE HOO!
Whatever.
posted by The Bellman at 12:59 PM on November 29, 2022 [8 favorites]
Uh, I think you mean goatkeeping nonsense. And it's goatherding.
Lay-ee odl lay-ee odl lay HEE HOO!
Whatever.
posted by The Bellman at 12:59 PM on November 29, 2022 [8 favorites]
With the used cashmere sweaters: there are certainly great ones at varying degrees of affordability, but of course you are constrained by the cut and color preferences of yore. (Back in the happy thrifting days of ~2004, I found a men's xxl scottish cashmere sweater from probably about 1980 in a bright pink and gave it away to someone I volunteered with since it was a v-neck and I didn't like v-necks - so cheap and plentiful were thriftable cashmere sweaters back then.)
I think part of the attraction of the new ones is an on-trend cut or a flattering color - a lot of really vintage cashmere is grey, navy, taupe and camel in very plain cuts. Rarer cuts and colors of course exist but are harder to find, come in fewer sizes and cost more. (Again, I had some bonkers intarsias from the eighties once upon a time, so they do exist.)
It's for this reason that I'd probably look for a cotton sweater if I really wanted a particular color or cut, because it's easier to find a super nice on-trend cotton sweater. This would be even truer if I didn't really like to shop, because finding the perfect vintage item is a real waiting game even with eBay or Poshmark.
posted by Frowner at 12:59 PM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
I think part of the attraction of the new ones is an on-trend cut or a flattering color - a lot of really vintage cashmere is grey, navy, taupe and camel in very plain cuts. Rarer cuts and colors of course exist but are harder to find, come in fewer sizes and cost more. (Again, I had some bonkers intarsias from the eighties once upon a time, so they do exist.)
It's for this reason that I'd probably look for a cotton sweater if I really wanted a particular color or cut, because it's easier to find a super nice on-trend cotton sweater. This would be even truer if I didn't really like to shop, because finding the perfect vintage item is a real waiting game even with eBay or Poshmark.
posted by Frowner at 12:59 PM on November 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
Sorry, my main point was going to be about sweaters from recycled cashmere yarns and I added the bit about thrift at the last minute. Honestly though, hard to see how increased demand doesn't increase environmental harm regardless if it's for low-quality or high-quality cashmere. The other big thing to harp on is caring for your natural fibers so that you don't get pilling and moth damage. Better care means less demand means better environmental impact.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:02 PM on November 29, 2022
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:02 PM on November 29, 2022
I can't be the only one for whom any mention of the word cashmere evokes one of the greatest AskMes of all time...
Before I clicked the link I was trying to remember if a cashmere sweater was the item of clothing left in the bedroom pan of salmon lasagna.
posted by supercres at 2:45 PM on November 29, 2022 [7 favorites]
Before I clicked the link I was trying to remember if a cashmere sweater was the item of clothing left in the bedroom pan of salmon lasagna.
posted by supercres at 2:45 PM on November 29, 2022 [7 favorites]
as someone who knits, the cost of decent yarn is astounding. The only thing keeping me from making a sweater for myself isn't difficulty or time, it's that nice yarn costs A TON.
posted by Ferreous at 6:33 PM on November 29, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by Ferreous at 6:33 PM on November 29, 2022 [7 favorites]
→
ah, probably one of the cast-offs from my youth. I jest (slightly) but I spent the decades that taste forgot as a young man who wore a lot of very high-end knitwear. My dad was in the business in Scotland, and most of the decent garments were still made in the Borders. The company dad worked for (now folded into a horrid discount chain who relabel any old tat as "Made in Scotland") was the largest retailer of woollens in the UK. How my teenage fashion cred suffered ...
The owner of the company tried to start a cashmere goat farm on the Mull of Kintyre. The goats (which are apparently incredibly snuggly and affectionate when young) produced only tiny quantities of fibre every year, as Scotland was a little too damp and not quite cold enough for them to get really fuzzy. Combing out the fibres was very time-consuming, and the farm produced only very little yarn.
I'm surprised that the article author does a "consider Shetland" pivot. A shetland sweater is rather like being inside a whole sheep, and is approximately bomb-proof. The nearest non-goat approximation of cashmere I know of is Geelong lambswool. It has a fraction more bulk than cashmere, but has almost the same softness. It's up there in price with good cashmere, though
posted by scruss at 7:48 PM on November 29, 2022 [10 favorites]
a men's xxl scottish cashmere sweater from probably about 1980 in a bright pink
ah, probably one of the cast-offs from my youth. I jest (slightly) but I spent the decades that taste forgot as a young man who wore a lot of very high-end knitwear. My dad was in the business in Scotland, and most of the decent garments were still made in the Borders. The company dad worked for (now folded into a horrid discount chain who relabel any old tat as "Made in Scotland") was the largest retailer of woollens in the UK. How my teenage fashion cred suffered ...
The owner of the company tried to start a cashmere goat farm on the Mull of Kintyre. The goats (which are apparently incredibly snuggly and affectionate when young) produced only tiny quantities of fibre every year, as Scotland was a little too damp and not quite cold enough for them to get really fuzzy. Combing out the fibres was very time-consuming, and the farm produced only very little yarn.
I'm surprised that the article author does a "consider Shetland" pivot. A shetland sweater is rather like being inside a whole sheep, and is approximately bomb-proof. The nearest non-goat approximation of cashmere I know of is Geelong lambswool. It has a fraction more bulk than cashmere, but has almost the same softness. It's up there in price with good cashmere, though
posted by scruss at 7:48 PM on November 29, 2022 [10 favorites]
What if you don't WANT cashmere and instead want a good quality merino wool sweater at a decent price, the kind that you used to see piled in huge displays at Christmas? Good fucking luck. They are not to be had. Everything is cashmere now. You can buy cashmere sweatpants, of all the stupid things. I've got a merino cardigan from 1992 that has worn like iron but is due to be replaced. I've been looking for the last eight years and coming up empty. There are the merino specialist companies that make hoodies and long underwear and they will occasionally have one or two cardigans on offer, that never fit or are the style I want. Any other merino is tissue thin. And everything else is cashmere. What happened to normal wool sweaters???
posted by HotToddy at 9:56 AM on November 30, 2022
posted by HotToddy at 9:56 AM on November 30, 2022
A shetland sweater is rather like being inside a whole sheep, and is approximately bomb-proof.
That sounds perfect. do you have any recommendations on brand?
posted by Dr. Twist at 10:48 AM on November 30, 2022
That sounds perfect. do you have any recommendations on brand?
posted by Dr. Twist at 10:48 AM on November 30, 2022
For sweater recommendations, one could do worse than look at Put This On's shetland recommendations. Caution: Derek Guy writes for this blog.
Put This On tends to recommend medium-to-high-end stuff, so these are probably going to run you $150 to $200 for the cheaper options, but Pendleton and Duluth Trading have $100 versions currently.
However, because Shetland sweaters last so well, this is another case where you could do worse than poke around on eBay for a used version. Shetland sweaters are generally pretty blocky and you rarely see on-trend unusual shapes since they are so heavy and woolly, so a new one does not necessarily have cut and fit advantage.
Seriously, if you are looking for well-made men's stuff from mid-range to very high end makers, you will probably find a lot of useful material through Put This On. They have lots of information about buying secondhand, too. The blog is basically aimed at people who care about clothes and who have some but not infinite money - the assumption is that you have enough money to buy good quality secondhand goods if not firsthand, so it's not a true bargain-hunter blog.
I have definitely made a number of secondhand purchasing decisions based on their posts, I've bought a couple of smaller things when they've linked particularly good sales (I got some really good wool socks in an after-Christmas clearance, that kind of thing) and I bought a handkerchief from their shop.
posted by Frowner at 1:38 PM on November 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
Put This On tends to recommend medium-to-high-end stuff, so these are probably going to run you $150 to $200 for the cheaper options, but Pendleton and Duluth Trading have $100 versions currently.
However, because Shetland sweaters last so well, this is another case where you could do worse than poke around on eBay for a used version. Shetland sweaters are generally pretty blocky and you rarely see on-trend unusual shapes since they are so heavy and woolly, so a new one does not necessarily have cut and fit advantage.
Seriously, if you are looking for well-made men's stuff from mid-range to very high end makers, you will probably find a lot of useful material through Put This On. They have lots of information about buying secondhand, too. The blog is basically aimed at people who care about clothes and who have some but not infinite money - the assumption is that you have enough money to buy good quality secondhand goods if not firsthand, so it's not a true bargain-hunter blog.
I have definitely made a number of secondhand purchasing decisions based on their posts, I've bought a couple of smaller things when they've linked particularly good sales (I got some really good wool socks in an after-Christmas clearance, that kind of thing) and I bought a handkerchief from their shop.
posted by Frowner at 1:38 PM on November 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
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I don't, sorry. I got this one hand-knitted for me on Fair Isle almost 30 years ago. It's a little (okay, rather too) snug around my frame these days. This is an extremely heavy sweater: it's traditionally used as all-weather outerwear when fishing on small boats in the incredibly hazardous North Sea around Shetland.
posted by scruss at 5:03 PM on November 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
do you have any recommendations on brand?
I don't, sorry. I got this one hand-knitted for me on Fair Isle almost 30 years ago. It's a little (okay, rather too) snug around my frame these days. This is an extremely heavy sweater: it's traditionally used as all-weather outerwear when fishing on small boats in the incredibly hazardous North Sea around Shetland.
posted by scruss at 5:03 PM on November 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
as someone who knits, the cost of decent yarn is astounding. The only thing keeping me from making a sweater for myself isn't difficulty or time, it's that nice yarn costs A TON.
This is why I am Not A Yarn Snob. I spent $90 to make a vest out of fingering yarn, still working on that but it takes forever. I used to have a friend who'd been working on the same nice-yarn sweater for three years. Never had to buy more yarn, I guess....
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:45 PM on November 30, 2022
This is why I am Not A Yarn Snob. I spent $90 to make a vest out of fingering yarn, still working on that but it takes forever. I used to have a friend who'd been working on the same nice-yarn sweater for three years. Never had to buy more yarn, I guess....
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:45 PM on November 30, 2022
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posted by box at 9:15 AM on November 29, 2022 [8 favorites]