It's a wrap!!

Or - why I love cashmere so much.

Hi everyone,

Last time I talked about the saviours in my travel wardrobe. The things I reached for the most on my recent trip away for a month.

I began with baggy tee shirts and now I want to pick apart (not actually) my cashmere wrap.

First, some background about the item in question. It’s a lightweight knitted version in black. Technically speaking, it’s a poncho since it has an opening in the centre. And its dimensions are huge at 140cm by 105cm. I must have had it for at least 7 years so it’s definitely not new.

I think I wore my wrap just about every day on holidays even though the weather was warm to hot most of the time. Thrown over my shoulders on cooler mornings or evenings and fully on when in an air-conditioned space.

When I wasn’t wearing it I could just drape it over my small cross body bag. Much easier to carry than a jacket. And it was also great on the plane, doubling as a blanket when it got cold!

Admittedly my cashmere wrap gets less use at home, where I have access to my whole wardrobe. But it’s still a versatile layer that I can wear multiple ways year round. It even works if the dress code is well, dressy.

Inspo from Alanui

So….why cashmere? Firstly, it’s light and breathable. Secondly, it’s soft and doesn’t irritate your skin. Thirdly, it’s almost seasonless. Comfortable when it warms up yet toasty when the temperature drops. Giving it a definite edge over cotton or wool which come into their own only at certain times of the year.

Convinced? Then there are choices to be made. Rectangle or square, knitted or not, poncho or not? All are great - as long as you GO BIG! That way you’ll be able to wear your cashmere piece across your shoulders as a wrap and around your neck as a scarf. Which means extra versatility, the goal when travelling and for every day.

Here are some options. This one from Cashmerism is nicely oversized -

So is this from Banded Together -

And this also from Lisa Yang via MyTheresa. Inexplicably different price points depending on colour, see also here -

Let me know what you think, I really love reading all your comments.

In the next blog I’ll take a look at wide leg pants, specifically those in silk or similar. And how they work for travel and for day to day. So - bye for now and see you in two weeks!

x

Jennie