Plants. Animals. Worms. Dinosaur Juice. A sweater can be produced from many things. But not all materials are equal. Before we get to the poll, here’s where some of the common materials used to make sweaters usually fall on the fabric thickness / seasonal appropriateness matrix. And of course, there can be exceptions depending on how the sweater has been knit:
Some Brief Analysis
- The Silk Cotton Cashmere blend that Banana Republic produces might be one of the best all around materials out there. But some claim it can get too warm. Not everyone seems to agree though.
- It’s really, really hard not to like Merino Wool. Pretty tough to screw it up.
- Lambswool is excellent when it’s cold. Murder if it’s an unseasonably warm, Fall day.
- Most pima cotton sweaters have that smooth trimness to them that’s reminiscent of a cotton/poly blend t-shirt. Only, y’know, without the poly.
- Cashmere might not be on the graph (rink?) but it has to be considered. As does its enormous expense. Cost should be taken into consideration when voting below.
- Cotton/Cashmere (say, 5 – 10% cashmere) just might be the Bud Light Platinum of sweaters.
- Out of seemingly nowhere, some wool/nylon blend sweaters have delivered. They’ve got some (but not too much) bulk, as well as a little texture without the scratch of most all-lambswool sweaters.
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Here in Texas, it’s not uncommon for the temp to be 35 in the morning and 65 in the afternoon before getting to 45 at night. Sweaters tend to be impractical. Cardigans and stylish jackets are a must.
Cotton. I’ve got ’em across the spectrum (which is unnecessary where I am in South Florida), but I love a good cotton sweater. Takes a beating, washes up well, and doesn’t need any babying like wool.
For this sites purposes, Merino is the best combination of price, longevity, versatility, and comfort.
Without fail, my wife shrinks every merino sweater I purchase. I’ve tried everything, including taking over laundry duties entirely. Then she “just did one load,” and “didn’t even see the sweater in there (an XL Tall…)!” After much deliberation, I decided to ditch merino and keep my wife. Now, I’m all about cotton or cotton cashmere.
Agreed. Houston weather varies dramatically.
Same with Galveston. What’s with the cold front the past two days? I appreciate chilly weather but not a dramatic change.
I wear my cotton sweaters the most. Easier to wash.
Cashmere, hands down. Its crazy expensive, but I wear my two cashmere sweaters almost as much as the whole rest of my collection combined.
Hands down, my favorite sweater is a quarter zip Ibex in charcoal. I think its the Pez line.
Sweater? Material? Polls? Words?
Sorry, I’m still in awe of an approval matrix made by Nintendo “Ice Hockey” characters circa 1987.
Cashmere. For all the reasons we’ve discussed before (comfort, softness, versatility, women knowing/appreciating the difference) it is well worth the investment. Also works in all types of weather.
The main problem I have is finding sweaters that fit. Always seem to be right between a medium and a large with the medium fitting waist but being snug in chest and large billowing at waist.
I love the colder weather, but like you, I wish it was more predictable here. I’ll be glad when it’s here to stay. Unfortunately, it seems like we only have two seasons in Texas: hot and not-as-hot.
I missed the instructions regarding cost. In that case, Merino would take top prize, but that doesn’t mean its my favorite.
I find cashmere is the only pure wool besides boiled wool that I can wear without itchiness and really it’s so expensive that I can’t justify it. So wool blends and/or acrylic for me. Soft, warm, easy to care for (just don’t put it in a dryer on high) and 1/5 to 1/10 the price.
For dressy, layering sweaters, I like a cashmere/wool blend. Feels almost as nice as cashmere, but usually at about half the price.
For chunky, casual sweaters, got to go with something like lambswool or a wool blend.
P.S. I don’t think cost is much of an issue regarding sweaters… at least, not for me. They last a while with proper care, don’t really go in or out of style, and I wear mine relatively infrequently, so I can afford to invest in a couple nice sweaters rather than a bunch of mediocre ones.
you machine wash merino wool sweaters? and they shrink?
PERFECT!
I meant to get a medium, but ended up with a large, and it looks like its my dad’s sweater. JCrew factory merino V.
I second cotton – likely due to my naivete – but a cotton sweater from the GAP works well.
What’s not to like about Cotton/Cashmere blend if its the same cost as Merino? At Jcrew Factory, they appear to be similarly priced.
That was a great game
I love my Brooks Brothers Merino Wool sweaters. I think Banana Republic is complete garbage. Get BB sweaters on sale. They hold up extremely well
Merino wool for me. Las Vegas doesn’t require a lot of warmth.
For me a sweater has to be wool, i cannot stand how heavy cotton sweaters tend to be, not to mention they tend to just drape all over my body and just look slovenly IMO. Due to this preference my body has built up strong anti itch properties allowing me to wear sweaters that make others break out in hives lol.
J Crew merino shrinks up. I have 3 that I accidentally left in the dryer for a full cycle (usually put it in for 5-10 minutes to get out the wrinkles before I air dry). They are absurdly short. Going to try and stretch them out a touch when wet.
well good for you
I’m confused… how did she get out of the kitchen in the first place? *rimshot*
Does this hold true for the 346 products?
You’re getting mostly cotton. Honestly, with Cashmere only making up 5 to 10% of the sweater, they’re really just throwing it in so they can toss the word Cashmere on it and charge you more for it.
Have you tried merino wool? Not remotely itchy in my experience. I like it a lot for hats, scarves, socks, performance base layers, etc.
Your super power is the ability to withstand itchy sweaters? I’m pretty sure you won’t be getting a call from Professor X.
I think Merino is just as temporally flexible as cashmere. I can’t think of any climes or situations where I would wear cashmere but not Merino.
I’m a thrift shopper, so price is not a factor. Cashmere all the way.
My approach is don’t machine wash your dress sweaters. Dry clean them once a season and as needed for spot removal. Otherwise leave them alone.
I just bought a J. Crew Factory Lambswool sweater (love it) and it’s actually pretty trim. So while the majority of lambswool is probably pretty bulky, doesn’t mean it has to be,
I love my Gap and BR Merino sweaters, and so I had to choose Merino. However, I’m also loving this new lambswool number from Uniqlo. Even though the sleeves are QUITE long. 20 greenbacks, people. Christmas is coming.
Be careful. My large J. Crew Factory merino sweater ended up way smaller than a medium when I accidentally put it through the wash.
Easy, Merino wool.
Any sweater suggestions for a tall/slim guy?
I’m also a big fan of BR’s Silk, cotton, cashmere blends. They’re thin, warm (but not too warm) and fairly fitted. I stalk them for when they go on sale.
I just find all/nearly all cotton sweaters to be too stretchy. They feel “droopy” 10 minutes after I put them on. I’d be willing to pay the extra money if they would just push up the cashmere % in the cotton/cashmere to around 30%. That would reduce the bulk, add some flexibility and warmth, but keep it relatively inexpensive.
I like lambswool/merino if I’m going to be outdoors for an extended period and I’m layering. Otherwise, I tend to overheat. I really like cashmere, but you have to pay a significant amount of money for good quality. Otherwise, it tends to pill quickly.
Once in a while, I find a great deal on a wool sweater that’s way too big on me (e.g. XL). I sometimes think about buying it and washing/drying it, but never wanted to take that bet that it wouldn’t shrink enough or shrink too much.
…is a great game.
warm or cold water? i need some shrinkage (*immature giggle) but not a whole lot. its a delicate balance, I am aware.
My cashmere sweaters have held up a LOT better than anything else I’ve worn. Uniqlo sometimes has them at a decent price.
No Angora?
That graphic is clutch.
Yea. I probably get 75% of my sweaters at BB. I also like Gant Sweaters. I use to like Theory but they did not hold up well. the only thing i buy at Banana are those waffle shirts which will last about 15 months.
Good advice!
To clarify, I was asking about their outlet line (346). Any experience with outlet sweaters or do you always buy BB mainline?
Touché
No, I’ve never been to a BB outlet. I probably would but there is none near me. There will be probably be another BB Sale before the end of the year where sweaters will be at least 25% off, probably more. I believe the sweaters are extra fine Merino. I also have a couple of Cashmere ones, but Merino is my go to.
I see the merits of several fabrics, but lambswool is just sweater material (also, why no shetland wool or ragg wool on the list?). I like my sweaters a little rough around the edges. Merino wool is comfortable as hell but most of those sweaters look very polished – which definitely comes in handy sometimes, but I like the roughness and texture lambswool adds to an outfit.
Power play! Hey, where’s my fat guy?