By CASHMERE, of all fibres, has endured as the gold standard of knitwear for very good reason. Harvested from the soft undercoat of cashmere goats raised across the high-altitude plains of Mongolia and China, the fibre is finer than human hair and naturally heat regulating. It’s so light against the skin, you can barely feel yourself wearing it. Until you realise it’s the middle of winter and you don’t feel the cold at all.
For decades, cashmere has sat firmly at the tip of the luxury tier, the preserve of heritage houses and equally high price points. But UNIQLO changed that conversation. Since introducing cashmere to its range in 2003, the Japanese label has worked to make the fibre a genuine everyday proposition, updating its pieces each season and refining everything from colourways and knit tension to the fit. The result is a cashmere offering that punches well above its price point – and has developed something of a cult following in the process.
What cashmere does that synthetics simply cannot is breathe. As a natural fibre, it responds to body temperature and ambient condition. Cashmere warms when you need it, releasing heat when you don’t. It is this quality that makes it so well suited to the rhythms of modern dressing, where a single outfit is expected to perform across multiple environments in the same day. Moving between an air-conditioned office, a cold commute, and a dinner reservation used to require rethinking the whole equation. A cashmere layer solves it without compromise. Neither piece feels like a concession.
Softly does it
UNIQLO 100% Cashmere Crew Neck Sweater in red; UNIQLO 100% Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater in navy; UNIQLO trousers and jacket
The hero of the current range is the 100% Cashmere Crew Neck Sweater, sourced from carefully selected goats across the world’s leading production regions, with each piece checked multiple times against strict manufacturing standards.
Alternatively, the Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater in black, which is contoured through the body with updated ribbing at the sleeves and hem, revives an old-world sophistication and makes the perfect switch to the staple collared workshirt shirt.
What makes it worth noting beyond the obvious softness is the technical attention behind it: knit tension has been increased this season for a thicker, more premium hand-feel, and the updated body, shoulder, and cuff proportions give it a cleaner, more considered silhouette. It is also handwashable, which for a natural fibre at this price is not a small thing.
Climate control
Styling both the sweater or the turtleneck is an easy process.
The crew neck works as a foundational layer under a wool overcoat for the commute, worn alone through the workday, or thrown over a collared shirt in lieu of a blazer for anything from a Friday meeting to an early evening. The turtleneck is the sharper proposition – it negates the need for a shirt entirely and gives even the most casual outfit a pulled-together edge.
Both translate from corporate to casual without effort, and on into an evening with nothing more than a change of shoes. That ease of transition – the sense that one piece is doing the work of several – is exactly what cashmere has always promised. UNIQLO has simply made it easier to keep that promise every day.
You won’t be lacking for colour, either. The sweater becomes a statement piece in itself. While we opted for warmer tones of reds and oranges, you can cool of with timeless blues and essential black or grey.
CREDITS
Photography: Marco Di Stefano
Styling: Grant Pearce
Grooming: Craig Walker
Make up: Kristyan Low
Production director: Rebeeca Moore
Styling assistant: Kailee Waller
Videographer: Jasper Karolewski
In partnership with Uniqlo
