Realistically, how much should good knitwear cost?

[WeirdArchitecture]

See a lot of threads on the pros and cons of buying expensive knits. One had links to several stores (small designer??) where a merino crew neck was over £300.

I hate cheap knits and am lucky enough to spend a little on natural fibres, but how far is too far? Brora? Uniqlo?
Personally i don't rate Uniqlo at all, and wonder 'who or what' suffers for the production of a dirt cheap cashmere cardi.

Im not looking for recommendations at all, i am interested how much you would be prepared to go, whether you think it is worthwhile to invest in a few higher priced knits, or if, alternatively, you think it is all a racket.

We are used to the quality of clothes becoming much worse as the years go by, so i would love to know other's thoughts on this subject. Many people have little choice wrt clothes spending, so that is obviously appreciated and understood (before anyone decides to land me a punch )

@ComeBackPeterComeBackPaul (how I used to love playing that!). Fir cashmere only ever use a specialised comb ( navy grey give you one ) but you can get an electric one like a razor and just get one with lots of good reviews
@OldTotty my yarn shop suggests woolite isn't very good for wool. Soak is a decent brand of knitwear wash and the laundress does one too

@irishoak I knit too and I'm the same. I care very much about how the animal is treated eg mulesing etc would stop me buying so I look fur shops that only sell the most ethical they can get

[quote Sooverthemill]@ComeBackPeterComeBackPaul (how I used to love playing that!). Fir cashmere only ever use a specialised comb ( navy grey give you one ) but you can get an electric one like a razor and just get one with lots of good reviews
@OldTotty my yarn shop suggests woolite isn't very good for wool. Soak is a decent brand of knitwear wash and the laundress does one too

@irishoak I knit too and I'm the same. I care very much about how the animal is treated eg mulesing etc would stop me buying so I look fur shops that only sell the most ethical they can get[/quote]
Thanks @Sooverthemill - will take a look.

I'm really enjoying this thread, thank you for all the lovely links to fabulous knitwear.

I've been looking for a new dressing gown and some new knitwear and lo and behold came across the unbelievably expensive Brora cashmere dressing gown. Its almost 900 euro. Does anyone have it? Is that price in any way justifiable?

I totally agree by the way with what most in this thread are saying about paying a proper price for clothes, traceability and environmental concerns of fast fashion, but what's the durability of this 900 euro dressing gown compared to any other?

This has been a great read, thank you to everyone who contributed.

I agree with a pp regarding owning less. I think no more than 3 good knits are necessary for the season, with perhaps the addition of a gown or cardigan for variation. I have very few clothes but love them all, and so long as it suits my look and tastes I don't mind paying for the 'perfect' item.
I try to make sure each item is interchangeable with the other things in my wardrobe, too.

Am checking out the links on this thread with a cup of tea and some shortbread, no work today so a nice, lazy afternoon :)

I've always wondered about that, I haven't found a good reason why some people say woolite isn't good for wool and I have tried to find out... I've used soak and eucalan and woolite and I've found woolite doesn't take as much colour out of hand dyed wool.

I always rinse soak out anyway, I'm dubious about non rinse soap.

@FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack I was told it adds bad stuff to natural yarns by someone whose opinion I trust. Tbh I rarely wash knits anyway!

Yeah, I tend to put them outside in a breeze but I do use wool wash when I’m blocking them initially.

I just wonder what the bad stuff actually is and if there’s a scientific basis for the statement. I asked on Ravelry once and couldn't get anything more specific then CHEMICALS! so I backed away slowly from that conversation and googling didn’t throw up anything either.

[quote YourenutsmiLord]@KimikosNightmare
That Palava knitwear is fabulous - and they do fabric![/quote]
The Molly cardigan is the cosiest garment I've ever owned.

DoctoraNova I don't think I would want to spend so much on a dressing gown, purely on the basis that other people won't see it. Not that I wear anything to show off or anything, but it feels easier to justify a higher price for something I wear to work and generally out and about. My dressing gown is a super soft hooded sweatshirt fabric coatigan that's really easy to wash. I'd worry about ruining cashmere with tea stains or cat claws catching onto it.

@DoctoraNova I bought the Brora cashmere cable dressing gown last year, having had my eye on one for ages. It was a significant indulgence! Unfortunately it was not All That. Essentially, it was too long for me ( almost floor length) and really big all over- I am 5'3 and size 8 and most dressing gowns are fine. I kept it anyway, because it was a lovely colour and felt so luxurious. After a few weeks the opening on one side started to fray and I realise that the bottom was not overlocked on one side. They sent a replacement without quibble- whereupon I realised the second was constructed in the same way. I didn't want to take the risk again, and so I returned it.
In typical fashion, I then felt justified in spending the refund on other things- even though I had struggled to justify the initial outlay

Thanks for the reply. Good to know, your measurements are he same as mine so that's useful, also re quality and their customer service.
Thank you.

I have just bought a jumper from Celtic & Co, made in UK (they aren't all made in UK but this one is). I had a £20 voucher making the £109 cost £89.

At a push I could afford £150 but for me this was a good compromise between quality, ethics and affordability.

Thank you for all the links on this thread - particularly the Izzy Lane, interesting to see they are not as expensive as I remembered.

@WeirdArchitecture

How do we explain Brora prices? Made in the UK? Is their cashmere so very superior or is much of it branding?

Brora source the highest quality Mongolian cashmere. It's much finer and with longer fibres which makes it more expensive. I don't have any Brora cashmere but I've worked with several luxury knitwear producers in Scotland and understand it is superior quality. The Scottish Borders is home to knitwear producers who produce garments for Chanel, Hermes etc.

I am loving all the links. Which ones sell Merino wool as some of them mention British wool but don’t say what type? Some of the coarser wools make me itch.

I saw on Facebook today Izzy Lane has a sale on some of their knitwear at the moment if anyone has them on their Christmas wishlist. Seems to be just limited sizes available though so the one cardi I've been admiring isn't available in my size.

ah, seeing @bevelino mention Merino wool reminded me of another issue of contention...Merino sheep don't do very well in the British Isles and there are only a few flocks, from what I've read. So most British Merino wool is actually from the Falkland Islands, and has a much bigger carbon footprint than you would assume from the "British" label.

There's also things to think about like fleeces being sent to Germany to be washed, then sent back to the UK to be spun, or similar. That would still be classed as British wool, even though parts of the process took place abroad. I've also heard that you only need to include a fairly low percentage of British wool in the garment to still get the British Wool label, but I can't find a source for that, think I heard it from an online talk someone gave. You can also do things like have jumpers machine knit in China, then shipped to the UK to be hand finished (seams, collars, cuffs) - thus, labelled as made in the UK/hand made.

I've gone on a bit of a tangent here with my wool love, but I suppose what I'm trying to say is that you could be paying a lot for things made in the UK or with British wool, that actually really aren't.

That's interesting @irishoak

@JinglingHellsBells I agree the smaller brands don't have the buying scale, but it can also be the province of the garment and yarns that makes the smaller brands more expensive.

British made garments are more expensive, but they also support our heritage and economy, and generally have fewer air miles etc.

I try to buy fewer garments, but choose garments that will last longer in terms of fashion and durability, support UK business, buy from brands that ensure sheep and goats are treated well when being shorn, and I am willing to pay more to do this.

I am a big believer in supporting UK companies where ever possible, and Scottish and British knitwear is amazing, and they are investment pieces, rather than fast fashion.

@Sooverthemill I agree, I'd rather buy fewer clothes but ones that are traceable and UK made.

Speaking of cashmere - I had totally forgotten to mention Oyuna until prompted by an FT article on chic buys for the greater good. It’s another website on which I spend far too much time. In my fantasy life I waft around Europe dressed entirely in their clothes.