Anyone KNOWS about T&A cashmere quality ?

[yialabis]

They have a good sale going on at the moment so I was thinking of a small post holiday treat .

Cheers
Vassilis

[alden]

I would not go near cashmere sold anywhere on Jermyn Street, at any price, for any reason, especially during sale season, and particularly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays...and even Sundays!

Cheers

[Scot]

I would not go near cashmere sold anywhere on Jermyn Street, at any price, for any reason, especially during sale season, and particularly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays...and even Sundays!

Cheers

Quite so!

If it's a sweater you are after, have a stiff drink, go to Berk in the Burlington Arcade and try to get hold of one of the last remaining Ballantynes produced in Scotland. (The stiff drink will help you part with the money!) There is nothing better to be had currently and, cared for, it should last years.

[alden]

If it's a sweater you are after, have a stiff drink, go to Berk in the Burlington Arcade and try to get hold of one of the last remaining Ballantynes produced in Scotland. (The stiff drink will help you part with the money!) There is nothing better to be had currently and, cared for, it should last years.

Excellent and tasty advice...go to Dukes and have a whopper of a Marty...and then straight to Berk.

My 2 ply Berk Ballantyne from the early 80s looks better than I do.

Cheers

[yialabis]

Thanks for the advise gentlemen .. Scot , It will take more than one drink to be able to part with 670 euro which is pretty much the cost for a ballantyne sweater at Berks..
But I feel a bit uppercasie regarding questions so here it goes ..Is it the softer the better ? Or how else do you define cashmere quality when you see or feel it ? ..( and I don't mean the stuff we all know about lower coat of the goat , respectable mill preferably in Scotland etc)
Vassilis

[davidhuh]

Scot , It will take more than one drink to be able to part with 670 euro which is pretty much the cost for a ballantyne sweater at Berks..
But I feel a bit uppercasie regarding questions so here it goes ..Is it the softer the better ? Or how else do you define cashmere quality when you see or feel it ? ..( and I don't mean the stuff we all know about lower coat of the goat , respectable mill preferably in Scotland etc)
Vassilis

Dear Vassilis,

I love wearing cashmere turtlenecks and waistcoats, and I got good ones from Drake and outstanding ones from Ballantyne. The Drake quality is soft and schmoozes my hands. The Ballantyne quality is more firm. If I have to choose between the two, the decision is obvious. Not only because I get 2 drinks on top

Cheers, David

[Scot]

Is it the softer the better ? Or how else do you define cashmere quality when you see or feel it ? ..(

I am not sure I have the technical expertise to describe it but there is a "tightness" to the yarn and the way the Ballantynes are (were) knitted. There is softness but also substance, with the result that pilling is minimal. I don't like the fuzziness of so much of the currently available cashmere and the knitting of some garments is so loose that one can almost see through them. It's a case of the usual rather ironic advice I'm afraid, buy the cheaper stuff provided you can afford to throw it away

[alden]

I am not sure I have the technical expertise to describe it but there is a "tightness" to the yarn and the way the Ballantynes are (were) knitted.

Yes, the Berks are very tightly knitted and feel dense in the hand, the way we like our cloth. I am not an expert but I have had a few sweaters hand knit for me and working with the knitters learned a few things. To get that dense, heavy, tight feel you have to use very small needles and it takes mountains of....TIME. You can knit a sweater in a jiffy with large needles but your will get a loose, soft, open knit. The same is true of weaving cloth or shirting. It takes TIME. And what is TIME? .....Time is money. The good stuff costs a lot more because it is more difficult and time consuming to make. But you have to have the eye to recognize and the hand to feel the difference. That makes things pretty tough for the consumer and pretty easy on merchandisers of middling or sub par goods. Most people cannot tell the difference. A tailor, shirt maker or knitter can tell the difference, but the consumer cannot. Buy the best unless you are so rich you can afford not to.

Cheers

[cathach]

Robert Old is another option for decent cashmere.

[yialabis]

Things are starting to make sense .. I bought my first cashmere jumper about 20 years ago from Johnstons and I still have it .IIt's soft but also proven to be durable as well .I have a few from Bamford that I bought expensively on a 70% sale when they wear around just of Westbourne Grove that I'm not totally convinced of their density although they haven't appear to fade yet . I also have some Brora which usually fall apart after 3 to 5 years depending on the wear . Dense it's not what I thought a cashmere jumper should feel like ..Now that I think about it soft was the obvious misleading proof of good quality together with the standards that I thought a respectable mill or brand could provide... Back then I guess soft was very important because it always made the girls touch your arm or shoulder for a second or third time unconsciously when you've met them down the street or in any social event . And it was most them who were drawn by the comfy soft relaxing feeling of your jumper , even your friends wives or girlfriends . Not a lot people wore cashmere back then I suppose at least not in Greece .. Now many cheap brands produce softness using bad quality "cashmere like " material so everyone can have the softness effect. Time to look for density and durability ,nice color and fit ...I did buy a T&A v neck at the end , not following the advise,but I have to say it looks like it has all the good qualities written o this thread . We will see ..

[alden]

I would never buy a thing on sale. So much of these "sale" items are farmed in specially made products injected just for sales. the only exception to this rule would be the annual Hermes sale. ...but not for me.

I think you have to look at a Berk Ballantyne the way you would a bespoke jacket. With that view, the 670 euros looks like a real bargain. And you will enjoy the sweater for ages and it will just get better. And you get a drink too! I just talked myself into it.

Cheers

[hectorm]

I think you have to look at a Berk Ballantyne the way you would a bespoke jacket. With that view, the 670 euros looks like a real bargain. And you will enjoy the sweater for ages and it will just get better.

I believe that is good advice, but you don't have to spend a thousand dollars on a mass produced sweater to get the same good quality. Items at the Burlington Arcade are automatically 20-30% overpriced by just being on those windows.
Please consider cashmere from William Lockie. My 4-ply cable-knit crewneck by Lockie is the best cashmere sweater I ever put my hands on.
I´ve had it for 27 years now Unfortunately I cannot attest for the brand´s current quality, so you'll have to do some homework.

[alden]

Hectorm

Also very good advice. I admit to being a Lockie fan with over two dozen of their sweaters in my wardrobe, mostly camelhair, lambswool and a couple cashmeres. They are excellent products and their quality has not varied.

That being said, you have to feel the 2 ply Ballantyne new vintage sweaters being sold at Berks right now, the very last ones from an old lot of Scottish made cashmeres. They are simply amazingly rich and dense. There is nothing like it and never will be again. So, bottoms up! Get over to Burlington Arcade and pick up a couple while they last. I am going to next week.

Cheers

[andreyb]

I've just returned from London, and cashmere sweaters that are on sale at T&A are indeed quite flimsy and not worthy of attention...

...however, let me defend some other parts of T&A's sale! Ties (35 quids), pocket squares (20), socks (10) and boxers (20) are of first-rate quality and a bargain at these prices.

Andrey

[Russell]

Although not actual knitwear - having bought some Begg cashmere to give as a Christmas present this year I can't think I've seen any finer in that form. Had it have been a scarf instead of a ladies wrap it may never have reached it's intended recipient.

Like David, I enjoy wearing sleeveless cardigans as waistcoats at this time of year, perhaps I too should have a Martini ...... or three!

Regards
Russell