WTF is up with 'cotton cashmere?'

Russell Street

Russell Street

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Cotton cashmere, a blend that I consider unholy and inexplicable, seems to have been invented a few short years ago and is spreading like wildfire. I don't get it. At first I thought this was like the old trick of adding a twinge of cashmere to a crummy acrylic scarf in hopes of duping the inattentive. But the cotton, the lowliest of natural fibers available for a sweater, is given primary billing.

Maybe I should peruse a Lands' End website to see how they hype it, but can anyone explain why this blend even exists?
 
Cheapness of cotton combined with the perceived luxury of cashmere. Simple way of looking at it is that people are too cheap to want to buy a full cashmere sweater, yet want to know that they are wearing an item of 'luxury'.
 
Rambo said:
Cheapness of cotton combined with the perceived luxury of cashmere. Simple way of looking at it is that people are too cheap to want to buy a full cashmere sweater, yet want to know that they are wearing an item of 'luxury'.
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This rather cynical view is pretty much what I'd been thinking, that it's a gimmick devoid of virtue. I have to say that the few items I've picked up (held, not bought) seemed decent enough, when new, but the only two real benefits I see are cost and lower insulative value which are both kind of dubious.
 
JohnGalt said:
more durable and softer than just cotton.
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I figured delicate cashmere was being strengthened by harder-wearing cotton, but the coarse (and bland twine-like texture and flat uniform color) of cotton does seem improved by the blend.
Pauly Chase said:
Us plebs need some luxury in our lives too.
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I wonder if if holds up worth a lick or is just another rapidly-deteriorating trick on the cost-conscious. My suspicion toward the latter is why I ask.
 
[quote="Russell Street, post: 33248, member: 171"I wonder if if holds up worth a lick or is just another rapidly-deteriorating trick on the cost-conscious. My suspicion toward the latter is why I ask.[/quote]

From my past experience, the cashmere/cotton the material a silky feel. Also cashmere provides a bit of extra warmth to cotton sweaters that are light weight.
 
I guess that the blend does have some merit, since the flat and uninteresting look and feel of knit cotton is lent a bit of fluff, fuzz, and sheen as well as extra heat retention. From the other end, cashmere is lent lower cost, greater durability and the ability to be worn in decently heated rooms. If the marketing mentioned all this, I missed it. Also, all the stuff I see of this blend seems to be made in China, which is an issue for me despite not being an automatic quality marker either way.
 
I remember J.Crew and Polo had some decent cotton/cashmere blend sweaters a few years ago. Never bought any myself. I have seen more silk/cashmere blends recently in the higher end brands.
 
I'm critical of lower brands trying to "go luxe" by doing blends like this...

but FWIW, I bought a cotton-cashmere sweater at BR about 1.5 years ago and it's held up well. Only have washed it once b/c doesn't get heavy wear, but fit has been good and can't complain for $20.
 
For what it is worth, I have never quite understood this blend for sweaters either. %100 fine merino wool is just as soft, warm, and light as they come - and affordable, to boot - but, as many of you have already mentioned, perhaps it is not "luxurious" enough for some. (Have you heard of a certain farmer's son from Umbria who has once nurtured dreams of world domination enveloped in pure cashmere? Cashmere is the aspirational fabric, par excellence.)

Nevertheless, I can see how a cotton-cashmere blend would bring a certain uniqueness, if not innovation, to other items of a men's wardrobe that are traditionally made up of pure cotton. Take corduroy pants for example. I am not entirely sold on the idea, as I prefer them as slouchy as they come and in wide wale, but a pair of cotton-cashmere corduroy pants (or even a suit) in fine wale is certainly a different beast: lighter, softer, and with the added luster.
 
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Most of my sweaters are either full wool, full cashmere or cashmere wool. The cashmere one though is a total beast very light yet keeps me very warm.
 
I've come across linen-cashmere once.

They never did find who threw that Molotov cocktail into that sartoria
 
Cashmerello
http://custom.luxire.com/collections/dress-shirts/Cashmerello
 
Cotton/cashmere is a suiting cloth as well. It's supposed to be extremely warm and quite durable. It's not very popular anymore due to indoor heating, but I guess it has its use for extremely cold climates.
 
Marketing clap trap. All the shit promoted as cotton or linen or whatever cashmere has 5% cashmere so they can charge you a 30% premium over plain cotton. I am no tissue scientist but I doubt it works on the same principles as metallurgy - alchemy possibly.
 
I've seen overcoats with Cashmere in big letters - 2% cashmere + 98% Poly.

Cashmere has been over farmed due to demand these days. Breeding has been focussed on volume not quality and the quality of most, not all, modern cashmere is nothing like it used to be.

In fact "baby" superfine merino is finer and softer these days. And cheaper.
 
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