13 Best Cashmere Sweaters for Men in 2024, According to GQ

The best men's cashmere sweaters are a lot like that guy Bryce you couldn't stand in high school. Remember him? The one who was valedictorian and the star quarterback and the lead in the musical and always really nice to you, which somehow just made you hate him even more? Well, the best men's cashmere sweaters are the Bryce of autumnal staples.

Cashmere is the strongest and warmest and softest and swankiest form of wool there is, and it’s here to take your dreary cold weather wardrobe to bold new heights of handsomeness and coziness. The very best cashmere sweaters instantly make whatever you happen to have on that day—a T-shirt and denim, say, or a button-down and blazer—look miles more considered, sophisticated, and polished.

Make sense? Good, because now comes the fun part: settling on the right cashmere sweater for you. Are you after a basic cashmere pullover? A svelte cashmere turtleneck, perhaps? How about a currently-trending cashmere cardigan? To help make that decision as simple and streamlined as possible, we found 13 of the very best men's cashmere sweaters on the planet—from the gigantic flexes worth dropping a paycheck on to the budget-friendly crewnecks you should cop in every color. You'll look even better in them than Bryce did the night he was crowned prom king. Stupid Bryce.

• The Best Budget Cashmere Sweater: Uniqlo Cashmere Crew Neck, $100
• The Best Cashmere V-Neck Sweater: Buck Mason California Cashmere V Neck, $228
• The Best Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater: Inis Meain Merino Wool and Cashmere Sweater, $785
• The Best Cashmere Polo Sweater: Banana Republic Brushed Cashmere Sweater Polo, $250
• The Best Cashmere Cable-Knit Sweater: J.Crew Cashmere Cable-Knit Sweater, $228
• The Best Cashmere Cardigan Sweater: Brunello Cucinelli Cashmere Cardigan, $4495
• The Best Cashmere Sweater for Fashion Guys: Elder Statesman Cashmere Sweater, $1250

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Uniqlo

Cashmere Crew Neck

$100

Uniqlo

Avidan is 5’11” and wears a medium. Bowen Fernie

After its supreme softness, cashmere’s best-known attribute is its price. But thanks to the forces that be (globalization, capitalism, etc.) cashmere is shedding its high-falutin’ price tags. The quality of more affordable cashmere sweaters aren’t up to par with the truly nice stuff, of course, but some options are better than others.

For us, the best of the budget bunch is Uniqlo. For just a hundred bucks, you get a satisfyingly soft pure cashmere sweater in a classic, relaxed fit, available in a wide range of colors. “If you want an upgrade from merino wool without the massive price jump, Uniqlo’s your best bet,” style commerce writer Gerald Ortiz says. “The style is timeless and the cashmere is softer than you’d expect for the pricepoint.”

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Buck Mason

California Cashmere V Neck

$228

Buck Mason

Avidan is 5’11” and wears a medium. Bowen Fernie

A V-neck sweater has the uncanny ability to turn anyone into a ‘90s heartthrob, but only if it has the right fit. And a really good drape. And also a V-neck that’s not too deep nor too shallow. That’s usually one spinning plate too many for most brands, but Buck Mason is the Cirque du Soleil of knitwear and its California Cashmere V-Neck sweater is its harrowing act. The fabric is a 12-gauge jersey knit made from long-staple cashmere that has a pillowy hand and an elegant drape that, unlike many flimsy cashmere, has plenty of structure. The neck hits the bullseye and is deep enough for a tee to peak out, but not so deep to reveal the insane graphic on said tee. It hits that lower-middle tier price point oh so well and even out-classes higher-priced options.

“Buck Mason made its bag off of basic knits, so it doesn’t surprise me that they make a hell of a sweater,” Style Commerce Writer Gerald Ortiz says. “The jersey has the perfect weight, the silhouette is classic but not frumpy, and the V is right on the money.”

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J.Crew

Cashmere Cable-Knit Sweater

$228

J.Crew

Avidan is 5’11” and wears a medium. Bowen Fernie

You don’t have to do much to a cashmere sweater for it to make a big impression. The fabric itself speaks volumes, so even the most basic of knitwear options can instantly make an outfit feel a bit luxer, more considered, and altogether elevated. (Just think about how put together guys like David Beckham and Justin Theroux look wearing plain ol' pullovers.)

At the same time, though, a little visual flourish never hurt anybody, which is why we love these cashmere crewneck sweaters from the new J.Crew. They still let the cashmere do the talking, but the classic cable knit gives it a bit of visual interest and keeps it from falling flat. The quality cashmere is more than solid for the price and looks great solo with jeans and sneakers, but cleans up real good with a button-up peaking out and a blazer over top.

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Inis Meain

Boatbuilder Ribbed Merino Wool and Cashmere-Blend Rollneck Sweater

$785

Mr Porter

Avidan is 5’11” and wears a medium. Bowen Fernie

Inis Meáin has woven traditional Aran craftsmanship with modern techniques for decades but, crucially, still only produces its knits in small batches. The Boatbuilder features a high neck, classic silhouette, and handstitched details at the shoulders and hand-finished hems and cuffs. The fabric is knitted by Inis Meain using an Italian-milled merino wool and cashmere blend yarns which are dyed with organic dyes

The trick to pulling off a turtleneck in the year of our lord 2024? Easy, says GQ senior commerce editor Avidan Grossman: make sure it’s hardier than a bowl of stew, and cut a little boxier than you’d expect. “There’s a reason guys like McQueen swore by heavy-duty fisherman sweaters exactly like this one,” he notes. “The high neck frames your face like a blue-chip masterpiece, and when the temperature hovers right around 60 degrees, it’s the only layer you need.”

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Banana Republic

Brushed Cashmere Sweater Polo

$250

Banana Republic

Avidan is 5’11” and wears a medium. Bowen Fernie

We’ve said it time and time again: long-sleeve polos make you hot. In winter, the best polos are made from luscious cashmere and our favorite comes from Banana Republic. The fit is a slightly relaxed silhouette with a generous polo collar that eschews the wimpy narrow vibe that so many polos fall into. But perhaps the star of the show is the fabric itself. The pure cashmere knit has a wonderful bouclé texture that’s very lightly brushed for a peachy hand that makes it as sexy to feel as it is to look at.

In 2024, Banana Republic hawks no shortage of discreet office-ready staples, but its delightfully shaggy knit polo succeeds because of—not despite—its fashion-guy bona fides. Would it look perfectly appropriate with a crisp Oxford shirt and wooly slacks? Sure, Grossman says. But it’ll look even better with a threadbare vintage tee and baggy jeans.

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Brunello Cucinelli

Shawl-Collar Knitted Cashmere Cardigan

$4,495

Mr Porter

Avidan is 5’11” and wears a medium. Bowen Fernie

Brunello Cucinelli’s billion-dollar empire is built upon a foundation of hyper-luxurious cashmere and has earned himself the nickname, “King of Cashmere”. With an unparalleled respect for artisan craftsmanship, Cucinelli’s cashmere has become the grail of grails for many a tech tycoon and stylish celeb. And while any piece of his cashmere collection would easily warrant a superlative, our favorite has to be this shawl collar cardigan. Made with a mouliné yarn which twists two colored threads together for a melange effect, the cardigan is both chunky and cloud-like with a plush, wide shawl collar and tailored fit.

Cucinelli’s sweaters are so ubiquitous on shows like Succession that they deserve an IMDb page of their own. “Short of opening a Roth IRA or, uh, actually listening to your accountant,” Grossman says, “there’s no quicker way to feel like a billionaire than by pulling one on.” His sole complaint here was frustratingly pedestrian: no pockets. “Far it be from me to offer advice to the cozy king of Solomeo, but even Mark Zuckerberg needs a place to store his phone.”

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The Elder Statesman

Jitney Striped Cashmere Sweater

$1,250

Mr Porter

Avidan is 5’11” and wears a medium. Bowen Fernie

Most cashmere stuff feels very East Coast prep—all straight-laced and solid-colored—which makes sense, because the East Coast is where it’s cold. Back in 2007, though, LA designer Greg Chait flipped that on its head: under the moniker The Elder Statesman, he started making cashmere blankets, then sweaters and ponchos and socks and stuffed animals, with a distinctly Californian vibe. The stuff is all tie-dyed and dip-dyed, sometimes emblazoned with palm trees or magic mushrooms or the checkerboard pattern on your trusty Vans. The wavy pullovers are the perfect thing for a chilly night on the beach, or for shaking up your cold-weather fits with a reminder that summer is just around the corner.

Cashmere is fairly precious by nature, Grossman points out, but the fabric wizards at the Elder Statesman flip that proposition on its head. Instead of the usual subdued hues and ho-hum silhouettes, Chait and co. render their cult-favorite sweaters in every shade of the acid rainbow, imbuing the cozy-boy staple with a jolt of Justin-Bieber-exiting-Sushi-Park swagger. “If I had popstar money,” Grossman sighs, “I’d swaddle myself in jumpers exactly like this one.” A word to the wise, though: Grossman doesn’t quite have the cash to buy it himself (GQ salaries ain’t what they used to be), but when he tried on this sweater a few months ago in fit of delusion, he noted that it’s cut larger than expected. “Unless you’ve got a closet full of pavement-skimming designer trackpants,” he says, “I’d size down for a slimmer cut.”

Plenty of cashmere sweaters skew pretty and precious, like a shiny European sports car you're a little nervous to drive on the freeway. RRL's ultra-burly number is not one of those. Sure, it's cut from enough premium cashmere to clothe the whole Roy family (sans Cousin Greg, maybe), but true to the all-American sub-label's western bent, it wouldn't look a hair out of place on the dude ranch.\n","productBrand":"Ralph Lauren","dangerousHed":"Textured Cashmere Shawl-Collar Cardigan","embedSize":null,"isFirstProduct":false,"isSponsored":false,"offerRetailer":"Ralph Lauren","offerUrl":"https://www.ralphlauren.com/men-clothing-sweaters/textured-cashmere-shawl-collar-cardigan/651204.html#prefn1=sfccSubcategory&prefv1=Cashmere&start=1&cgid=men-clothing-sweaters","contentType":"product","productId":"673e4b207df6c5aafece1e26","productOfferVariation":"PriceOutsideCenter","showOfferUrl":false,"showPriceOnButton":true,"showAffiliateDisclaimerOnFirstProduct":false,"dangerousCredit":null,"showLocalisedOffers":true,"isUpcEnabled":true,"showClampedProductDescription":true,"productDescriptionLineLength":5,"hasReadMoreFeature":false,"index":14,"hasAffiliateLinkDisabled":false,"isMobileView":false,"hasMultipleImageSupport":true,"showImageCreditText":true,"showMultipleImageCount":4,"hasProsConsFeature":false,"hasRatingFeature":false,"pros":[],"cons":[],"rating":"","isPrimeExclusive":false,"shouldUseAmazonPrimeDayLiveAPIData":true,"id":"673e4b207df6c5aafece1e26","brand":{"name":"Ralph Lauren"},"offers":[{"offerUrl":"https://www.ralphlauren.com/men-clothing-sweaters/textured-cashmere-shawl-collar-cardigan/651204.html#prefn1=sfccSubcategory&prefv1=Cashmere&start=1&cgid=men-clothing-sweaters","price":"$795","currency":"USD","purchaseUri":"https://cna.st/p/Be77erS21HPv7mUZ58fxdQ514t2wXpG6pn8rg3arDJwJKnoXc8XjpTtiqEPWuwno3SBaAKvcA34ueB1aDCXnpMzT2rbaHbXMrRKcN3qmeHKG5JzSXgqBAgH8iYzdFRw2H7VSXeRXZ2xLvMkcSNfyXtBa797gc5GMiP52RAD1dw8AdPjo6HMLSF1KtgXY6tH1V3Sfpohy5NJoGRBj652CmTnrnAQyAsyvmJJ2AsYSD3W1SwUpM2WLyfHupFEd2XTJDhWz3ZseQBqo7AcVUdy1tyDvaojbuyhoWiz1QpY6LMtt6aw5NzbtjV4uoq25iACiWKQHX3vggxvsQcpCTTwqi6jTyS4qsyLL1awCo3axUHKAPbRzCA6T1dYEERK9u7SnBNK2vpRwtvcmKEQT8NzET92g2zkxWWj87yVqrv","sellerName":"Ralph Lauren","countryCode":"US","reducedPrice":""}],"component":"unified_product_card","hasMultipleImage":false,"componentType":true,"showProsConsData":false,"showBadge":false}">

Ralph Lauren

Textured Cashmere Shawl-Collar Cardigan

$795

Ralph Lauren

Plenty of cashmere sweaters skew pretty and precious, like a shiny European sports car you're a little nervous to drive on the freeway. RRL's ultra-burly number is not one of those. Sure, it's cut from enough premium cashmere to clothe the whole Roy family (sans Cousin Greg, maybe), but true to the all-American sub-label's western bent, it wouldn't look a hair out of place on the dude ranch.

COS

Boiled-Cashmere Crew-Neck Cardigan

$290

COS

The cardigan du jour is neither V-neck, nor shawl collar, but the grandma-tinged, mid-century-inspired crewneck. COS takes the minimalist approach and the result is a classy, chic cardigan ready for your quiet luxury fits.

Todd Snyder

Nomad Cashmere Full-Zip Sweater

$568

Todd Snyder

All hail the zip sweater. Todd Snyder’s cashmere-clad full-zip is as luxurious as it is hefty and looks just as handsome with a plain tee and jeans as it does under a topcoat and tailored trousers.

Loro Piana

Napier Cable-Knit Baby Cashmere Sweater

$2,450

Mr Porter

If we’re talking about luxe cashmere, it doesn’t get any more high-end than Loro Piana. The famed Italian brand’s known for its exclusive, custom-milled fabrics and this cable-knit joint is made from supple baby cashmere for a heavenly softness you can’t find anywhere else.

Alex Mill

Jordan Sweater

$295

Alex Mill

Whoever this supposed “Jordan” guy is, but we’re guessing that Alex Mill named this cashmere sweater after the famed basketball legend because it has it all: thick-gauge yarns, a fluffy texture, elegant drape, classic fit, and a perfect crew neck collar.

Everlane

The Cashmere Crew

$170

Everlane

While some DTC cashmere brands focus solely on the luxe fiber, Everlane’s is still among the best for the price. The cashmere crewnecks use a blend of new cashmere and recycled cashmere for a reduced environmental impact and still feels incredibly soft in the hand.

Cashmere is a kind of wool that’s made from the undercoats of goats. While goat’s outercoats are thick and coarse to protect them from the harsher elements, the undercoat remains ultra soft and fine. The fibers are actually hollow which makes them great for insulation which is why cashmere is known for its super smooth hand and high warmth to weight ratio. What separates cashmere from other types of wool is its superior silky hand and fine fibers which can vary between 14 to 19 microns in thickness—thinner than even the finest sheep’s wool. For reference, human hairs are only as fine as about 50 microns.

Here's the catch: high-quality cashmere will usually cost you a pretty penny. For the price, you should be getting a form of cashmere made from long staple fibers spun into multi-ply yarns and knit into a tightly-tensioned fabric. Those factors all contribute to cashmere's pedigreed reputation as a material that's much less prone to pilling and stretching than its woolier counterparts. (That reputation, rightful or not, also informs its notoriously high price tag.) Cashmere is graded by its thickness and staple length with Grade A being the highest quality, followed by grades B and C. The higher the grade, the softer the yarns, the warmer the fabric, the better the durability.

Over the last few years, demand for good quality affordable cashmere sweaters has transformed the erstwhile rich-guy signifier into a bona fide cold weather staple you don't have to drain a 401(k) to afford. With one small caveat: supply chain transparency is infamously hard to suss out in the fashion industry, but don't expect a $100 cashmere joint—no matter how tony its source of origin—to hold up as well as a $500 one.

Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.

Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.

We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality, fit, and price.

To kick off the process, we enlist the GQ Recommends braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the folks involved have worked in retail, slinging clothes to the masses; others have toiled for small-batch menswear labels; all spend way too much time thinking about what hangs in their closets.

We lean on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrow down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.

Across the majority of our buying guides, our team boasts firsthand experience with the bulk of our selects, but a handful are totally new to us. So after several months of intense debate, we tally the votes, collate the anecdotal evidence, and emerge with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best of the category right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the affordable beaters to the wildly expensive (but wildly worth-it) designer riffs.

Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there's bound to be a superlative version on this list for you. (Read more about GQ's testing process here.)