I think one of my most favorite things in the world is cuddly, cozy cashmere. Doing just about anything; watching tv, yoga, even cleaning the house in cashmere just feels so ridiculously luxurious!
One of my first experiences of cashmere was from TSE, which had an outlet near my mom's shop. It was just a simple navy, short-sleeve sweater - classic and beautiful, and just enough to pique my curiosity. My first real investment was a grey cashmere hoodie from J. Crew. I just couldn't believe how warm, soft, and special it felt. Unfortunately, I also learned about old drafty apartments and moths at the same time. Lucky for me, my mom is fantastic at mending and saved it for me! Now I always make sure to have a lot of cedar and lavender in my closet.
Since then, my collection has grown quite a bit. I have an obsession for cashmere beanies in colorful and classic shades. Most of mine are either from Crewcuts or J. Crew men's but they have been harder to find lately so I will start to check out some of my other favorite sources or even better, try knitting them myself!
Speaking of favorites, I have some go-to places to feed my cashmere cravings. First, I tend to lean towards J. Crew for colorful classics - though sometimes the quality can be a hit or miss, most of the time it is great:
Garnet Hill makes some of the softest cashmere I have ever felt. I have picked up some great, unique styles here:
Everlane has these great cashmere bandanas that I love and I recently got a pretty flattering, modern sweater here:
Some of my bigger splurges have come in the form of a super soft, long cashmere robe from Orvis:
And a cashmere track suit (hoodie and sweatpants) from Naadam, though only kept the pants (which are AMAZING!) because the hoodie was a bit too cropped. When I went back to find a picture of the beautiful blue set I purchased and noticed they thinned out the drawstrings in the next batch. Unfortunate because there is something lovely about the wide ribbons on my joggers!
I have been eyeing the cashmere fisherman sweater at Jenni Kayne for some time but cannot for the life of me decide between oatmeal, undyed stone, or the recycled marled camel:
Finally, my biggest, softest, most meaningful cashmere purchase is a hand-embroidered pullover from Lingua Franca. Mine spells "give a damn" and I love it more than I knew I could love a piece of clothing. It reminds me that, with all that is happening in this world, that I can make my own difference by just giving a damn and I hope it inspires others to do the same. I honestly cannot get enough of this brand and follow them on Instagram, always excited to see what they come up with to inspire the world through a few short words. Looking forward to picking out a new one!
They also recently released a beautiful, boiled cashmere "set" that I am smitten with but would be a pretty extravagant purchase!
Since cashmere truly is an investment, I have found some things that have helped me to keep them in great shape and ready to wear whenever the mood strikes (so just about everyday). I wash them myself since I have never had great luck with dry cleaners. I hand wash them in the The Laundress Wool and Cashmere Shampoo with cold water and roll them in a clean towel to absorb as much water as possible, before laying flat to dry. In between washes, I spritz them with the same Wool and Cashmere Spray to keep the dreaded moths away (and because it smells awesome). Speaking of moths, I am a big believer in repairing my favorite clothes and a few sewing skills don't hurt! Cashmere pills, there is no way around it. I use an electric shaver (very carefully) sometimes but it can catch a thread and make a hole so I prefer the comb. I have never actually tried a sweater stone but maybe I will since I seem to have an obsession at this point.
I just ordered a classic striped pullover from J. Crew that I am anxiously awaiting:
I also want to start learning a bit more on sustainability, recycled cashmere, and other factors that will make sure I am investing in the right companies. Looking forward to this (cozy) journey!
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