Quince Cashmere Review: I Have Thoughts! (Read before Buying)
I tried the super-hyped Quince cashmere in a few styles. In this review, read through my honest opinion on the quality of Quince cashmere compared to other brands.
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Quince cashmere: You’ve probably seen the ads and gotten the newsletter emails if you’ve been following Quince, the latest addition to the brands you should know about this year.
I’ve tried the apparel, the home goods, the kitchenware, the baby products, the maternity line and the travel products (suitcases, backpacks, belt bags). What about the cashmere goods?
We all know that cashmere has a sort of “luxurious” air to it. How is Quince doing it cheaper than basically everyone else? And is the cashmere any good? Further, is cashmere something you even want?
In this review, check out my experience with Quince’s cashmere collection. I’ll tell you everything I know, and you can decide if it’s for you.
Key Takeaways from this review
- I tried 4 Quince cashmere products, including 1 from the cotton-cashmere blends.
- Quince is pretty transparent about their cashmere, the benefits and the comparison to other brands in how the company keeps costs so competitive.
- My experience with Quince’s cashmere has been pretty good: the cashmere is super soft and luxurious, and I like the styles. They come just as advertised, and you can see more below on the fit I experienced.
- There are some Quince cashmere products I personally would not get, and that mostly boils down to the care required. I recommend some alternative ideas that are also available from Quince.
What I tried from Quince cashmere
Here’s what I tried from Quince’s cashmere collection (which is growing literally every week in terms of the types of products being offered, and the colors, sizes and styles).
- Mongolian Cashmere Wrap (best-seller)
- Mongolian Cashmere Maternity Joggers
- Mongolian Cashmere V-Neck Maternity Sweater
- Lightweight Cotton Cashmere Nursing Shawl (see why I wanted the cotton blend, not 100% cashmere)
Quince cashmere: the background
First, I want to get into the real basics of Quince cashmere. I read the entire Cashmere 101 info page on the Quince website because I wanted to be sure I was fully informed before I broke it down for you.
To summarize: cashmere is (according to Quince, and most would agree) one of the world’s most expensive materials. Why? It comes from the wool of cashmere goats, so it is a natural fiber. Quince claims to have engineered their cashmere materials to be “2.0”: 3x as warm as wool, durable and thicker, amounting to be some of the best cashmere in today’s markets.
And Quince promises sustainable practices and responsible sourcing in its cashmere, which comes from Mongolia. Cashmere comes in three “grades,” referring to its quality. Quince uses Grade A, for having that soft and melty feel, not shedding during wear and stretching back to its original shape after forming to your body.
And cashmere is expensive, so…
How is Quince making cashmere so cheap?
I think the correct word here would be “competitively-priced,” rather than “cheap,” which has a bad ring to it. Quince says that its competitors, who price cashmere higher than Quince does, use less efficient business models. This means there’s more waste in their operations. They’re marking up the prices that consumers pay, to cover all the costs of the supply, production and all the business operations.
Quince’s entire gist is cutting out excess in order to save on costs and pass on great prices to customers. Is it working? It really looks like it is, what with Quince’s $50 cashmere sweaters, meant to be invested in for a lifetime, and the toddler cashmere beanie, which I felt compelled to include in even the cheapest things from Quince right now.
My Top Picks from Quince's Cashmere Best-Sellers
Summary of the Quince cashmere in my closet
I got a good feel with Quince’s cashmere products based on the ones I tried, below.
Mongolian Cashmere Wrap
With LOTS of all-star reviews, how could I not try the Mongolian Cashmere Wrap? It looks fantastic on the models and comes in gorgeous colors like the heather gray, classic ivory, dusty brown and bold navy. I got it in Black (because I’m a New Yorker).
Is it as soft as I expected it to be? Yes. And it as easy to style as it looks in the product images? Also yes. This is a timeless scarf and wrap that can be worn at least seven or so ways, from a draped scarf, to a blanket. And at a dab less than $100, Quince compares it to the one from Naked Cashmere, which is 2.5x the price.
Do I like it? Sure, and it makes an excellent gift because you really can’t go wrong with how to wear this cashmere wrap all through fall and winter, with so many outfits and occasions it works for. It’s also technically unisex (share it with a partner!).
Mongolian Cashmere Maternity Joggers
As I edged into maternity clothes again with my second pregnancy, I tried Quince’s cashmere maternity joggers. I detailed in my Quince maternity collection review that these joggers are my guilty pleasure during pregnancy: they make me feel elevated, luxe and effortlessly comfy.
I sleep in them on cold nights, and I wear them around the house as my evening-wear (you know, when I’m sitting on the couch watching Netflix). They’re lightweight, but warm and soft, and they’re everything I could’ve wanted to feel next-level in my maternity apparel.
My note: This is what I tried (in maternity sizing), but the cashmere joggers from Quince are a best-seller in both men’s and women’s.
Cashmere sweaters
I tried the Mongolian Cashmere V-Neck Maternity Sweater, because I was pregnant when I found out about Quince’s cashmere line. Although I feel that even in size XS, this sweater runs big and looks oversized on me, I like the style. You’ll find the same product quality if you’re shopping for the best-selling men’s and women’s cashmere crewneck sweaters, which have THOUSANDS of 5-star reviews.
And of course, as it’s Grade A cashmere, it is incredibly soft. Baby soft, even. I just happen to have not tried any in “regular” (non-maternity) yet. Given the countless positive reviews and lots of recent hype, I could see why everyone’s running to Quince for these.
Quince compares this product to the one from Hatch, noting that with Quince’s cashmere dupe, you’d save 65%. From the comparison on all women’s cashmere sweaters to other brands, the savings is even more striking: 76% down from Jenni Kayne, 70% down from Club Monaco, 68% down from Everlane and a whopping 93% savings compared with Loro Piana.
Lightweight Cotton Cashmere Nursing Shawl
Spoiler alert: See below in the section called “Alternatives to Quince cashmere” as to why I wanted the cotton blend, with 3% cashmere, rather than the 100% cashmere version of this shawl.
Quince cashmere products I wouldn’t get
The #1 thing to know about cashmere is that it CANNOT go in your washing machine under any circumstances. For this reason, I find cashmere kind of a pain — honestly! Cashmere is meant to be worn multiple times before washing (so keep it clean, without spills or accidents), and it should NOT be washed with fabric softener, ever.
Cashmere is high maintenance, at the end of the day. So what are the Quince products that I would never, ever have in my house?
Cashmere throw blankets
A cashmere throw blanket would look amazing on my green velvet living room couch. But if you read my Quince home collection review, you’ll know that Dan and I opted for the Quince Cotton Fisherman Throw Blanket, which gives me slightly less anxiety (despite the fact that we got it in white. Could be a mistake!).
Just with the fact that I’d have to dry clean a throw blanket on my couch, or worry about my toddler getting greasy hands on it after eating snack foods, makes me say “Hard pass.”
I won’t be investing in Quince’s cashmere throw blankets unless they’re going somewhere, like on an upholstered chair in my bedroom, where it will hardly be used and will be just for show (and is that the point of cashmere? I don’t even know).
Cashmere baby, toddler & kid clothes
I read the reviews online of the Quince cashmere baby and toddler clothes. Yes: they sound absolutely delightful for putting my little ones in, either for family photos, or a cozy winter day.
But babies and toddlers get messy. You’d know this if you’ve ever babysat kids, or if you have nieces or nephews who you see at the holidays. Cashmere and children are two things that, in my mind do not mix!
And I know this first hand, because I had to make a decision when I got a gift of a dry-clean-only cashmere sweater and pants set for my new baby back when she was born. Keep it, and risk the agony of her spitting up all over it? Or pass it on, to someone else who wanted to deal with the upkeep of cashmere baby clothes? (I chose the latter.)
This is why I put cashmere baby clothing on my list of things you definintely don’t need on a baby registry, and I stand by that! The bottom line is, I won’t be having any Quince cashmere products for my kids; however, I really do recommend the Quince baby and toddler collection for all the other things I’ve tried.
Update: Items like the Washable Baby Cashmere Leggings are marketed on the Quince website as “washable.” It’s not clear as to whether or not this refers to machine washable, as the Quince cashmere baby items are all 100% Grade A cashmere, and Quince’s Cashmere 101 page clearly states that their cashmere should never go in your washer.
Cashmere dog sweater
I just came across this one. To be fair, it makes a great gift from Quince, and I’ve recently been on the hunt for some doggy gifts for my doggy mama and doggy daddy friends who’ve brought us gifts in the past. A cashmere dog sweater is adorable, and soft, and snuggly. But does your dog need one?
I’m just thinking about how bestowing this upon a dog owner means they’re signed up for dry-cleaning or hand-washing it. Don’t dogs get kind of messy? Anyway, this one’s up to you. Luckily Quince makes other sweet puppy gifts you can see at the pets page.
How has my Quince cashmere held up?
So, for one thing, yes: cashmere does “pill.” Pilling is when the fabric looks like it has dots or clumps, even if you treated it totally well, as I do, with all my cashmere products. It’s normal. It’s a part of owning cashmere, and it’s what makes wearing cashmere for the first time so special, and wearing the same cashmere 10 years later so (for lack of better word) slightly disappointing.
I’m just being honest. I don’t like the look of pilling, and most people don’t. It may be making a case for owning cashmere products in darker colors, where you’re not able to tell that pilling occurred.
Quince does have a solution for it: a Cashmere Comb. And you really might want one, if you bought a lot of Quince cashmere clothes or blankets and you want to get rid of the pill and fuzz.
To me, this is just another cost of owning cashmere.
Alternatives to Quince cashmere
What I’m getting into here is what I think you can buy from Quince if you like the look of all the cashmere, but don’t want to deal wit the ridiculous nature of caring for it (my opinion).
It’s why I opted for the Cotton Cashmere Nursing Shawl instead of the Mongolian Cashmere Nursing Shawl. That’s right: for $30 less, I “avoided” having a cashmere product that my baby might spit up on and drive me crazy. Sure, for $30 more, I could’ve had a 100% cashmere shawl, but the lightweight-ness and care factor in the lower-priced version proved fine for my needs and I’m happy with that.
Here’s what I did: search Quince’s website for cotton-cashmere products, and you’ll get lots of results, from sweaters to dresses, dress shirts, shawls, tanks and even a ruana (large poncho-blanket wraps). The cotton-cashmere blends from Quince are more easily washable, super-soft, made with 3% cashmere, and take it from me: equally timeless in their designs.
Where to get Quince cashmere
You can only get Quince cashmere at the Quince website! You can start your shopping at the Quince cashmere page, which is where you can find “cashmere for everyone,” including men, women, babies and pets.
If you’re new to cashmere like I was, despite having worn Mott & Bow women’s cashmere and read about it from other brands, I’d smartly suggest reading Cashmere 101 to learn about how to care for it as you’re wearing cashmere from Quince.
We’d like to thank Quince for providing us with the best-sellers in cashmere so that we could write this review, which is honest and transparent, based on our experience trying out the products. This review is not sponsored and reflects our personal thoughts.