Three (four? five?) years ago I splurged on a black cashmere sweater by Equipment. It was Equipment’s Oscar Turtleneck Sweater and retailed for over $300.
It was the most expensive sweater I had ever purchased.
But I wore that darn thing everywhere. I wore it (basically daily) with jeans, I wore it with skirts & dresses, and I ended up wearing it skiing. (It was the perfect mid-layer that could take me from the slopes to après-ski). I washed it in the washing machine, laid it flat to dry, and kept it pill-free with a sweater shaver. (You can see my whole process — and the sweater — in this post on how I care for cashmere.)
I blogged this sweater a ton, and answered all of the “is it really worth the price” questions with a resounding YES. This sweater was perfect — it had a slightly longer body which meant it worked with leggings, but was just thin and drapey enough to half-tuck. Equipment hadn’t skimped on the sleeve length either, and the turtleneck itself was a perfect size (and not too tight).
Then Equipment discontinued the sweater. BOO.
Battle Of The Best Cashmere Turtleneck Sweaters: Everlane vs. Equipment Delafine
I eventually started getting questions about the new Equipment sweater, the Delafine. Is it as good as the old Oscar? And…since it now looks exactly like Everlane’s cashmere turtleneck…is it worth the extra cost?
In short…no. Equipment’s Delafine sweater is a beautiful sweater, but the few advantages aren’t worth the extra cost ($325 vs. $130). Let’s break it down:
NOTE – I’m wearing a size small in both sweaters.
Everlane Cashmere turtleneck sweater (small) | Equipment Delafine Turtleneck Sweater (small) | GRLFRND Karolina Jeans (size 26)
As you can see from the photos above, the Equipment Delafine turtleneck sweater has a little more room in the body, and a slightly longer sleeve length. Other than that…the two look very similar. Additionally, the feel of the cashmere is the same, as well as the thickness. I would describe both sweaters as being on the thinner side.
NOTE: My favorite thick cashmere sweaters can be found here…but none of them are black turtlenecks, unfortunately.
Alas…A New Cashmere Turtleneck Contender…
As part of my “research” for a past Nordstrom collaboration, I picked up Halogen’s black cashmere turtleneck and was blown away. Unlike the other two, this sweater has more length in the sleeve and body, and is very reminiscent of my old Equipment sweater. It’s also a little bit thicker than the current Equipment and Everlane sweaters AND softer.
You can see how similar it is in fit — not *quite* as long in the body or the arms as my original Equipment sweater, but it’s also under $100 which is insane.
I loved this sweater so freaking much that I ended up also buying it in ivory. And since it’s almost impossible to show the details of a black cashmere sweater, here’s a few photos of the ivory.
While the body is nice and long, the sweater is still thin enough to tuck in.
Halogen cashmere turtleneck (small) | GRLFRND Carla flares (25)
And The Best Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater Is…
Halogen’s cashmere turtleneck sweater. Size up for more slouch, but this sweater is pretty hard to beat.
That said…if you are looking for a cashmere turtleneck sweater that’s easy to layer under other pieces, or one that is absolutely foolproof to tuck into jeans…Everlane’s cashmere turtleneck is another solid choice.
I’d skip the expensive Equipment Delafine sweater altogether.
xo,
S
