Italian cashmere long-sleeve T-shirt

I love my cashmere sweaters but this one is not as soft as the ones I have!!

This sweater used to be a staple of mine. I'd order it every year in new colors. Not anymore. J. Crew has changed the fit & the collar. The fit is baggy now (& I'm a size small but a D-cup, so if it's baggy across my bust can you imagine how baggy it will look across smaller busts?) & the collar is that thin, flat, typically inexpensive one-ply design that cheapens the look of this sweater so badly that even in cashmere it still looks cheap. Keywords: Cheap. Cheaper. Cheapest.

I usually wear between an XS and XXS in J.Crew sweaters (32" bust, 24" waist, 18" underarm) and so when the size gauge for reviews said it was pretty true to size, I figured I rather a sweater I plan to have forever run a bit big than small. Boy do I choose wrong there... The other J.Crew cashmere sweater (XS, HO2013) I have hits me at the base knuckle on my thumb, and a few inches below my hips. THIS XS hit me about an inch above my crotch, and was 3 inches lower on the sleeve. While I was able to shrink the sweater down to the size of my other (I couldn't believe simple machine was and tumble dry managed that...), I really have no idea what size to order next time, since it didn't look that big on the model, and because my two experiences with J.Crew cashmere sweaters have been so different.

This used to be the PERFECT sweater--lightweight for traveling, warm, perfect fit (not too fitted or too loose, but flattering), and the closed/sturdy neckline allowed you to throw it on over a variety of tees with varying necklines without them being seen. I kept ordering these in different colors and didn't understand what the other reviewers were so disappointed about, however, when I ordered this in black (I own 4 other colors), it turns out I got the "new" version. I am extremely disappointed with the change in the neckline--it is more scooped and is ribbed and feels like it will stretch out, unlike the old tubular style that was cut closer to the neck and better quality. I had to return this. If you haven't owned the old version, you might not think this sweater is so bad, but the quality has definitely gone down, and I'm REALLY sad that I didn't get this in black before they changed it. J. Crew, I'm a loyal customer--but please trust your customers/reviews on this one!

Since this sweater went on sale, I have purchased eight of them. Are they the best cashmere? No. Are they the worst? No. They match the quality I expect for what I paid. Because I now have so many colors, I will say that the softness seems to vary by color. Some colors do feel pretty soft, while others are a bit rougher (I still wouldn't liken them to wool). I do a lot of layering, so most of these will end up with a blouse under them and a blazer over them, which means I didn't need the best cashmere out there. Since it is currently very hot here, I haven't worn them to test out the pilling situation. I always order a size up in J.Crew's cashmere because I find it runs a little small, and once again, I like to layer. It fit as I expected. I don't mind the neck, but I didn't own the old version so I have nothing to compare it to.

I was able to directly compare this tee to one bought from JCrew in 2008 (and still going strong). The current version feels thinner and not as soft. The neck is now a thin rib that looks like it will fray compared to the double roll on the 2008 version. After two gentle wears of this tee there was marked pilling both inside and outside the sweater at contact points with my handbag. I was aware of the issues of falling quality (but not falling prices) from reviews before I bought this but I was willing to take a punt given the substantial mark-down in the sale and the fact that the Vintage Elm colour was a really nice dark khaki. At full-price this is definitely very poor value.