First off, just what the hell is cashmere? You can think of it as sheep wool’s cool foreign cousin. It is finer, lighter, and softer than your typical wool sweater. It has all these superior qualities because it is  not a sheep’s wool at all – cashmere comes from goats. The humble Cashmere Goat produces this fine hair that can be woven into some the best winter sweaters and scarves around.

As long as you are getting real cashmere – and make sure that you are – you’re going to be happy with your purchase. If you want the best of the best however, eschew the overpriced household brands like Gucci and Burberry and instead head over to Kaufmann Mercantile. This online brand has an eclectic and varied mix of products that all feature the same unifying characteristic – they are all best-in-class products built to last a lifetime. You won’t find a sweater here good for only one fashion season. Their cashmere sweaters are meant to be generational purchases. This is the kind of cold weather wear you pass down to your kids.

Say goodbye to heavy wool sweaters this winter and slip into cashmere. You’ll look less like an overgrown bundled up second-grader and be able to haul around less layers. Sure, cashmere is more expensive than cotton or wool, but then an Aston Martin is more expensive than a Toyota.

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The sweater is typically made from Shetland wool, which comes from the sheep of the surrounding Shetland isles. For most sweaters, up to five colors are knitted, with strands being intertwined and the unused colors provide the background and main color of the sweater. The term Fair Isle has lost its meaning throughout the years when it was used to describe any patterned knit similar to the traditional Fair Isle sweaters.

The great thing about Fair Isle sweaters are the ease of layering. I prefer to wear them layered with a solid button-up paired with either a pair of raw denim or wool trousers depending on the occasion. A solid colored flannel can work, however, be careful with any patterned shirt. The Fair Isle pattern and flannel pattern will most likely clash, turning your torso into a colorful mess.

Most knits you purchase from a store won’t be a true Fair Isle, but the price tag will make you happy. An authentic Fair Isle sweater will cost at a minimum $150 whereas a sweater from any big box retailer will be ~$80. An easy way to figure if the sweaters are authentic is to look at the material. If they’re made from 100% Shetland wool, you can be sure they are authentic.

Winter is coming. Be prepared. Equip your Fair Isle sweater and bring your winter wardrobe to life.

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