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The best men’s cashmere sweaters are a lot like that guy Bryce you couldn’t stand in high school. Remember him? The one who was valedictorian and the star quarterback and the lead in the musical and always really nice to you, which somehow just made you hate him even more? Well, the best men’s cashmere sweaters are the Bryce of autumnal staples. Cashmere is the strongest and warmest and softest and swankiest form of wool there is, and it’s here to take your dreary cold weather wardrobe to bold new heights of handsomeness and coziness. The very best cashmere sweaters instantly make whatever you happen to have on that day—a T-shirt and denim, say, or a button-down and blazer—look miles more considered, sophisticated, and polished.
The only real issue you’ll have is settling on the right cashmere sweater for you—especially given the explosion of reasonably affordable options that’s flooded the market in recent years. Are you after a basic cashmere pullover? A svelte cashmere turtleneck, perhaps? How about a currently-trending cashmere cardigan? To help make that decision as simple and streamlined as possible, we found you 17 of the very best men’s cashmere sweaters on the planet—from the gigantic flexes worth dropping a paycheck on to the budget-friendly crewnecks you should cop in every color. You’ll look even better in them than Bryce did the night he was crowned prom king. Stupid Bryce.
The Best Deceptively Simple Cashmere Sweater
You don’t have to do much to men’s cashmere sweaters for them to make a big impression. The fabric itself speaks volumes, so even the most basic of sweaters can instantly make an outfit feel a bit luxer, more considered, and altogether elevated. (Just look at how put together guys like David Beckham and Justin Theroux look wearing plain-jane pullovers.) At the same time, though, a little visual flourish never hurt anybody, which is why we love these crewnecks from Todd Snyder: they still let the cashmere do the talking, but the raglan stripes at the shoulders steps things up the subtlest of notches.
The Best West Coast Cashmere Sweater
Most cashmere stuff feels very East Coast prep—all strait-laced and solid-colored—which makes sense, because the East Coast is where it’s cold. Back in 2007, though, L.A. designer Greg Chait flipped that on its head: under the moniker The Elder Statesman, he started making cashmere blankets, then sweaters and ponchos and socks and stuffed animals, with a distinctly Californian vibe. The stuff is all tie dyed and dip dyed, sometimes emblazoned with palm trees or magic mushrooms or the checkerboard from your trusty Vans. The wavy pullovers are the perfect thing for a chilly night on the beach, or for shaking up your cold-weather fits with a reminder that summer is just around the corner.
The Best Affordable Cashmere Sweater
At some point in the last decade or so, a weird thing happened: cashmere, the rarest and most luxurious of wools, became way more accessible. These days, you can find pure cashmere sweaters hovering around the $100 mark in just about every mall chain store—like if you could suddenly cop a Bugatti for the price of a Kia. But not all affordable cashmere sweaters are built equal, and for our money, Everlane’s versions are tops: they’re knit from Grade-A Mongolian fibers—less prone to pilling—with reinforced necklines and cuffs for extra durability. Cop a V-neck—they’re back, baby!—and tuck it in to swervy trousers with nothing underneath.
The Best Preposterously Rich Guy Cashmere Sweater
Sometimes lost in all the mystique surrounding Brunello Cucinelli—from the 173-acre medieval hamlet in Umbria where he and 800 of his employees live and work in perfect harmony, to the billionaire summits he hosts on occasion—is the fact that guy makes really, really beautiful clothes. Sweaters like this one are the reason he’s long held the crown as the King of Cashmere: the knit work is crisp and immaculate, the fit is snug and luxurious. It’s perfect to the point that upon seeing its near-$3,000 price tag, all you can really do is shrug and mumble, “Checks out.”
The Best Chunky Cashmere Sweater
Some days, when it’s freezing and you’re cranky and maybe a little hungover, you just need to swim in cashmere. You want to be enveloped by the stuff, to have it shield you from the outside world and everyone in it while still making you look really damn good in the process. That’s what this enormous ribbed mock neck from The Row will do for you. It’s cut slouchy and drapey and will swallow you whole, but is exactingly engineered to do so in the most flattering way possible.
The Best Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater
You almost definitely own a slim black turtleneck, which is elegant and goes great with everything, but a touch too delicate to stand up to any sort of windchill. Maybe you’ve got one of those chunky Irish fisherman numbers, too—it’s rugged and handsome and makes you feel like the commander in Dunkirk, but it’s too warm to wear indoors and about as comfortable as a Brillo pad. Well, fashion Goldilocks, here’s the middle ground to add to your rotation: Michael Kors’ just-right cashmere turtleneck. Substantial enough to keep out the cold, trim enough to fit under a sport coat, softer than the dulcet tones of your favorite ASMR YouTuber.
11 More Cashmere Sweaters We Love
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