Put Down That Overpriced Sweater

Basic knits should not cost this much.

I try not to be too much of a hater on the newsletter but I’m going to rant on this one. Why? Well, the cost of clothes is out of control these days. I say this as someone who definitely spends a lot of money on her closet but even I’m experiencing sticker shock at the moment. When did it become normal to charge $12,000 for a plain camel coat and better yet, who on earth is buying said coat at retail? If you’re wondering what is triggering this reaction, it’s because I was subject to an onslaught of The Row sample sale hauls on TikTok. Despite the markdowns, people were still inexplicably paying $600-plus for a sweater and upwards of thousands for a coat. Oh, and this is after waiting hours (I think someone paid a line-sitter to wait the night before which is true madness) for entry. That is not a good deal to me by any means. The popular argument is that these are “basics” that will get plenty of wear but that justification drives me absolutely insane. It’s a logical fallacy we let ourselves believe. Even myself as recently as two years ago! But truly, don’t spend $600+ for a sweater at a sample sale, I promise there are much better options out there that cost a fraction of the price and look identical.

Here’s the thing with basics — like the name implies, it’s meant to be a blank canvas. Visually a black cashmere crewneck is a black cashmere crewneck whether it’s from Uniqlo or The Row. As for the materials used? I reported years ago for The Cut on how Uniqlo makes their sweaters and guess what — all of your faves are sourcing from the same goats that dwell in the same region in Mongolia. Unless you’re a tactile wizard who can blindly discern knits of similar weight by touch, a 100% cashmere sweater at either price point going to feel comparable. The more expensive one might be a tad softer and smoother but over repeated wearing and cleaning, that chasm narrows. Oh but doesn’t the fancier sweater hold up better over time? Nope and let me offer you proof from my own closet where a $100 NADAM knit and a $1,000 Matches turtleneck, both from 2017, are in the same pile. I literally cannot tell them apart and inevitably make a mess of the stack when I take the wrong one out. After seven years, they’re absolutely identical in terms of wear and tear.

Paris Fashion Week: Chaos & Calm

And speaking of wear and tear, that’s another common rationale: cost-per-wear. If I wear this $1,000 sweater 1,000 times it’ll be basically free! While reporting on that Cut piece, I learned that the longer the goat hair, the better quality the yarn and generally speaking, the higher the price tag save for Uniqlo. Better quality ideally means that a piece will hold up over time. But time comes for us all and eventually that pristine knit at 1,000 wears will degrade. It might last a few years longer than the cheaper version but is that worth a ten-fold in price? I don’t think so. If my $100 sweater can chug along at seven years in, then I’m good to spend that and funnel the other $900 towards something more exciting.

Perhaps that’s the crux of it all: I don’t want to spend money on something that doesn’t excite me. Of course, if I was making seven figures a year, I’d love a Loro Piana or Brunello Cucinelli-filled knitwear shelf, but that’s not my tax bracket. Instead, I like to think of sweaters as the white rice or broccoli of my closet. I need them on the daily but on their own, they lack any flavor. Fashion is meant to be fun and special pieces should warrant the equally as special price tag (within reason!). Perhaps that embellished Simone Rocha pinafore or pleated Chopova Lowena skirt won’t get worn on the daily but you know that when it does make an appearance, it’s memorable. That’s just how I like to spend my shopping budget and why it feels silly to blow so much of it on a $600 sample sale find that is nearly identical to something that can be bought at less than half that cost.

Blink and It's November

One caveat: I fully admit is that my Khaite cashmere sweaters, both of which I most definitely paid roughly $400 a pop are pretty damn good. They’re incredibly thick and heavy, making them ideal for the depths of winter. But being that the weather is barely cold anymore, you will rarely need something that warm. I can count on one hand the number of times I wore either of them last year but you know what I did wear at least once a week? That Nadam sweater. More on that and some other ones I like, at reasonable prices. Oh and yes, the list is all cashmere because wool feels too scratchy against my skin.

Naadam The Original Cashmere Sweater, $98

Seven years later, this sweater looks practically brand new. At $98 and averaging at least one wear per week for six-ish months out of the year, it has more than earned its keep. I don’t even have to do very much — a yearly sweater shave with the Nori Trim, spot treat with The Laundress Wool & Cashmere shampoo whenever I spill stuff on myself, and the occasional Febreeze to deodorize is more than enough. This is basically what your dry cleaner does, except you know, at upwards of $15 a piece.

Just as a quick FYI: I’m pay-walling certain pieces like this one. If you do decide to upgrade your subscription, you’ll find plenty of more affordable cashmere sweaters including under $500 finds from The Row, Khaite, and more below the line.