There are so many fall pleasures, from apple picking to leaf peeping. I’ll tell you mine: cashmere sweaters.
With all due respect to other materials — fluffy Angora, say, or warming boiled wool, or maybe a super practical fleece — nothing is quite like cashmere. The extreme comfort it affords makes every moment of my day 100% better.
Of course, not all cashmere is created equal. There are many different levels of quality. Some are sustainable (my preference), and others aren’t. A few fun facts about cashmere: It comes from the undercoat of a specific goat that originated in Kashmir, and the best quality fibers are thought to come from that breed who live in Mongolia now. Cashmere is naturally moisture-wicking, meaning it adjusts to all different kinds of environments and temperatures. And it gets softer with time. As long as you take good care of it (I brush mine softly and carefully between wearings to take care of any pilling), it will last for many years and remain a super solid investment.
This fall, I can’t wait to get my hands on a handful of new designs. For example:
For starts there’s Naadam’s Cashmere Striped Boyfriend V-Neck Sweater ($195 on naadam.co). Naadam is a company that supports sustainable cashmere by offering living wages across their supply chain, holding primary suppliers accountable for social and environmental performance, and investing in Mongolian herder communities where they get their wool from. They also have some downright beautiful sweaters, like this cool and graphic black-and-white statement number, with a soft v-neck that has a relaxed fit and very modern shape. I’m looking forward to wearing it with slim black cigarette pants, as well as a long black pencil skirt and chunky black boots.
I’ve long been a huge fan of Stella McCartney, and she’s a big winner in the recycled cashmere department. She’s been using only recycled cashmere in her designs since 2016, and the result is a product that’s still soft-as-can-be, but has an environmental impact that’s seven times lower than conventional cashmere. And her designs are absolutely spectacular. Witness her Rib-Knit Regenerated Cashmere Cape Jumper ($1,190 on stellamccartney.com) in oat or black. Yes, it’s a splurge, but as with everything Stella creates, the quality is sky-high; in this case the rib-knit sports an elevated roll neck, and the armhole slits allow it to be worn with its balloon sleeves or as a cape — making it so versatile, you’ll be wearing it almost throughout fall.
Tossing on a cashmere wraps is one of the most iconic experiences of fall. J. Crew has vastly deepened its Cashmere Shop, and there you’ll find the company’s Oversized Cashmere Wrap ($198 on jcrew.com) in colors ranging from dark walnut to camel. Is there any more versatile accessory? Wear it over evening dresses. Keep it at your desk at the office for when it gets chilly. Or roll it up and swirl it around your neck as a warm scarf with a denim jacket. They’ve partnered with Aid by Trade Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable agricultural development across the globe. So you can feel good wearing in, in more ways than one.
Texture plays such a big part in how we feel while wearing cashmere, and that means you can’t ignore things like cable and other chunky knits. Et voila: The Lumi Cabled Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater ($299 on garnetgarnethill.com). In a beautiful shade of deep pinkish red, I can’t imagine anything more fetching—or more soft—this fall, with its rolled-edge details and boxy silhouette. I can see myself wearing this with no less than 20 different pairs of pants, and so many skirts, it may even seem a little disappointing when spring rolls around and it’s time to pack it away for something a little lighter.
