Found, not bought

I was lucky enough to go to Milan recently, and for someone who loves luxury I was like a child in a sweet shop. Unfortunately, my budget doesn’t quite match my aspirations. There is nothing like the feel of a cashmere coat -the softness, the beautiful drape. You put one on and you feel like a million dollars. However, I discovered that I could enjoy luxury without breaking the bank by exploring secondhand cashmere options.

Feeling a bit deflated and far removed from that world, I left the designer boutiques and wandered into one of Milan’s many vintage markets. To my delight, there were rows of cashmere coats at a fraction of the original price. That was the true beginning of my thrifting journey, the moment I realised I could shop more cleverly for secondhand cashmere. I’ve been hooked ever since.

So, if you love the feel of cashmere and wool but not the price tag, here’s what I’ve learned about buying it secondhand.

First, a bit of nerdy stuff: wool versus cashmere

The main difference is the source. Wool comes from the outer coat of sheep and is widely available, which keeps it affordable. Cashmere comes from the fine, soft undercoat of cashmere goats, mostly farmed in high-altitude regions like Mongolia and China. It’s far rarer, which is exactly why it costs more.

Cashmere is also graded: A, B and C. Grade A is the finest, made from the longest, thinnest fibres, and it’s the softest and most hard-wearing. The lower grades use shorter, thicker fibres, so they feel coarser and tend to pill more. You won’t always see the grade on a label, but knowing it exists helps you understand why two cashmere jumpers can feel worlds apart.

The checks that matter for both

Feel it first. Cashmere is noticeably softer than wool. If something’s labelled cashmere but feels scratchy, be suspicious. Your hands are a surprisingly good test.

Read the label. Is it 100% cashmere, a blend, or something cosy-sounding like “cashmere touch” or “cashmere feel”? Those last ones are marketing language, not cashmere. A blend isn’t necessarily bad, but you should know what you’re actually buying.

Check for pilling. Cashmere does pill more than wool, that’s normal, but good-quality cashmere that’s been looked after should only pill so much. Heavy, matted pilling all over is a sign of a lower grade or a hard life.

Look for shrinkage. You can usually tell from the proportions if something’s been through a hot wash, the body goes short and wide, the sleeves stubby. If it looks oddly squat for its size label, it probably has shrunk.

Mind the colour. Brighter, bolder colours have usually had more chemical treatment, which can weaken the fibres over time. Natural shades like white, ivory and light grey tend to wear better, and they’re easier to style too.

Extra bits for coats

With coats, the lining is everything, so check it carefully. Look for rips, tears or worn patches, especially around the seams and under the arms where a tired coat shows its age first. Run your eye along the stitching for loose threads, and watch for puckered or uneven seams, which can be a sign of a cheaper make or a clumsy repair. A coat is a bigger investment of money and wardrobe space than a jumper, so it’s worth the extra minute.

Why second-hand is the smarter buy

There’s another reason to buy preloved beyond the price. New cashmere takes a real toll to produce, it takes several goats a whole year to yield enough for a single jumper, and the wider industry has a heavy environmental footprint. Every coat or jumper you give a second life to is one that doesn’t need making from scratch. So you’re not just saving money, you’re keeping something lovely in use and out of landfill. That feels like a nice bonus rather than a sacrifice, especially when the second-hand version is often better quality than the new one anyway.

Where to look

There are some genuinely good specialist sites if you’d rather not trawl the rails yourself:

• Nearly New Cashmere Co. – a UK company that hunts down preloved cashmere, restores it, and sells it on with proper measurements and a returns policy. A lovely safe place to start.
• Second Cashmere – secondhand and recycled cashmere, restored and reused in Scotland. Good for accessories as well as knitwear.
• Vestiaire Collective and 1stDibs – for designer cashmere coats, the kind I drooled over in Milan, at a fraction of boutique prices. More expensive than the charity-shop route, but a world below retail.
• Vinted – a favourite of mine, though it’s a bit pot luck. One of my go-to brands for jumpers is Sézane, and you can often pick those up for a fraction of the original price. Just be ready to barter, and always check the photos and description carefully.
• eBay – one of the best places to find secondhand cashmere , the stock turns over constantly and you can filter by size, colour and condition.

A word on fakes

Wherever there’s a bargain, there are people passing off fakes, and Vinted is no exception. Spotting them is a whole subject in itself, so I’ll do a separate post on how to tell the real thing from a convincing copy. For now, just trust your hands and your common sense: if the feel, the label and the price don’t add up, walk away.

The short version

You really can have the cashmere-coat feeling without the cashmere-coat price. Feel it, read the label, check for pilling and shrinkage, mind the colour, and with coats, always check the lining. Do that, and you’ll be wrapped in something soft and beautiful for a fraction of what it cost new. Happy hunting.

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