The end of winter is a happy time for many people. The sight of daffodils, crocuses and other spring blooms emerging, the longer daylight hours and warmer weather can all lighten the mood. It means the cold, dark days of winter are going and the joys of summer are approaching.
At the same time, if you have enjoyed wearing beautiful, cosy cashmere knitwear over the winter, you might start to think about putting it away in the cupboard and reaching for something lighter for the months ahead. But that might be a slightly premature step.
Firstly, spring can still be very cold on occasions, with a last blast of winter often endured in March. Indeed, the month has begun with forecasts of snow and hail in some places. If you were thinking of putting away your cashmere beanie or scarf, it is clearly not time yet - and more days like this may yet follow.
However, the more general pattern will be of the weather being much warmer than winter, but not yet the T-shirt and summer dress weather everyone will hope for come June and July. That leaves plenty of room for suitable spring clothes, with many fine cashmere options.
Vogue Magazine’s list of ‘wardrobe staples’ for 2023, which was published last month, was focused on the whole year, not just the colder months. Sure enough, Cashmere featured regularly. Among the items in their wardrobes were cashmere crewneck sweaters.
“Few things are better than a luxurious cashmere crewneck or chunky turtleneck when it comes to knitwear. Wear it with everything, like jeans to the office, or layer it into your winter outfits,” the article said. Notably, it added: “Classic sweaters such as these are truly year-round staples.”
The key thing to remember with a sweater, of course, is that while you might not be wearing it on a hot summer afternoon, it may be just the thing to put on in the evening as the temperature drops. In the meantime, it will provide the necessary warmth when spring days are nippy and in autumn when the weather is turning and the biting winds are sending golden leaves tumbling.
However, even that is not the limit of what you can do with cashmere on warmer days. As Sewing is Cool notes, wearing cashmere in the summer is perfectly viable.
The key reason for this is the “magic” properties of breathability that cashmere wool has, unlike other fabrics designed to keep you warm on cold days. It stated: “In winter, it’ll hold in your body heat to keep you snug and cozy; in summer, it does the opposite, helping you keep your cool even as the temperatures soar.”
It added: “Cashmere is as suitable for the summer months as it is the winter ones - as anyone who’s worn a superbly breathable, light as a breeze cashmere t-shirt will attest.”
So, far from cashmere vanishing into the wardrobe until September, you will have lots of good reason to be wearing it over the coming months.
