Hero/Genius title in jeopardy

November 22, 2012 4:12 PM

I'm in jeopardy of losing my hero/genius status due to not being able to find pure cashmere socks (calf length) for my wife.

For a while I was able to find them through Lands End, then through a site called cashmere socks or similar. Now those sources have dried up and Christmas nears. Repeated searching on the web brings me only nearly pure or similar to pure cashmere. Any suggestion or source most welcome. Thank you.

posted by KneeDeep to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total)

Amazon

Cashmere Boutique

Another one here.

Love heart socks from J Crew

And other styles, also from J Crew.

All of these are 100% cashmere.
posted by essexjan at 4:31 PM on November 22, 2012

J. Crew carries them! I know this because I frequently stare at them in awe, thinking how nice $118 socks must be.
posted by AmandaA at 4:32 PM on November 22, 2012

And yet another place; scroll down, because there are both blends and 100% cashmere.
posted by jeri at 4:41 PM on November 22, 2012

I've said this before on the Green, but I LOVE Brora cashmere. I have several pieces of theirs and, while pricey, I have found it to be excellent quality. It's Scottish cashmere, always pure cashmere (except if specifically designated otherwise), and super soft, and they seem to have ethical practices in terms of their labor (factories in Britain, etc.). They have a number of options: here's one, here's a cabled one, here's an argyle pair, and here is the whole category in case you want to look at other options. Good luck!
posted by UniversityNomad at 5:35 PM on November 22, 2012 [2 favorites]

This may not always happen, and your wife might not wear things out they way I seem to, but I wanted to mention it in case you hadn't already thought about it:

100% cashmere will definitely keep you in the hero category, but a genius might also consider that 8-15% nylon is added to keep the socks from wearing too quickly. I am a knitter, and have indulged in 100% wool socks only once, deciding afterwards that the 12 hours they took to knit (in your case, this will be money) was not worth the short six months they lasted without holes.

Good luck finding the right ones!
posted by strivesc at 9:08 PM on November 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

Just wanted to add that after looking back at the Brora cashmere socks I linked, I'm going to agree with strivesc's point: the nylon is added for durability. The Brora bedsocks seem to be 100% cashmere, with the rest having nylon added, and I would imagine that is the reason. Something to think about...
posted by UniversityNomad at 9:50 PM on November 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

Cashmere socks are fantastic for sleeping, so "cashmere sleep socks" might yield more results.

strivesc is correct: 100% cashmere socks, especially thin ones, will wear out very quickly. They will also likely pill if machine washed (and even worse if machine dried). A bit of nylon, silk, or even merino would help.
posted by third word on a random page at 12:18 AM on November 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

Yes - 100% cashmere is a bad idea. Unless your wife is aware of the limited life of the fabric, go for a blend.

Also, very nearly eponysterical.
posted by guster4lovers at 12:10 PM on November 23, 2012

Response by poster: Thanks to all for advice on the socks. Thanks to guster4lovers for a new (to me) word, how appropriate!
posted by KneeDeep at 2:15 PM on November 24, 2012