I could have titled this post “vegan” sweaters for clickbait, but *insert eye roll emoji* – sweaters aren’t vegan, people are vegan. Anyway, the reader question I got was with regard to having a wool/cashmere allergy instead of an ethical aversion to wearing animal products.
The object here was to find sweaters or coats not made from wool or cashmere. The reader has developed an allergy, but asked about alpaca, since it’s supposed to be hypoallergenic. I have no experience with having a fiber allergy, so I can’t speak how alpaca fares in relation to wool/cashmere – does anyone else have any input or experience with that?
I, personally, wear tons of old cashmere and alpaca when it’s cold and don’t think I could manage without them for maximum warmth. But I do think you could be warm while layering cotton pieces, especially ones of varying weight.
First, I would recommend the Clyde trench (or jacket) by Elizabeth Suzann as a great outer layer; it works nicely over a chunky sweater IMO. Second, if budget permits, I would just go straight to Mara Hoffman and buy one of her AMAZING coats, like this organic cotton puffer jacket , and wear the shit out of it with anything and everything. My corduroy Fatima jacket is pretty warm too, layered, if you’re into pink corduroy 🙂
I found lots of cotton alternative sweaters, jackets and coats below, many secondhand, and as hard as I tried to stick to 100% cotton, there are a lot of blends in there, as well as some secondhand rayon and modal.
Enjoy! And please let me know any other suggestions in the comments.
Mara Hoffman Rayon Long sweater (secondhand) : $116
Mara Hoffman Cotton Avery sweater | $395
Mara Hoffman Letterman coat – embroidered cotton | $2,095
Mara Hoffman Tencel Lyocell reversible Mabel coat | $895
Reformation Annie Cardigan (recycled cotton/polyester) | $148
Eileen Fisher Organic Cotton fluff Cardigan | $318
Eileen Fisher Peruvian Organic Cotton Cardigan | $398
Eileen Fisher Chenille Organic cotton cardigan | $388
T by Alexander Wang cotton/modal cardigan (secondhand) | $72 – small
Zadig & Voltaire cotton cardigan (secondhand) | $164 – medium
Ulla Johnson Amara Cotton knit coat (secondhand) | $320 – small
how beautiful is this!!!??
Eskandar oversized cotton cardigan (secondhand) | $236 – one size
Brochu Walker knit open cotton/nylon cardigan (secondhand) | $86
3.1 Oversized cotton/nylon cardigan | $86 – small
(this is my favorite!! I’m very tempted…)
Alpaca doesn’t have lanolin or other oils, that is why it’s considered hypoallergenic. It costs more because worldwide production is around 4000 tons vs wool at almost 2 million. If I had land, I’d happily be raising alpaca’s! I hope the heards continue to grow because they are so much better for the environment.
thanks for that debi!
i love alpaca, and find it very warm….
Thanks for this! I don’t have an allergy, but I find wool, even wool blends, to be too itchy and warm for me. I have a few cashmere sweaters, and before I had my second baby, they were wonderful…and now that I’m postpartum, for some reason I can’t stand them. They itch me now when they didn’t before. It’s like I’m hypersensitive to the fibers. I’m sad because they’re so soft! I’ve never tried alpaca though, but if it’s as warm as cashmere (or warmer) then I might not enjoy it. I typically prefer cotton sweaters myself as I can get really warm, even during cold months, and I can’t stand being too warm and sweating!
The Mara Hoffman Letterman Coat is STUNNING! I love oversized, unique cardigans. And they always come at a price, and rightly so. Buying them 2nd hand is a great idea for both my bank account and the environment. One of my favorites is a camel wool oversized cardi by Hope. I feel very Scandinavian when I wear it!
I hear you about the heat factor! Oh man, do I hear you! 😉
I basically find all animal fibers itchy. Not sure if it’s officially an allergy, but I truly can’t wear them. This includes things like cashmere and angora. It’s really difficult to find sweaters. And some brands do things like add 5% wool or cashmere to a cotton sweater. Totally my pet peeve. I was in Peru a few years ago and investigated alpaca. Touching the new alpaca pieces, I was itchy. I understand that it needs to be washed at first, but I was too afraid to spend the money on it as I really have issues with all animal fibers.
Prana, 7115 New York, United By Blue, Tonle, Brass, Indigenous Designs and Curator all have some cotton sweaters I’m eyeing right now. In the more jackety world, I’m kind of in love with the Palmer and Perkins Grid Stitch Poncho.
Cotton is an attractive option if you don’t need to stay warm in rainy/snowy weather. But if it gets wet, it will actually make you colder (notice outdoor pro/survival gear is never made of cotton). I don’t prefer synthetic fleeces and sweaters in general but you’re probably better off with a synthetic if you can’t wear animal fibers. Patagonia has lots of ethical and sustainable synthetic options in their fleece lines. Might not be for everyone though since it’s a decidedly sporty look.