LeDandy on Cashmere

I admit the timing of this article does not make much sense to those of us in the Northern hemisphere. It is mid-May and fashionistas are getting ready for the debut of their summer wardrobes. Nevertheless, last week's discovery of my moth disaster prompts this article as my one and only cashmere sweater was destroyed by those dastardly devils.

Jon Dean asked me if I wanted to replace my cashmere sweater as there are many good deals available online. For $50 to $75 I could get a very nice one from Lands' End on clearance, far superior to the house brand department store sweaters. "No, I'd never buy another cashmere sweater again," I told JD. I can't believe that I said it but it is true. Heresy?

My criticism of cashmere is that the fabric is too warm and doesn't breathe enough for me. LeDandy overheats quickly. I'd rather put more emphasis on an underlying layer such as a warm turtleneck shirt combined with another type of sweater.

There is one brilliant innovation with sweater fabric and that is the cotton/cashmere blend. LeDandy recently picked up a few of these sweaters from Lands' End as discussed in a previous post. The mostly cotton fabric makes the sweater more breathable while still adding some extra warmth from the minority cashmere element. The cashmere component also lends a richness to the texture.

Not every sweater I have is from Lands' End. I inherited a v-neck,cotton/cashmere J. Crew sweater from JD. He received it as a gift from a friend but it was too small for him. The quality is nowhere near that of Lands' End and I find J. Crew's overall quality to be poor in terms of material and cut. I also have a bright yellow Gitman cotton / cashmere sweater which is of exceptional quality. Unfortunately it is an extremely thin weave and I'm afraid to wear it for fear of a tear.