Cashmere and merino sit at the top of the knitwear price list for different reasons, and the difference is worth understanding before you spend on either. One is a luxury of softness; the other is a luxury of performance. This guide covers what each fibre actually is, where the price gap comes from, and how to choose between them honestly.
What cashmere actually is
Cashmere is not sheep's wool at all. It is the fine winter undercoat of the cashmere goat, combed out once a year, mostly in Mongolia and China. A single goat yields only a small fraction of what a sheep gives, and the fibre must be separated from the coarse outer coat by hand and machine before it can be spun. That scarcity is the price tag. The reward is a fibre so fine it barely registers against the skin, with a warmth-to-weight ratio wool cannot match. The trade is durability: cashmere is delicate, pills readily at points of wear, and demands careful washing and storage.
What merino actually is
Merino is wool from the merino sheep, a breed developed over centuries for the fineness of its fleece. It is soft enough to wear against the skin, but it keeps the working character of wool: it is elastic, so garments recover their shape; it insulates even when damp; it breathes indoors; and it stands up to years of regular wear. Gloverall's core knitwear, the Submariner, the Aran, the Fisherman and the Shawl Collar Cardigan, is knitted in England from 100% merino for exactly these reasons. These are jumpers built to be worn hard under a coat, and merino is the fibre that tolerates that life.
The honest comparison
Softness. Cashmere wins, and it is not close. If the jumper's job is to feel luxurious, cashmere does that job.
Warmth. Cashmere is warmer gram for gram, but a chunky merino knit closes the gap by simply carrying more wool, and it does so without the fragility.
Durability. Merino wins decisively. A good merino jumper worn weekly will outlast most cashmere worn monthly. Cashmere wears out gently; merino just keeps working.
Care. Both want hand washing, but merino forgives mistakes that would finish a cashmere piece.
Price. Good cashmere costs multiples of good merino, and cheap cashmere is usually a false economy: short fibres, loose knitting, and pilling within a season.
Where Gloverall stands
Gloverall knits merino because its coats and jumpers are made for daily wear, and merino is the fibre that honours that. Cashmere appears in the range where it genuinely earns its place: blended into coat cloths, as in the Chesterfield Overcoat's 75% wool, 20% polyamide and 5% cashmere cloth, where a measure of cashmere softens a heavyweight fabric without inheriting a knit's fragility. That is the honest use of the fibre: as seasoning, not as the whole dish.
How to choose
Buy cashmere if softness is the point, you will wear it occasionally, and you will care for it properly. Buy merino if the jumper has a job: layering under a duffle coat, weekly wear, travel, or an owner who does not want to think about it. For most wardrobes the answer is a merino core and cashmere as the occasional indulgence.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cashmere sweater made from?
The combed winter undercoat of the cashmere goat, not sheep's wool. The fibre is finer and softer than wool but less durable, and the small yield per goat is why genuine cashmere is expensive.
Is cashmere warmer than merino wool?
Gram for gram, yes. In practice a heavier merino knit is just as warm, more robust, and easier to care for, which is why working knitwear has always been wool rather than cashmere.
Why is cashmere so expensive?
Scarcity and labour. Each goat yields only a small amount of usable down a year, it is combed rather than sheared, and the fine fibre must be separated from the coarse coat before spinning.
Is merino wool a good alternative to cashmere?
For everyday knitwear, it is usually the better choice: nearly as soft, far more durable, and happier being worn hard. Gloverall knits its core jumpers and cardigans from 100% merino for that reason.
