How to Spot a Quality Knit: Merino vs Cashmere (2026)

Two sweaters can look identical folded on a shelf, and one of them will be pilled and shapeless by December.

Last updated: September 2026

Judge a knit on three things before anything else: the fibre, the tightness of the stitch, and whether the cuffs and hem are ribbed. Merino holds its shape and resists odour, so it is the safer everyday buy. Cashmere is warmer and softer but pills more readily, so it earns its price only if you will look after it. A chunky rib or cable stitch hides wear far better than a flat, fine knit.

Price tells you less than you would hope. What actually separates a knit that lasts five seasons from one that lasts one is visible in thirty seconds, and none of it needs a label. Here is what to look for, using pieces in the Adam & Westcott range as the reference points.

In this article

• Fibre and stitch, compared
• Merino: the everyday fibre
• Cashmere: worth it, with conditions
• Why the stitch matters more than the price
• Four checks that take thirty seconds
• How to wash knitwear so it survives
• Best for each situation
• Questions men actually ask

Fibre and stitch, compared

Every knit is a trade between warmth, durability and upkeep. This is where each one lands.

Fibre or stitch	What it does well	Where it struggles	Check this before you buy	A&W pick
Merino wool	Holds shape, resists odour, warm without bulk	Thinner gauges snag on watch straps and bags	That it says 100 percent merino, not merino blend	Merino Wool Cardigan, $69.98
Cashmere	Warmest and softest for its weight	Pills at friction points, needs careful washing	A dense, springy feel rather than a fuzzy one	Thick Knit Cashmere Sweater, $119.99
Chunky rib	Springs back into shape, hides wear and creasing	Adds visual width across the chest	That the cuffs and hem are ribbed too	Heavy Rib Sweater, $44.99
Cable knit	Thickest look for the money, ages well	Too heavy to layer under a slim jacket	Even, tight cables with no gaps between them	Cable Knit Henley, $49.98

Merino: the everyday fibre

Merino is the fibre to buy if you only want to think about this once. The wool comes from a finer fleece than standard wool, which is why it does not itch, and the crimp in each fibre is what lets a merino knit stretch and return rather than hang out of shape at the elbows. It also resists odour, which in practice means three or four wears between washes instead of one, and fewer washes is the single biggest factor in how long any knit lasts.

Look for 100 percent merino on the label. A merino blend cut with acrylic feels similar in the shop and pills within weeks.

Cashmere: worth it, with conditions

Cashmere is warmer than merino at the same thickness and noticeably softer against the neck, which is why it is the fibre men buy once and then keep buying. The condition attached is upkeep. Cashmere fibres are short, so they work loose at the points where the garment rubs, under the arms and where a bag strap sits, and that is what pilling is.

Two things make it worth the price. Buy it thick rather than thin, because a dense knit holds its fibres in place, and buy a shape you will not wear a rucksack over. A high neck with a button placket, like the Thick Knit Cashmere Sweater, also gives you two looks from one piece: open for the weekend, closed under a coat.

Why the stitch matters more than the price

Fibre gets the attention, but stitch is what you actually see wear out. A flat, fine knit shows every pull and every flattened patch. A chunky rib or a cable has depth, so the surface breaks up light and small damage disappears into the texture. It is the same reason a textured carpet hides marks and a flat one does not.

Ribbed cuffs and hem do the structural version of the same job. They grip, so the body of the knit is not carrying its own weight down at the wrists, which is what causes the bell-shaped cuff on a cheap sweater after a month.

Four checks that take thirty seconds

1. Stretch the cuff and let go. It should snap back flat. If it stays wide, the rib is not doing its job and it will only get worse.
2. Hold it up to the light. A dense knit blocks most of the light. Gaps you can see through mean a loose gauge that will sag.
3. Rub the surface with your thumb for a few seconds. If loose fibres ball up immediately, it will pill in a week.
4. Look at the shoulder seam. On a good knit it sits flat and follows the line of your shoulder. A puckered seam means the panels were pulled together under tension.

At Adam & Westcott the knitwear runs from $44.99 to $119.99, which spans a chunky rib you wear five days a week up to genuine cashmere, without an artisan-brand markup on either end.

How to wash knitwear so it survives

Almost all knitwear damage happens in the wash and in storage, not in wear. Four rules cover it:

• Wash cold, inside out, on a wool cycle with a wool-safe detergent. Heat is what felts wool fibres together permanently.
• Never tumble dry. Press the water out in a towel, then dry flat, reshaped by hand. Hanging a wet knit stretches the body under its own weight.
• Fold, never hang. A hanger puts the whole weight of the knit on two points at the shoulders.
• Shave pills, do not pull them. A cheap fabric comb or a disposable razor held flat takes the bobbles off cashmere and returns the surface. Pulling one out takes the fibre with it.

Best for each situation

• Best overall: Merino Wool Cardigan, $69.98. Holds shape, needs washing least often, works at the office.
• Best value: Heavy Rib Sweater, $44.99, and the rib hides wear.
• Best warmth and feel: Thick Knit Cashmere Sweater, $119.99.
• Best worn on its own: Cable Knit Henley, $49.98, with elbow patches where it counts.
• Best under a jacket: the merino cardigan again, because it adds warmth without adding width.

Questions men actually ask

Is merino wool itchy?

Not usually. Itch comes from fibre diameter, and merino fibres are fine enough that most men feel nothing against the neck. Standard or lambswool at a coarser gauge is where the scratch comes from.

Does cashmere always pill?

All cashmere pills to some degree, because the fibres are short. A thick, densely knitted cashmere pills far less than a thin one, and shaving the pills off restores the surface rather than damaging it.

How do I stop a sweater stretching at the elbows and cuffs?

Fold it instead of hanging it, dry it flat, and buy knits with genuinely ribbed cuffs and hem. Those three together solve nearly every case.

Can I machine wash wool knitwear?

Yes, on a cold wool cycle with wool detergent and no spin. What ruins wool is heat and agitation, not water. Dry flat afterwards.

How many knits does a man need for fall?

Three. One cardigan for layering over a shirt, one heavier crew or half-zip for the cold, and one you are happy to wear on its own to dinner.

For the shapes rather than the fibres, read The Best Men's Sweaters for Fall and The Men's Cardigan Guide. The zip-neck version gets its own breakdown in The Half-Zip Sweater Guide.