I want VERY high-quality wool or cashmere

BrandNewDay

I'm sick of wasting money on cheap acrylic sweaters (jumpers to you Brits) from Asda/Tesco. They're a false economy, IMO, because they always end up pilling. A friend of mine who comes from old money tells me that if I buy GOOD wool or cashmere, I can wear it every day for the rest of my life and it will look good forever.

So! I think I want to treat myself to a couple of items. I will be wearing them A LOT this winter so I'll go for a classic crew-neck fit and neutral colors. I'm willing to spend a bit of money on them, but I'd rather get the best deal I can. What concerns me most, however, is how to be sure I'm getting top quality? I mean, Edinburgh Woolen Mill is always having sales, but is that good quality? Surely the best wools have longer fibers spun into yarn, etc. How do I find quality - but not just prestigious, expensive branding? It's a fact that women's clothing can be shoddy quality even when the brand and price tag is "posh."

Nile

You might have to hand wash good wool or cashmere items..............whereas you can machine wash acrylic.;)

Are you happy to hand wash the 'quality' items every time............or risk a machine wash and possible shrinking?

BrandNewDay

Nile wrote: »

You might have to hand wash good wool or cashmere items..............whereas you can machine wash acrylic.;)

Are you happy to hand wash the 'quality' items every time............or risk a machine wash and possible shrinking?

I don't mind hand-washing. But, I think you can put a wool sweater into a mesh laundry bag and wash on the "wool" cycle with the right detergent. Anyway, I'm willing to put the time into it, if it really does stay nice for years.

BigBouncyBall

Merino wool is a step down from cashmere (and a step up from lamb's wool) yet still good quality and most of all cheaper than cashmere. This is a money saving site after all Gap do some nice merino wool sweaters

geo555

If you have any outlet centres near you, check to see if there is a "Pringle" store. They have them at Bicester, The Galleria, Whiteley Village and Cheshire Oaks. Maybe some others too.
They sell cashmere jumpers at half normal price

BrandNewDay

geo555 wrote: »

If you have any outlet centres near you, check to see if there is a "Pringle" store. They have them at Bicester, The Galleria, Whiteley Village and Cheshire Oaks. Maybe some others too.
They sell cashmere jumpers at half normal price

Are they known for having the highest quality? If I thought a £1000 jumper would be 10X better than a £100 jumper, then I'd save for a couple of years and buy the £1000 jumper... although I'd keep my eyes peeled for a deal and hope to get it for £500, somewhere.

My first concern is to find THE FINEST QUALITY, and then - having found it - to see how good a price I can pay.

consultant31

Since you have a friend who gave you the advice in the first place - could she not also tell you which manufacturer to look for?

You could buy a lot of M&S sweaters for £1000 I can't imagine spending that sort of money on any item of clothing, but then I'm tight-fisted :rotfl: .

BigBouncyBall

a walk down bond street in london and you should find what you want for £1000

mosaicwendy

Have you tried Lands' End?

https://www.landsend.co.uk

They sell good quality cashmere

BrandNewDay

consultant31 wrote: »

Since you have a friend who gave you the advice in the first place - could she not also tell you which manufacturer to look for?

You could buy a lot of M&S sweaters for £1000 I can't imagine spending that sort of money on any item of clothing, but then I'm tight-fisted :rotfl: .

She lives in another country, so she wouldn't know where to look in the UK.

I was exagerating a tiny bit about the £1000... I meant that I would buy the £1000 sweater by looking for it to be on sale, probably spending up to £600 or so. It would be a once-in-a-lifetime thing, that I'd hope to wear for the rest of my life.

BrandNewDay

BigBouncyBall wrote: »

a walk down bond street in london and you should find what you want for £1000

I wish I could get to London! I'm wondering where to look in Edinburgh.

I'd prefer to find such sweaters and then touch them, get a clear idea of what makes them better than what is available at Woolen Mill (or Tesco) and then be able to spot it in a charity shop or someplace else.