Best Cashmere Sweaters for Men: Soft and Stylish Picks for Winter

Cashmere sweaters are a classic for a reason—soft, elegant, and an understated way of saying, “Why, yes, I am a little bit fancy, thanks for noticing.” Available from most of the best men’s clothing brands, they’ll go with anything from a simple, white button down shirt to your most colorful pair of chinos. Below, you’ll find our picks for the best cashmere sweaters for men.

Our top picks for the best cashmere sweaters for men

How we selected the best cashmere sweaters for men

Our selections were made through a combination of personal experience, advice from style and clothing expert Charles Fratto, and doing thorough research to ensure all of our picks have majority positive customer reviews, especially in terms of quality, comfort, and value for money.

What to consider when buying cashmere sweaters

“When buying a cashmere sweater, there are certain aspects that need to be considered before purchasing,” warns Charles Fratto, style director for ILOE Studios. “Because ‘cashmere’ is a buzzword that’s thrown around to add value to products (even if there is only a minuscule amount of actual cashmere fiber in the end result) it’s up to the consumer to practice their due diligence before the exchanging of money.”

Fratto advises asking the following questions before any cashmere sweater purchase:

• How much cashmere is in the sweater? If it’s only a tiny amount, it’s likely not worth the inflated price.
• What quality is the cashmere that is used? Again, check it’s worth the price tag.
• How thick is the yarn and how tightly is it twisted and plied? You don’t want something that’ll fall apart after two wears.
• What is the intended use of this sweater? Be sure to buy something appropriate to your needs.
• Are you willing to put in the extra effort for the laundering and maintenance that cashmere requires? See our detailed care section below for more.

All of these questions are worth investigating a little beforehand so as to alleviate being overwhelmed as you start shopping around.

The best way to store cashmere sweaters

Unlike your dress shirts and casual pants, hanging is not the way to go with cashmere sweaters. “As with anything knitted, whether by hand or by machine, never store them on hangers,” advises Fratto. “The very nature of knit stitches is meant to give stretch to the fabric, so when you store a sweater on a hanger, gravity will pull on the stitches, causing it to stretch out of shape. A telltale sign are those very noticeable hanger bumps that appear when you throw the sweater on, which is never a fun thing to deal with”

“For best practices, fold your sweater gently, since you want to avoid harsh creases, and place it in a drawer,” he continues. “Bonus points if you have cedar blocks or lavender sachets to keep any pesky moths at bay.”

What is the best way to clean cashmere sweaters?

“It's my opinion that most people are wary of investing in cashmere sweaters because they find the prospect of cleaning them to be daunting, but as with anything you value in life, the little extra time and attention is most certainly worth it,” says Fratto. “Contrary to popular belief, dry cleaning is very rarely the answer, as the damage done by the chemicals used in the process can be just as harmful to the fiber as a wash in the washing machine.”

Fratto suggests hand washing your sweater instead, using the following steps:

Soak

Soak the sweater in a basin or large container with lukewarm water and a dash of wool soap or dish soap and let it sit for around 30 minutes to an hour, being sure not to agitate it.

Rinse

Drain the water, and rinse by filling the basin with just water for a minute or two, again being sure not to agitate the sweater. Continue until there are no more suds in the water. (If you’re using a no-rinse wool wash then you can skip this step).

Dry

To dry it, gently lay the sweater out on an absorbent bath towel, making sure that you don’t stretch or twist the sweater in any way. Roll the towel up and gently press down to squeeze out as much water from the sweater as you can, then unroll the towel and gently place the sweater on a new dry bath towel.

Shape

Gently shape the sweater out onto the towel and leave to dry completely.

“This may seem like a lot of steps, but one of the many benefits of cashmere is that it doesn’t really need that much cleaning,” Fratto concludes. “Unless you obviously need to wash the sweater because of spills, etc., you really only need to wash your cashmere pieces once or twice a season.”

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Is it worth it to buy a cashmere sweater?

“Cashmere fibers come from the undercoats of goats,” explains Fratto. “The term ‘cashmere’ derives from ‘kashmir’, which refers to a region in the Himalayan mountain range in which the most luxurious cashmere fibers are still produced to this day. After shearing, the cashmere fibers need to be separated from the outer layer guard hairs, which are much more coarse.”

“From there, the fibers are sent to the mill where they are scoured, carded or combed, spun and then plied,” he adds. “The finished yarn is then knitted into a sweater which eventually makes its way to the customer and into your wardrobe. Because of the time, skill and limited availability of cashmere, a sweater made from this precious fiber is worth it if you’re willing to care and maintain the sweater so you can wear it for many years to come.”

How much should I spend on a cashmere sweater?

“Prices for cashmere sweaters vary greatly, from $45 to well into the hundreds, if not thousands,” says Fratto. “There are so many factors that determine the price that it really comes down to how much you're willing to invest in the quality of the fiber that you want. Having a sense of what you want in the end will help you avoid that sticker shock.”

Is cashmere good for men?

“Cashmere is a popular luxury fiber for a reason,” says Fratto. “It’s incredibly soft and adds a very desirable drape to the silhouette. A classic cashmere sweater will elevate your style from just the average ‘basic’ staple pieces to a sophisticated wardrobe. Adding cables or texture to the design will bring excitement to the mix and the possibilities of color combinations are limitless.”

What are the disadvantages of cashmere?

“As with any luxury fiber, there are pros and cons to cashmere,” admits Fratto. “Cashmere fiber is very fine and soft, even more so than merino wool. With this softness, however, comes the caveat of fragility. Felting and pilling can be very real headaches to deal with, especially if you experience a lot of wear with your sweaters.”