Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/intelligent-life/sceptical-shopper-cashmere

Good article. Answers all posters' question. Pure mentioned as good quality with mid-market prices.

The article is from 2009 FFS

Anonymous wrote:http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/intelligent-life/sceptical-shopper-cashmere

Good article. Answers all posters' question. Pure mentioned as good quality with mid-market prices.

Does anyone have experience with Pure Cashmere? Does it wear well?

Anonymous wrote:I spent a lot on a black Vince cashmere sweater that's now pilling like crazy 2 months in.....anything to do about it? Does dry cleaning help at all?

No, it is just a bad quality of wool. Nothing that you can do. I had the same issue with Theory. Never again.

I am Rita Jones, founder and owner of Isle of Skye Cashmere.

It's been almost 4 years since my company was mentioned in an earlier comment in this forum, and every week I see visitors who come to my website after being referred from this thread.

If anyone is interested in reading more about the quality of Scottish cashmere, I would refer them to a blog post I recently wrote called "The High Costs of Cheap Cashmere Sweaters":
https://blog.isleofskyecashmere.com/2016/09/21/the-high-costs-of-cheap-cashmere-sweaters/

If you have any questions about cashmere sweaters in general or my sweaters in particular, please email me at info@isleofskyecashmere.com

Thanks very much for your interest in quality cashmere!

Rita Jones
http://www.isleofskyecashmere.com

Anonymous wrote:All cashmere does not pill. I have a 25 year old cashmere sweater that I have worn like a uniform and it hasn't one pill on it. It was from Land's End. So I bought another last Fall from the same company. It pilled on day one. I don't know what they are doing to it now, perhaps cutting down on costs by perhaps adding something to the cashmere now. Same with cotton, which is not the same either. T shirts are flimsy.

Definetley cost cutting. The sweaters I got 5 years ago from Lands End are much more substantial than similar ones available today. They used to sell a few things and do them well. Now it's all trendy stuff but the quality has taken a hit.

The older the Lands End sweater, the better the quality, same with White and Warren. Once cashmere became popular they must have bought cheaper goods to deliver them at a price point. I look for Autumn Cashmere, but they run really small.

kirkland brand (costco) cashmere from a few years ago has no pilling, but couldn't find any this year

All cashmere does not pill. I have a 25 year old cashmere sweater that I have worn like a uniform and it hasn't one pill on it. It was from Land's End. So I bought another last Fall from the same company. It pilled on day one. I don't know what they are doing to it now, perhaps cutting down on costs by perhaps adding something to the cashmere now. Same with cotton, which is not the same either. T shirts are flimsy.

If your cashmere pills or gets holes from moths or carpet bugs, these guys will de-pill and fix them for you. Your sweaters will come back in beautiful and like new condition. I've given them lots of business over the years.

http://parkwaydrycleaning.com/

The new cheaper cashmere pills but i like that its thinner and comes in fun colors. Anything under 150-200 definitely pills in one season or so. I have old sweaters that are still fine. I've switched to just getting a new color every year from a department store (whichever cut I prefer) <150 and assume it'll pill in 2 years.

Tahari - pilled after the 2nd wear.
Lilly Pulizter- I've had it at least 10 years and hasn't pilled. But of course it's bright pink, cable knit!

Here is the magic sweater shaver - I can't believe people have not heard of these.
http://m.brookstone.com/fabric-shaver_8417537_2
Get a nice one- the cheapo $5 ones that are the size of an egg will definately chew holes.

Also you need to hold the shaver very gently against the material - don't press. Also the sweater needs to be laying flat when you shave it. Use a table or ironing board. Even the softness of a bed could allow the sweater, not just the pill, to get caught and cut.

I've never had my brookstone shave chew up even a very fine gauge sweater - but I am also very careful.

FWIW - all of my sweaters pill in the same places because of how I carry my laptop bag. The sweaters I swear by that pill the least are merino v-necks from J crew. I buy 1-2 a year and have some that are 7-8 years old and still look great.

I understand it is the length of the strands they use. Shorter strands, more readily available because it grows and is ready faster, pill because they simply come out easier. Longer ones take longer to grow on the animals, but stay put in the spun fibers.