A cosy cashmere cardigan from Lands’ End

We were sent a cashmere cardigan from Lands’ End for review. All images and opinions are our own.

With the cost of gas and electricity being a concern for almost everyone this winter, we’ve all been doing what our Nan’s have long been encouraging us to do, and that’s layer up, pop a vest on and find our cosiest cardigans. I live in hoodies and cardigans anyway, so my Nan would have no complaints about that. Despite that, I knew I needed a cosier upgrade to my usual cotton hoodies. Cashmere was the answer, so I opted for a lovely cashmere zip front cardigan, and with Jack Frost sprinkling his magic all around, I was keen as mustard for it to arrive.

A cosy cashmere cardigan from Lands' End

Weirdly I do have some slightly picky sensory issues about fabric. I have to have natural fibres as anything synthetic makes me itch. I live in cotton tops and at a push, some nice woollen cardigans for winter. In general I much prefer a cardigan too, as I often feel a bit stifled in jumpers. Who knows what the root of my pickiness in this respect is, but it mostly just means that my wardrobe is fairly low maintenance and easy to wash, apart from my woollens, which I handwash very carefully.

I knew my cashmere cardigan would be cosy, and thankfully it arrived on the first of the coldest days of the winter. Despite the winter sunshine, there was frost everywhere and the thermometer didn’t rise above 2 degrees all day! It was definitely a day for wrapping up, indoors and out!

A cosy cashmere cardigan from Lands' End

The cashmere cardigan I chose is available in four colours – blue haze heather, soft nutmeg heather, teal shadow heather and charcoal heather. I opted for the charcoal heather, which is a lovely soft grey which is actually a little bit lighter in colour than it looks on the website. Not a problem. I love grey, it goes with absolutely everything.

A cosy cashmere cardigan from Lands' EndOnce I unpacked it, I took a good look at it. It was very soft and it felt like a nice weight, not thin, but not at all thick and bulky. It had pockets which I love and it’s a good length for me. I have a fairly long body and short legs, so I often find jumpers and tops are too short. The cuffs and hem are ribbed. It also comes with a length of spare wool in case you need to make a repair at any point.

The cashmere cardigan also has a hood, something which I really like. Having a hooded cardigan under a hooded coat makes the inside of the hood extra cosy on very cold days.

It is hand wash only, which is totally fine. It’s not like I’ll be wearing it while I’m coal mining or mud wrestling, so it’ll just need a freshen up from time to time with some cashmere wool detergent.

A cosy cashmere cardigan from Lands' End

Cashmere clothes are made from the wool from cashmere goats. It’s known for being incredibly warm and cosy and it’s also very much at the luxury end of woollen clothing. Although on me, the cardigan looks incredibly casual, it is very much nice enough for me to wear in the office. It’s also seriously warm, so it definitely comes with my Nan’s approval!

A cosy cashmere cardigan from Lands' EndThe cashmere cardigan costs £220, but there’s currently a half price offer on the Lands’ End website, which makes it a very reasonable £110. The cardigan is available in sizes 8-20 and also in plus sizes 20-30.

This is the kind of cardigan that will last me half a lifetime if I look after it properly. It’s certainly the warmest thing I own by a country mile, and will be my go to on the very coldest days this winter. As they’re currently half price, they’d be a great buy for Christmas if you want to treat someone to some cosy cashmere!

For this and a whole range of other warm clothing, visit the Lands’ End website.

Affordable Luxury – Cashmere & Merino Wool Jumper

This last week has been cold, very, very cold. It was only when I did the school run earlier, bundled up in a couple of jumpers, a scarf and a big coat that I realised I missed my old, sadly now too shabby for respectable company cashmere coat. It was a coat that had kept me warm for about 8 winters, not only did it reach to below my knees, but it was made from cashmere and it was incredibly cosy, it was flattering too. I miss that coat.

That got me thinking, if my incredible cashmere coat was so warm and snugly, perhaps it would be sensible to buy myself a cashmere jumper to wear for warmth. I had a bit of a search of the internet, did a bit of research and and found that a cashmere and merino wool blend is just as warm, but a lot less expensive than 100% cashmere. I checked and as it appeared I’d not married Donald Trump, I decided the cashmere/merino blend was the future.

I found this merino wool top online which I was quite taken with. This long V neck sweater is very me, it can easily be layered and is both stylish and practical. I’ve chosen the dark olive colour, I think this will look great with jeans, perfect for keeping me cosy on the school run and for popping for coffee with friends afterwards.

merino wool

The jumper is from Woolover, who at the time of writing have a sale on. This jumper should’ve been £37 which I thought was a good price anyway, but in the sale they are £32, or two for £60.  Which seems a good price for a cashmere and merino wool blend. A little bit of affordable luxury if you will, not only because I’m worth it, but also because I’d ideally like to avoid getting frostbite during the daily battle to get to school on time.

I think the secret to school run warmth is lots of layers made from natural fibres, a big bobble hat and gloves, a fairly brisk walk because we’re (usually) running late and then a hot bucket of coffee afterwards in a warm cafe with steamy windows. What’s your secret to school run warmth?

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