The best men's cashmere sweaters

Everlane's wide range of styles, affordable prices, and Grade-A Cashmere make the brand a well-rounded place to shop for sweaters.Everlane is a consistent favorite among the Insider Reviews staff for a few key reasons: great styles, quality that's constantly improving, and affordable prices. Thanks to the brand's transparency model, you get designer-level goods at mid-level cost. Sourced from Mongolia, Everlane's 100% cashmere sweaters are priced from $130 for the Grade-A Cashmere up to $160 for the Heavyweight Cashmere, which is essentially a thicker gauge of the Grade-A.I personally wasn't sure if it was worth the hype or the price, but after trying the Heavyweight Cashmere and a few other pieces, I immediately understood why my co-workers and many shoppers love the brand so much. It's extremely soft against the skin; you won't need to wear a long-sleeve shirt underneath to be comfortable.Everlane claims the material is designed to resist pilling and get softer with multiple wears and I found that to be completely true. I've worn the garment a handful of times and it still looks like new. In addition to the quality, Everlane offers a good selection of colors and variations, meaning you'll find everything from laid-back, weekend-ready sweaters to business casual styles. I also appreciate the fact that Everlane added a tiny bit of stretch (9% nylon and 1% elastane) to the cuffs, hem, and neck. Cashmere can lose its shape in those target areas just from regular wear, so this is a welcome addition. The body of the garment, however, is 100% cashmere, so it doesn't take away from the overall quality. Pros: 100% Grade-A cashmere, soft against the skin, lots of styles, affordable pricesCons: None to speak ofIf softness is your biggest concern, you'll fall in love with Naadam's Mongolian cashmere sweaters.Softness is arguably the biggest factor in determining if a cashmere sweater is good or not and Naadam has essentially mastered the art of creating soft cashmere.The brand travels deep into Mongolia's Gobi Desert — about 400 miles from the nearest city — to ethically source its cashmere from the Zalaa Jinst white goat, which is the only entirely white breed of cashmere goat in the country.Naadam goes to great lengths to source its materials, and it's for the benefit of the animals and the consumer. Rather than living in the tight and stressful confines of a farm, these goats roam freely. The result: happier goats and better, softer materials.To give you a sense of how plush each product is, Naadam rates each piece as soft, very soft, silky soft, or — the highest rating — heavenly soft. The Marled Cashmere Crewneck Sweater is listed as being heavenly soft, and it's really not an overstatement; it's literally the softest piece of cashmere that I own. Since Naadam uses cashmere fibers that are about 30% longer than regular Grade-A cashmere and doesn't use chemical dyes, the cashmere lasts longer and doesn't pill at the surface.Pros: Super soft, ethically-sourced Mongolian cashmere, lots of colors and styles available, 100% cashmere and cashmere blend options availableCons: ExpensiveAmazon's Buttoned Down brand offers solid, no-frills staples including budget-friendly cashmere.Good cashmere doesn't always have to come from a big name brand with a steep price tag attached to it — and Amazon's Buttoned Down brand is a true testament to that. Sold directly through Amazon, Buttoned Down makes a wide range of wardrobe essentials, from button-down shirts and chinos to ties and dress socks.While all of the brand's clothes are affordably priced, its 100% cashmere pieces are especially enticing. I've owned a black Buttoned Down cashmere turtleneck for about three years now and it's still in wonderful condition with very minimal pilling. Every time I put it on, I'm impressed with the fit and how well it has held its shape (even though it has no elastane) after a handful of wears. It's not the thickest cashmere piece I own, but I didn't mind the slightly lighter weight. I once wore it with a black tuxedo on New Year's Eve. Alternatively, you can layer the crewneck or V-neck versions under a dress shirt like in the picture above.It's also worth noting that this isn't the softest cashmere I've worn, either. I prefer to wear a long sleeve underneath it because it can become a bit itchy.Pros: 100% cashmere, affordable, good variety of styles and colors availableCons: Not the thickest or softest cashmere availableAlthough it's not 100% cashmere, Everlane's ReCashmere is remarkably soft, just like its more expensive Grade-A counterparts.When it comes to ethics, Everlane has always taken pride in being fair to its employees and suppliers, transparent with its customers, and mindful of the environment.In its most recent effort to take better care of the planet, Everlane launched ReCashmere, a collection of recycled cashmere garments. Cashmere is already a renewable material, since goats don't have to be slaughtered to collect the wool, but Everlane managed to make it even more sustainable by partnering with an environmentally-conscious mill in Prato, Italy to collect and repurpose used cashmere. The recycled cashmere is then spun with extra-fine merino wool from non-mulesed sheep, creating a 60/40-blend that's just as soft as Everlanes 100% Grade-A cashmere, but with half the carbon footprint. I tested the Everlane ReCashmere side-by-side with Everlane's Grade-A Cashmere and there was virtually no difference in feel, which is very impressive for a garment that's not 100% cashmere. In addition to being sustainable, Everlane ReCashmere is more affordable than all the 100% cashmere sweaters on this list and just about every other 100% cashmere option on the market. Read our full review of the Everlane ReCashmere collection here. Pros: Uses recycled cashmere, just as soft as Everlane's 100% Grade-A cashmere (our best overall pick), available in crewneck and V-neckCons: If you absolutely must have 100% cashmere, this 60% cashmere/40% merino wool blend may not be for youWith a personalized touch, the Ralph Lauren Custom Cashmere Crewneck is a sweater you'll want to keep for a lifetime.Ralph Lauren is one of my favorite places to shop for all kinds of sweaters, and their cashmere options are absolutely some of the best on the market. While the brand's Purple Label cashmere garments sell for anywhere from $995 to a whopping $2,995, the Custom Cashmere Crewneck is affordably priced at $298.Although that's still a bit more than any other pick on our list, the high-quality 100% cashmere material and the ability to customize the sweater makes it well worth the added cost.The Ralph Lauren Custom Cashmere Crewneck features a fully knitted cashmere two-letter or three-letter monogram in 16 different color combinations — not your basic stitched-on monogram. The Art Deco-style monogram can be placed on the center of the chest, the left chest, lower left torso, or on the left sleeve.If you're looking for a cashmere sweater to keep for a lifetime or give as a gift, this custom monogrammed option is wonderful because it'll look and feel extra personal. Pros: Customization option makes it a great gift or lifelong keepsake, 100% cashmere, machine washableCons: Only available in crewneckRegardless of where you buy your cashmere or how much you spend on it, there are specific ways you should care for your garment to make sure it stays in great shape. Some of the most common issues with cashmere sweaters are pilling, shrinking, and moth holes.Pilling While some grades of cashmere are more susceptible to pilling than others, all cashmere (and wool) garments will inevitably pill to some degree. Rather than picking at pills with something harmful like tweezers or scissors, it is recommended to use a sweater stone or a cashmere comb.ShrinkingCashmere is a very delicate material, so you'll want to pay close attention to the washing and drying instructions. Generally, care instructions for cashmere include handwashing with cold water and air drying, but the safest way to go about it is to dry clean it. You should never put your cashmere in the dryer because it will shrink.Moth holesOne of the worst feelings is storing your clothes in what you believe to be a safe place only to find them filled with holes the next time you're ready to wear them. Those tiny little holes in your clothes can usually be attributed to moths ... but why do moths like eating your clothes?Moth larvae have a diet that's high in keratin, so female moths are attracted to materials like wool, cashmere, silk, and sometimes even leather and fur (basically anything that comes from an animal) when it comes time to lay their eggs. Clothing made from synthetic materials or cotton should remain safe (unless it's blended with a material that has keratin in it). Fortunately, cedar is a natural alternative to chemical-filled mothballs. Cedar products are great for repelling moths, spiders, and absorbing odor and moisture (which promotes mold and mildew). You can use cedar hangers, cedar blocks, or cedar rings.Moths are also attracted to food and stains, so if you spill something on your cashmere, you shouldn't put it back in your closet with plans to wash it before your next wear; you should clean it as soon as possible. Not only will it make getting the stain out easier, but you'll reduce the chances of moth holes.

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