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Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
We haven't done a roundup on cashmere sweaters for work in a long while — which are your favorites right now? If you work from home part of the time, do you find that you're wearing them more with jeans at home?
In terms of the “warmest sweaters for work” category, I still think it’s a fight between merino and cashmere. Both can be itchy if they’re on the less expensive side, but cashmere done right is super, super soft.
(Pro tip — if you wear a t-shirt, tank or camisole beneath your sweaters they will not only be more comfortable but you can go longer between washing or dry cleaning them — we’ll put our favorites at the end of the post!)
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- Hall of Famers: Nordstrom Cashmere, Quince, Vince,* J.Crew,* Naadam, Talbots,* Brooks Brothers
- Plus Sizes: Vince (4X), Talbots, J.Crew (3X), Naadam (XXL), Nordstrom Cashmere,
- Affordable Cashmere Sweaters: Quince, Nadaam, Nordstrom, J.Crew
- Fun Patterns: Talbots, La Ligne
- Wide Range of Colors: Nordstrom Cashmere, Quince, J.Crew, Nadaam, Talbots,
- Cashmere Sweaters for Splurges: Loro Piana, Akris, TSE, Brora, Eric Bompard, Jenni Kayne, & InHabit NY
Some Of Our Hall of Famer Cashmere Sweaters for Work Outfits
The Best Affordable Cashmere for Work: Reader Favorites
Quince's sweaters are generally $50, and available in a TON of colors – the crewneck has 15 different colors in stock right now. They're available in sizes XS-XL.
Naadam makes more expensive cashmere sweaters, but their Essential $75 Cashmere Sweater keeps winning accolades for its affordability, quality and construction. They have a TON of “core” colors (mostly neutrals), but also have brighter limited edition colors.
Their sweaters are available in sizes XXS-XXL, and (you'll be shocked to hear this!) they cost $75.
Nordstrom's cashmere sweaters are crazy affordable because they're a store brand, super soft, and they come in a ton of colors. And when they go on sale it's awesome!
The crewneck is currently $80 (down from $130), available in sizes XXS-XXL; the cashmere V-neck is even lower than that. They both have about 12 different colors available.
The Best Cashmere to Splurge On
For as long as I can remember, TSE was one of those brands to covet for amazing cashmere. As they note on their website, “TSE (pronounced “say”) was founded in 1989 with the intention of redefining the use of cashmere and altering the perception that luxury has to be traditional. … TSE has become a leader in taking a modern approach to cashmere.”
Their collections include recycled cashmere (such as the one above), as well as TSEessentials (relatively affordable, thin cashmere basics like turtlenecks).
Their more basic weaves are generally under $400; the ones with more intricate weaves are more expensive to start. The cashmere sweater pictured above was $795 when new, but is currently marked to $477 at Neiman Marcus; it's available in S-XL.
(Neiman Marcus actually has a bunch on sale; so does the TSE website.)
Brora is a brand readers have sung the praises of over the years — as they note on the website,
We're known for our lavish knits and believe this one is a match made in heaven! Our incredibly soft funnel neck combines cable knit and moss stitch details in its design and comes in three gorgeous seasonal shades. This jumper, made in Scotland from luxurious, cosy cashmere in one of the country’s oldest mills, will be a newfound favourite in your collection and a truly worthy investment piece!
I love the intricate design on 6-ply gray cashmere turtleneck, currently on sale on the website. It was $839, but is now marked to $509.
Readers have also sung the praises of Akris sweaters over the years — some readers have particularly had good luck with the resale market for sweaters.
I'm intrigued by this “seamless” cashmere sweater (pictured), available in the bright orange poppy and a darker blue.
It's$1290 at Neiman Marcus.
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Seventh Sister
I’m a fan of the Uniqlo cashmere sweaters, especially on sale. They are on the thin side, which is fine by me as an LA person who works in a cold building.
Anon
I’m surprised not to see Land’s End in this roundup. I have cashmere from Nordstrom, J Crew, Eileen Fisher, and Land’s End. The Eileen Fisher is the best, but Land’s End is way up there with it, and head and shoulders above the others.
I wear a 7.99 32 Degrees lightweight base layer under my cashmere to keep it free of body oils, which attract moths.
sflawyer
I had the exact same thought! I haven’t bought any cashmere from LE for a few years but I have some LE cashmere that’s held up well for 4-5 years.
KL
I like the Quince “luxe” cashmere much better than their $50 cashmere — it’s twice as expensive, but still affordable as far as cashmere goes and noticeably thicker. Boden is another good source for soft, thick cashmere sweaters.
Btw, I never dry clean any of my wool or cashmere sweaters unless they’re visibly stained (I splattered oil on the front of my sweater once while cooking, that one definitely went to the cleaners). And I don’t wear under-layers either. For cleaning off sweat, I swear by a knitters’ blocking method: soak in lukewarm water, add a non-rinse wool wash detergent like Soak or Eucalan (I prefer Soak because it doesn’t stain my colored towels), swish around and leave to soak for 20 minutes to however many hours until you remember. Carefully squeeze (don’t wring) the water out until the sweater is just dripping, then lay it out on a bath towel — lined with another microfiber towel if you want to speed up drying time — and roll it up to get even more water out. Then, lay flat to dry on a mesh sweater drying rack (OXO makes an amazing one that stacks). That sounds like a lot of steps, but it’s very little active work and you don’t need to time anything.
Anonymous
I like the Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales house brand cashmere sweaters, I find Nordstrom sweater quality disappointing.
Grumpy Director
I like Talbot cashmere sweaters, and back when I was a student Uniqlo sweaters. The fit for NAADAM sweaters is just not flattering for me at all, plus their vanity sizing is a bit extreme (L in Talbots = M in NAADAM, but with shoulder seams that are too long).
C
I got one of naadam’s ribbed cashmere on sale and have to say it’s held up a lot less well than the $75 sweater I got from them. Same care, but the ribbed sweater has shrunk enough that with pandemic weight gain it is uncomfortable to wear. I also got a bunch of everlane sweaters secondhand although I’m thinking they won’t wear terribly well (now that I have had them for a while I can tell). They are easy to find secondhand though.