Wrapped up in Cashmere: Why I simply want to wear nothing else in autumn

There is that one moment in autumn that I look forward to every year. In the morning, it is suddenly cool enough that you reach for knitwear again for the first time, and then it is there, the cashmere sweater from last winter. You pull it over your head and think: Ah, there you are again. No other material feels so much like coming home to me. And because I have constantly had something soft in my hands while unpacking our new deliveries in recent weeks, I wanted to tell you what fascinates me so much about cashmere and which pieces from our shop I would love not to give up just yet.

Shop The Look: Cardigan and Turtleneck

What Makes Cashmere So Special

A Fiber You Have to Earn

Cashmere comes from the cashmere goat, which lives in the high plateaus of Mongolia, China, and the Himalayas. It gets bitterly cold there in winter, and that is exactly why the animals grow an incredibly fine undercoat beneath their coarse outer coat. In spring, when they lose it anyway, it is combed out. Only a few hundred grams are collected per animal per year, and you need the undercoat of several goats for a single sweater. When I tell my customers this, many of them look at their sweater with slightly different eyes afterwards.

The fibers are extremely fine, about 15 micrometers; a human hair is around four times as thick. That is why cashmere does not itch, even directly on the skin of the neck. At the same time, the fiber holds a lot of air between it, and air is the best insulator there is. The result is a sweater that warms without adding bulk, and in which you do not immediately break into a sweat even on the heated train or in the office.

Shop The Look: Turtleneck and Skirt

How I Recognize Good Cashmere

Cashmere is not all the same, and honestly, the label alone is not very informative. I rely on my hands. Good cashmere feels soft, but not fluffy like a teddy bear, rather smooth, cool, and almost a little silky. If a sweater is noticeably fluffy, the surface has often been roughened to hide short fibers, and those are exactly what later form the infamous pills. Hold the knitwear up to the light: the tighter the stitches, the longer it will retain its shape. And pull the cuff apart briefly; it should immediately snap back.

By the way, a little pilling in the first few weeks is completely normal and no cause for concern. But if it never stops, it is due to the fiber. For those who want to delve deeper: Pierre Zielinski described very beautifully in the Journal how to check the quality of knitwear in the store; the same applies to women's knitwear.

My Current Favorites from the Shop

Lisa Yang: Scandinavian, understated, perfect

If I had to name one brand that embodies modern cashmere for me, it would be Lisa Yang from Stockholm. The pieces are so clean that you can wear them with anything, and yet they always have a detail that makes them special.

My absolute favorite is the turtleneck sweater “Ailis”. Ribbed knit all over the body, slightly boxy and cut a little shorter, with dropped shoulders and small buttons on the side of the hem. These buttons are exactly the detail you stumble over in everyday life: worn open, it falls more loosely over wide-leg trousers; fastened, it sits more neatly with jeans. I like it best in taupe, but it is also available in gray and navy.

For those who like it cozy, you should check out the wrap cardigan. And for everyone who wants to invest in cashmere for the first time, “Vani” in taupe or gray is the perfect entry point: a simple cardigan that you will wear every other day for years.

A little insider tip is the short-sleeved cardigan “Leith” in burgundy. Over a white blouse, with a skirt, with a coat over it, that is the most beautiful office look of the season for me right now.

Odeeh: Color with Attitude

I love Odeeh because the brand is not afraid of color and yet it never looks loud. The cashmere cardigan in terracotta is one such piece: It brings warmth to any outfit without pushing itself to the forefront. I like wearing it with denim and a cream-colored blouse, or tone-on-tone with brown, which immediately looks thoughtful.

Sminfinity: The Art of the Cashmere-Silk Blend

Sminfinity really surprised me this season. The cardigan made of 75% cashmere and 25% silk in red is so light that you can barely feel it, and the silk gives it a very fine sheen. This exact blend is ideal for everyone who sometimes finds pure cashmere too warm in the office. The red is a statement, no question, but one that is surprisingly easy to wear: with navy, with gray, with black. For those who prefer it more understated, you can find the same jacket in brown. To match, there is a turtleneck sweater in the same blend, also in red.

Malo: Italian Cashmere in Its Purest Form

Malo has stood for Italian cashmere of the highest standard since the seventies, and you can tell it in every single piece. I fell in love with the cashmere hoodie in light blue. It is feather-light, has a V-neck under the hood, and is the perfect travel piece for me: on the plane, in the hotel, at breakfast, always properly dressed and yet as comfortable as a hoodie.

My favorite piece to combine is the sleeveless cashmere top in light blue or navy. Underneath a blouse, over it a cardigan, or in autumn simply over a fine turtleneck. And for those who want to complete the set, take the matching cashmere cardigan with it, which is available in gray, light blue and navy. Twinsets are back, and they have rarely looked so modern as they do with Malo.

And One More Favorite for Cashmere from Head to Toe

For those who want to wrap themselves up completely, you should know the cashmere skirts by Incentive in beige, black or navy. Together with a sweater in the same color, a cashmere look from head to toe is created that is elegant and yet feels like a Sunday afternoon on the sofa.

How I Wear Cashmere This Autumn

Tone-on-tone. Taupe with camel, beige with cream, gray with gray. When everything stays in one color family, the quality of the material is best showcased.

One pop of color is enough. A red or terracotta-colored cardigan with an otherwise understated outfit works much stronger than a colorful look from top to bottom.

Cashmere meets texture. A fine sweater with denim, leather or tweed: The contrast makes both materials more beautiful.

Layers instead of volume. Cashmere is so thin that you can layer it wonderfully without looking like a Michelin man.

Casual is allowed. A hoodie or a boxy sweater with fabric trousers and loafers: Cashmere does not always have to be well-behaved.

Just briefly on care

Cashmere is easier to care for than many think. Usually, airing it out overnight is completely sufficient. If it needs to be washed, then by hand or in the wool program, lukewarm and with wool detergent, then let it dry flat on a towel. And please never hang it on a hanger, but fold it in the closet. Before the sweaters go into the box in spring, be sure to wash them and put a piece of cedar wood in there, then they will come back in autumn just as they went.

Come by and feel it yourself

Writing about cashmere is nice, but touching it is better. You can find all the pieces I have shown you here in our online shop and, of course, with us in Düsseldorf. Come by, try them on at your leisure, and I will gladly show you how to combine your new favorite piece. Or simply write to us via WhatsApp, we will send you photos and advise you on size and color.

I am wrapped up once again.

Patricia Wirschke