It has been proven that colours have a mood-elevating property, particularly when worn on your person. And when does one need a lift more than the first days of winter, when temperatures drop, skies grey, and the day seems over in a flash?
Cue our edit of colourful cashmere, which not only protects and envelops against the elements – the noble fibre is well-known to be one of the world’s softest – but adds a much-needed jolt of energy to winter’s typically understated palette.
From a vivid Hermès orange scarf to Extreme Cashmere’s electric pink sweater, our pick of rainbow-hued colourful cashmere for men and women – whether to gift to your loved one as the festive season approaches, or simply treasure yourself.
Mood elevating: colourful cashmere for winter
Extreme Cashmere
Extreme Cashmere founder Saskia Dijkstra began the Amsterdam-based label with a simple desire: to create the perfect sweater. Crafted from impeccably sourced Mongolian cashmere – Dijkstra worked in garment production before founding the label – with the slightest stretch, this ‘Crew Hop’ sweater, was the result (the brand now does an extraordinary array of other cashmere garments, from tasselled skirts to balaclavas). We love this version in electric pink, for men and women – expect guaranteed compliments.
Alternatively, their ‘Be Game’ cardigan (top) comes in a multitude of hues; buttoning completely down the back and front, different colours can be mixed and matched, half and half, as you choose.
Available from Mytheresa
Zegna x Elder Statesman
California-based cashmere Elder Statesman has always been known for a liberated use of colour, a philosophy it brings to a collaboration with Italian luxury powerhouse Zegna. Cue sweaters, hats and scarves in eye-watering shades, playful naive motifs and colour-soaked checks – all crafted from super-soft Mongolian cashmere. Best in class are these striped ultra-soft Oasi cashmere socks in the same kaleidoscopic palette as the collection.
Available from Mr Porter
Gucci
Cashmere has long been a part of Gucci’s luxurious roster of fabrics, with this buttercup-yellow cashmere sweater a guaranteed injection of Italian sunshine. And, despite its bold palette, it is designed for ease – cut less like a jumper and more like an athletic sweater, it has a sporty ribbed crew neck and cuffs.
Available from Mytheresa
Johnstons of Elgin
Johnstons of Elgin has been weaving fabric for close to two centuries in Elgin, Scotland, a small mill town on the River Lossie. Now the country’s only vertical weaving mill – where pieces are dyed, blended, spun, teased and produced – its output remains some of the best cashmere in the world. Which is not to say the company is staid: alongside classic beiges, greys, and whites, it also offers a vivid rainbow of colour – including this ‘Orkney’ blue beanie hat, inspired by the waters that surround the remote Scottish archipelago.
Available from Selfridges
Hermès
What colour is quite so synonymous with luxury as the distinct orange hue of Hermès? The house’s ‘Unie Brodie’ – which translates to ‘plain embroidered’ in reference to the discreet Hermès stitching on its edge – is an everyday scarf originally designed for men in the house colour (though it could be worn by anyone). One of the Hermès’ ’muffler’ styles, it is large enough to warmly envelop the neck and face on even the coolest winter days.
Available from Hermès
Prada
The cardigan – for both men and women – is having something of a comeback, largely down to Miuccia Prada, who has riffed on the knitwear staple at both Prada and Miu Miu in recent seasons. This butter-yellow one from Prada’s men’s collection, crafted from an amalgam of wool and cashmere, will give a satisfying injection of colour whether worn in the depths of winter or into spring.
Available from Farfetch
Raey
Crafted from recycled cashmere – no less soft or warm than its virgin counterpart – these satisfyingly long gloves by Raey are hand-knitted into the company’s distinct rib by Nepalese artisans. A pinch of extra-fine merino in the mix lends them a smooth finish and makes them less likely to succumb to the dreaded pill.
Available from Matches
Barrie + Sofia Coppola
Released earlier in November, cult film director Sofia Coppola brought her distinct aesthetic eye to a collaboration with historic Scottish knitwear producer Barrie, which was recently purchased by Chanel. Promising the ‘ultimate travel wardrobe’ – ‘my fantasy of what you would bring on a trip with pieces that go together that are comfortable and casual,’ she said at the time – classic tones of black, navy and grey, meet flashes of khaki and pink, the latter adorning the collar and cuffs of this colour-block sweater.
Available from Selfridges
Burberry
Burberry check, redux. Daniel Lee’s electric-yellow take on the British house’s classic motif adorns this oversized and enveloping tasselled scarf, crafted from cashmere with a super-soft brushed finish.
Available from Net-a-Porter
Loro Piana
The sweetly titled ‘Clear Blue Clouds Me’ shade of this sweater might be more muted than some of the aforementioned styles, though the soft sky blue hue conjures up a similar feeling of levity. Crafted by Loro Piana – one of the most experienced and revered cashmere producers in the world – it is knitted to a traditional cable-knit pattern, though its cashmere fabrication makes it both soft and surprisingly lightweight.
Available from Net-a-Porter
