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Patagonia The women's cashmere crew ($199) is a pointelle knit with seaming that slims. It's warm, never itchy, and feels like it will last a long time.
- I love cashmere. If I could, I would live out the winter from inside a cashmere jumpsuit. But, I hate that buying it is so bad for the environment.
- Patagonia's recycled cashmere (95% recycled cashmere, 5% wool) is guilt-free, and it's just as good as what you'll find elsewhere.
- I tested Patagonia's Women's Cashmere Crew ($199) and the cashmere knit is soft, warm, and otherwise indistinguishable from non-recycled kinds. My one note is that it runs big.
- Shop Patagonia's recycled cashmere in men's and women's sweaters, hats, and scarves.
- For other recycled cashmere options, check out the 70% recycled line from popular LA womenswear startup, Reformation. It's less environmentally friendly, but it could be a fit for those looking for more fitted styles.
Finding sustainable cashmere reads like an oxymoron. It's sort of like telling everyone you're searching for low-fat deep-fried Oreos or a safe tanning oil.
The process of creating cashmere is so inherently detrimental - requiring lots of resources and incurring lots of environmental degradation - that any claim of sustainability is pretty much moot. It may make us happy to have, but it sure isn't preserving the grasslands of Mongolia.
However, the demand is not going away. If I could, I would live out every day of my life under 40 degrees from the inside a cashmere jumpsuit. I happily use eco-friendly products like Bee's Wrap food wraps, vegan bar shampoo, metal straws, non-toxic laundry detergent, and a mess of other easy swaps because the state of the environment concerns me, but I do own cashmere. It's tough to give up.
The possible loophole to the problem of cashmere - and the demand for it - is to stop making more cashmere, and instead recycle it. You get your super-soft sweater, and the environment suffers no (or at least less) gratuitous damage. It's not a perfect solution, but it is a functional one - and one many established companies are adopting across multiple industries, making leggings from fish nets, shirts from plastic bottles, and shoes from eucalyptus tree fiber.
Patagonia's cashmere line is the best no-compromise option I've found. Each piece is made out of 95% cashmere scraps collected from European garment factories, plus 5% virgin wool for strength. Altogether, it's a line of durable, warm, guilt-free cashmere sweaters, hats, and scarves with way less ecological impact, plus the added benefit of Patagonia-level quality and design. You can also view "The Footprint Chronicles" to learn about their supply chain and the sewing factory that made your sweater.
Patagonia
Like most high-end cashmere, and most Patagonia bestsellers, the cashmere sweater is built to last many cold winters. It's just a bonus that Patagonia decided to make them in a way that has a far lower ecological impact than your other pairs - or options.
And if you associate "recycled" with hand-me-downs from your older sister, it's good to note that the cashmere scraps are pre-consumer, meaning nobody else wore them before you. It's indistinguishable from any other cashmere sweater and just a more creative, environmentally-savvy way of making it.
The Patagonia cashmere line is limited but covers the classics: crews for men and women, hoodies for men and women, beanies, cardigans, and scarves. Beanies go for $69, Scarves for $99, and sweaters range from $199 to $299 for the men's hoodie. Prices are comparable to other high-end cashmere options though not outliers like the inexplicable $75 sweater from Naadam, though conventional wisdom suggests caution where sustainability is concerned for a price point that low.
Patagonia
I tried the women's Recycled Cashmere Crew ($199), which is a pointelle knit. The women's crew is super-soft and feels like it will last for a long time. It's not at all itchy. I found it to run big, but only to the extent that the fit is relaxed and loose. The style itself is slimming thanks to intuitive seams that negate any bulk around the hips. The pointelle is a nice touch, but the small eyelet holes do mean you probably won't want to wear this alone outside on a chilly day.
I wish they offered a ribbed knit for women as well as men, but you could just buy the men's in a smaller size if that's what you're looking for. Altogether, the Cashmere Crew exceeded expectations and is just one more Patagonia classic. You'd buy this for the look and feel first without knowing it had a sustainable ethos.
Patagonia's recycled cashmere is as durable, non-itchy, and high-quality as their clothes typically are. It benefits from the same stereotypically meticulous design and production process. And the only difference between Patagonia's cashmere and any other, it seems, is its smarter supply chain and lower environmental impact. In the end, it's a win-win.
Shop Patagonia's Recycled Cashmere line, $69 - $199
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