STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

tina242 · Kate Spade

Cashmere help

honey · Gucci

last year i decided to upgrade my entire sweater collection and only buy cashmere or a natural fiber. for the record, i didn't do this b/c i'm a snob. i bought two cashmere sweaters from arden b. last fall and ended up wearing them constantly -- everytime i needed a sweater i'd reach for one of those since they're so soft and cozy, so i just decided to upgrade.

since it's expensive i've been systematic in my purchases. i usually just go buy how it feels in the store, and try to look for stuff that feels soft and somewhat substantial. i've only purchased 100% cashmere so i don't have much experience with the blends. to save money i've bought (and continue to buy) off season. actually right now bloomies is having a sale on their store brand cashmere (around $50). i was looking at it in the store and it felt nice, not too heavy and soft.

i'm n/s if you want brand recs, but i've had good luck with my arden b. sweaters, and managed to score several ann taylor cashmere sweaters for dirt cheap ($15) over the summer. i think some other girls on the forum have them and like them too. i also have a couple of inhabit sweaters, which are amazing, but not cheap (picked up these at a sample sale), and a cullen sweater that i want to live in.

i would stalk shopbop and revolve clothing for sales. also a lot of stores (like bloomies and saks) carry store brand sweaters, which are cheaper than name brands (like vince) but still nice. hth.

kittenheels · Coach

I don't know a whole lot about cashmere blends, but I have a couple cashmere and silk sweaters that are really nice. However, they are definitely not as soft and pill more than my pure cashmere sweaters.

I say if you can hit the sales at saks/neimans/bloomies, you can get some amazing deals on pure cashmere. Saks has some trendier styles and a ton of great colors. I have a lot of the house brand cashmere from Bloomies, and it is wonderful!

I am also pretty happy with JCrew cashmere and Ann Taylor cashmere. It is good quality and very reasonably priced, especially if you can hit their sales. They also have a really good selection of colors.

Happy hunting!

Chic · Marc Jacobs

I only buy 100% Cashmere. I am really picky about fabrics, because after years of working in retail and seeing crappy cashmere blends for high prices I decided to buy high quality only now. I usually buy one a year and that is it, because I am a fabric snob.