I’ve always thought of the brand The Row by the Olsen twins as a line of ridiculously priced basics. And even though I like basics (and even the Olsen twins’ fashion sense) I never thought about buying anything from them until I read this article by The Cut (which I found thanks to Cathy from Feather Factor). When I read the parts about an ultra wealthy women buying 30 cashmere crewnecks (spending about $30k on them) and the author calling their sweaters “perfect,” I had to find out what all the hype was about. And well, now that I’ve tried this one I have to say I get it.
Of course, I’m not an ultra wealthy woman, so I got my Row cashmere short-sleeve sweater the good ‘ole sustainable way: stalking the RealReal. And I got really lucky with this one since I got it for about $70 (my trick is to look up “The Row cashmere” and then sort the price from lowest to highest). Normally The Row cashmere sweaters retail for $1k on average so anything in the $100’s range is a great deal, and under $100 is a steal. So even though I wasn’t too sure about the style of the sweater (I mean what’s the point of a short sleeve cashmere sweater lol), it was worth the risk at $70 (when TRR has deep discounts, the items are not returnable). But wow I love love love this sweater and I never plan to part with it.
So what makes it so great?
First of all yes, the cashmere is better. I’ve been keeping a keen eye on cashmere ever since my Everlane vs. J. Crew cashmere comparison post back in 2015. You’d think cashmere is cashmere, but there is definitely a difference. Not only are there different grades for cashmere fiber, but also different ply in the weave. Currently, the best valued cashmere on the market IMO is Quince’s Luxe Baby Cashmere sweater. This sweater is made from the fleece hand-combed off of baby goats and yes it’s definitely worth it despite it being double the price of their regular cashmere sweaters. But even with the finest fiber, cashmere sweaters from DTC brands like Quince (or Everlane, Nadaam, or Grana) can’t quite stack up to luxury brands like Loro Piana and The Row because of the ply. There is definitely a difference in the thickness of the fabric. And I can say without a doubt that The Row’s cashmere sweater is thicker than all my others. It’s thick enough to keep me warm even though it’s a short sleeve sweater (granted I live in California and am mostly indoors or driving).
I’m also a big fan of the styling of this sweater. Even though it’s short sleeved, it’s the most interesting cashmere sweater I have with flutter sleeves and a rolled hem. Most of the DTC cashmere comes in classic styles that tbh can get quite boring. I’m wearing a large here, but I love the slightly oversized fit. I could probably wear a medium in this too but a large is all TRR had.
Yet as much as I love this sweater, would I pay anything above $500 for it (and that would be a sale price new)? Yea, that’s a no. Do I love it a lot because I got it for $70? Probably. But if someday I won the lottery and could spend $30k on sweaters, some of that dough would definitely go to The Row. Until then I’ll keep stalking TRR for more pieces (though I fear will now have to compete with some of you guys now that you’ve read this post lol).
P.S. After writing this review I checked out more The Row cashmere sweaters at the RealReal brick and mortar store and I have to say their regular crew neck cashmere sweaters aren’t that different from Quince’s luxe baby cashmere. I feel like they have the same softness and thickness. So I think this particular sweater I got with the rolled hems and flutter sleeves is made from a slightly thicker cashmere to be able to hold it’s shape around the sleeves. I also was able to fit into an XS (pictured below) in their cashmere crew sweater, but a small or medium would have been a better fit. So I guess sizing is also a bit different when it comes to their crew neck sweaters (a large would have been too big). So now I can’t make a blanket statement that all Row cashmere sweaters are awesome. It definitely varies from sweater to sweater 🤷🏻♀️and you’ll have to try them out yourselves.
