Cotton-Cashmere Crewneck SweaterClick here for product page
Item 86212
Regular: $59.50; now $39.99-19.99
"Thanks!" to Victoire (check out her great blog Egregiously Yours) who guest blogged about J.Crew's Cotton-Cashmere Crewneck Sweater. The following is her review:
My boyfriend has worn this sweater for quite some time now, so I can tell you not only about the fit, the sizing and the general appearance of that sweater, but also how it fares through many wears and washes. My boyfriend has elected that sweater as one of his favourite and he wears it very, very often. I would not be surprised to learn that it is the sweater that gets worn the most often in his entire wardrobe. And his wardrobe is packed full of high quality sweaters, so that is saying much.
But first, my boyfriend is not the typical customer. Being 5'6 and a half and 110 pounds, he would be called 'petite', if men could be called so. And he indeed has a waist to make quite a fair number of women jealous: 26 inches around only. Imagine! But a woman he is not, and neither is he a boy, and children or woman clothing all too often fits awkwardly on him. He has the shape of a grown up man, with broad shoulders and a tapered waist, only with smaller proportions. As you can guess, finding clothes that fit him is quite an ordeal. Most companies' smallest sizes for men are way too big for him. Well, J.Crew comes to the rescue by offering a size xs, but very occasionally and elusively. We snatch them whenever we can, and this is how we ended up with this grey sweater. Oh, and lots of shirts.
Well, my boyfriend loves it. Once again, J.Crew delivers. The XS is a bit on the large side for him even with a shirt underneath, but we always expect this. It fits me very well too (though loosely, as a man's sweater would be expected to on a woman's frame). It provides me with enough length, and I am a wispy, long-limbed, 5'9 and a half woman, and it would accommodate easily a person with slightly broader shoulders than I, of my height and frame. However, if you are bigger or taller than that, you will either want to go up a size, or order the tall version. The xs is truly that: extra small.
It is relatively lightweight but not summer-weight, and it is perfect for those fall (or late spring) days when the temperature is too high still for heavier 100% merino wool sweaters. There is some cashmere in it, but it does not really have the feel of cashmere to it, as a cashmere-wool or cashmere-silk mix would. I was surprised by that at first. However, when that cashmere percentage shines is through time and general appearance: this sweater looks indeed just like a good quality cotton sweater, but better, crisper, and it does not age in the same manner as a cotton sweater, which always fade rapidly. Even after several washes, the colour is as vivid and even as ever and it shows virtually no signs of use. Oh, and it does not pill like wool sweaters do, it retains its shape perfectly, does not wrinkle easily and the fabric is never heavy: it stays a bit springy and always crisp.
So if you are looking for a nice sweater for mild fall weather, do not miss this one. It will serve you well, for a long time. But do give it a chance: it will look at first just like any good quality cotton sweater, but its quality will shine through time and use!
"Thanks!" again to Victoire for her absolutely fantastic review! (I hope she will consider reviewing women's clothes for the blog as well- she is fantastic with words.) :)
What are your thoughts on the Cotton-Cashmere Crewneck Sweater? Do you already own this sweater? If so, please let us know what you think! :)
Hrm, this sweater is listed with a price of only $19.99, yet it's not on the sale page . . .
ReplyDeleteThanks for at review of the sweater! I own the V-neck Cotton-Cashmere version in forest green x-small and a few merino wool ones (used to).
ReplyDeleteThe sweaters' cutting is quite generous - very roomy around the bodice, not at all tapered, and broad shoulder (a plus). Consequently, they all hang a bit loose on me chest down. However, after several washes, I learned to appreciate the C-C fabric. C-C shrunk a little bit and it fit better now but the merino wool ones pill and shrunk to a point where I cannot wear them anymore.
On pilling, I did notice some with a discerning eye on the C-C sweater but nothing gross. I think the color palette in general determine the pilling's visibility. The forrest green is nearly just as lustrous as when I first bought it.
I concur that it is a good piece to wear in Fall to Spring in most places (I used to live in San Francisco and it would be perfect for it). However, since I moved to SoCal, it gets a bit tricky wearing it out door during the day. When the sun's out, the sweater gets too warm because of the cashmere. I wouldn't wear it as a base layer if I have to move around too much. But, I find the sweater to be most effective in an air-conditioned environment.
Personally, I think cotton-cashmere is the best blend for sweater for its stress resistant ability. I love the fact that I can be rough with it put it in the washing machine and dryer and stretch it while engaging in mild activities. As Victoire had mentioned, pure cotton ones simply fade way too quickly. Many sweaters have come after but retired before the J Crew one.
Patrick
The great reviews on this are making me think about getting some for my boyfriend. :) I like the yellow, to mix it up from his love of blue. Does anyone know if it's a soft yellow or the more recent trend towards bright yellows?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the fantastic review, Victoire!
ReplyDeleteAh yes Anonymous, the piling... I should have noted that even if there is any on my boyfriend's sweater, it would be hard to notice: his is heather grey. I had never thought of it, but it is very good for camouflaging piling.
ReplyDeleteI try to buy cashmere (of cashmere-mixed) clothing in lighter colour, because dyed cashmere is never as soft. The darker the dye, the more this is noticeable. Perhaps the piling shows more on darker colour.
I bought this sweater for my husband this weekend in green for $25.00 (50% off of $49.99). He wore it to work yesterday over a light blue button down. It looked great, even at the end of the day and I'm so excited that it won't add to our dry cleaning bill!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reviews! These sound perfect for my dh who is usually too hot to wear a sweater but too cold in a tee.
ReplyDelete