In praise of buying old cashmere sweaters

Fall weather will be here…at some point. In the meantime, I’m reviewing my Fall clothes and making some selling/buying decisions. And while shopping the The RealReal can be a bit of a gamble, here’s something that is usually a sure bet. Old cashmere sweaters! I’m sharing all the reasons why you should consider them in place of something new.

I recently bought an old cashmere sweater from The RealReal. It’s a grey v-neck sweater, about as classic as it gets. It was originally from Neiman’s, it was made in England, and I’m guessing it’s at least 30+ years old, from the tag. Back when a cashmere sweater was a really special purchase- before the onslaught of inexpensive imports from China in the early 1990s.

I’m not a snob- there are times and places for cheap cashmere. Maybe it’s a super trendy item (not really my style, but it works for some people.) Maybe you want a thin, almost tee shirt-like sweater to wear under jackets- something you’ll replace in a year after a lot of wear.

But I’m focusing on buying things for the long haul- and old cashmere sweaters have an excellent quality-style-price combination. For me at least! You can try an old cashmere sweater- or try a fancy new one like this. For $1,400!

Here’s what’s to love about old cashmere sweaters.

Quality

Let’s face it- a lot of cashmere is pretty cheaply made these days. I get it. The only way Uniqlo is going to be able to price its sweaters at less than $100 is to make some compromises. The cashmere is very short-haired, it’s made in China and it’s going to pill like crazy.

And it’s going to lose its shape. I made the mistake of buying a couple of cashmere sweaters from J.Crew last year. They were so pretty! But after a few wears, they really sag on me and look like something I should be wearing around the house- not at work or when I want to look nice.

My “new” old cashmere sweater is fabulous quality- not a bit of pilling. And it has stood the test of time. It’s been worn and stored for at least three decades. It seems unlikely that I’m going to do anything to it to change that!

Style

Here are a few things you AREN’T going to find with old cashmere sweaters:

• Anything cropped- egads!
• Anything (deliberately) ripped
• Weird, off the shoulder sweaters
• Really long tunics that end up being a sloppy mess
• Strange colors
• The whole “destroyed” trend

Any sweater over 30-40 years old is going to be a classic style. It’s not to say that there weren’t weird trends back then- there sure were! But clothes, and cashmere in particular, were expensive back then. Very few people could afford to buy a trendy item in pricey, precious cashmere.

As a result, you can almost guarantee that the styles you’ll find of old cashmere are classics. Crewnecks. Turtlenecks. Vnecks. Maybe a bateau neckline, here or there. These are styles that will outlive you and me. Perhaps Sophie will one day be wearing my beautiful old cashmere vneck!

Price

The current version of my 30+ year old sweater is $250. What did I pay? $32! Granted, the description did note that there was a “stain” on the front. After close online examination, I guessed that it was coffee. And I was right- the stain came right out and the sweater is pristine.

Just search The RealReal for cashmere sweaters and sort by low-to-high price. Look for the brands that have been around for a while. There are a slew for under $40. You’re welcome. 🙂

Give old cashmere sweaters a try

It’s going to take patience to find what you want. The RealReal, Vestaire, eBay don’t have every color and every size of old cashmere sweaters. And the same warning apply about condition (I only consider “very good”, “excellent” and “pristine” items at The RealReal.) And the sizing will likely be different- in general, smaller. So size up if that’s what you are looking for.

But I seriously think old cashmere is the way to go when you can. Tell me about your treasures in the comments!