At Colhay’s, we are constantly exploring how to harness the best qualities of a particular fibre by experimenting with blends that would most suit the wearer’s needs for any season. As such, not only do we always use the very finest of any fibre, be it cashmere, lambswool, silk or cotton, we also consider how these can be combined so that the unique qualities of each fibre can complement each other to create garments that are supremely comfortable for any temperature.
During the winter months, our 100% cashmere collection is the jewel in the crown - the finest representation of heritage knitwear craftsmanship of Scotland - softness and robustness combined. As the temperature warms up though, many would understandably find our 100% cashmere garments too warm to wear and one might be tempted to head straight for their less luxurious cotton tops just as quickly as they abandon their cashmere garments. But this need not be the case.
How do we create garments that retain the luxury of cashmere, whilst allowing the wearer to breathe, be mobile and really enjoy the warmer weather? Our answer to this is cashmere cotton.
If there is one word we would use to describe our cashmere cotton collection, it would be comfort.
Cashmere cotton collegiate raglan sweatshirt in cream
Cashmere is a luxurious fibre, rare, and incomparably soft, one of the softest materials on earth but can get very warm when knitted thick and densely like the garments in our winter collections. For decades, cotton has been one of the most popular natural fibres for sportswear and heavy-duty clothes due to its durability and moisture-wicking abilities, counting workwear, sweatshirts and t-shirts among them but on its own, cotton lacks the luxury hand feel of cashmere.
We have combined the two to create our cashmere cotton collection - in equal measure, half cashmere and half cotton - so that the qualities of each fibre can fully manifest without one overpowering the other (too much cashmere and the garment will be too warm; not enough cashmere, and the garment will feel too close to an ordinary cotton garment). What’s more, rather than using ordinary cotton, long-staple Egyptian cotton is used - meaning that the cotton fibre is one of the finest and longest, so that even on its own, the cotton used is some of the world's softest and most durable.
Cashmere cotton breton stripe in olive and navy
Cashmere cotton breton stripe in ecru and navy
The result is a collection of garments that combines the luxurious texture of cashmere with the sportiness, breathability and resilience of cotton. This means that you can move about in the park, enjoy the sun, and still enjoy the benefits of wearing a highly luxurious garment.
Cashmere cotton collegiate raglan sweatshirt in cream
Cashmere cotton collegiate raglan sweatshirt in dark olive
The Cashmere Cotton Collegiate Raglan Sweatshirt
Our collegiate raglan sweatshirt uses this cashmere cotton yarn. It is the perfect substitute to our 100% cashmere garments for warmer weather, and if you are looking for a sportier, rather than classic design.
The style has some subtle differences to the cashmere crew neck - it has a thicker neck rib trim as well as longer ribbed hems and cuffs for more of a retro sporty look, and has raglan shoulders (instead of set in shoulders), in homage to some of the vintage 50s sweatshirts that form the inspiration for this piece.
The cashmere cotton collegiate raglan sweatshirt is a sportier and lighter alternative to our cashmere crew necks
The cashmere cotton collegiate raglan sweatshirt has a thicker neck rib trim
Longer ribbed cuffs and hem for a retro sporty look
Raglan shoulders in homage to older sweatshirts from the 50s
The cashmere cotton collegiate raglan sweatshirt is a versatile piece, and designed to go perfectly as part of a casual outfit. In the summer, pair it with shorts and a bandana for a classic British summer look:
The white shorts will also go well with the cream version of the cashmere cotton collegiate raglan sweatshirt if they are in a different shade:
Another example of the cashmere cotton collegiate sweatshirt combined with shorts, this time we have the dark olive version with navy linen shorts:
Another great casual option is to style it with light wash jeans.
The navy and dark olive version both go particularly well with light wash jeans. For this outfit, we went with double denim and the cashmere cotton collegiate raglan sweatshirt in dark olive with a green and mustard bandana:
Staying with the light wash jeans but swapping the sweatshirt out for the navy version:
The cashmere cotton collegiate sweatshirt also goes well with smarter trousers and chinos:
And an example with beige trousers and the cashmere cotton collegiate raglan sweatshirt in cream:
The Cashmere Cotton Breton Stripe Sweater
Our cashmere cotton Breton stripe sweater is a luxury version of the traditional Breton stripe sweater which would normally be in 100% cotton. To elevate this French classic, we used our cashmere cotton blend to incorporate the luxury of cashmere into this piece. Incredibly soft and comfortable to the touch, it is a top you would wear and not want to take off.
Cashmere cotton breton stripe in ecru and navy
It pairs perfectly well with summer outfits such as cream trousers and shorts, and also works well with more formal outfits like dark jeans and smart trousers.
With this outfit below, we've paired the breton stripe in ecru and navy with navy shorts and a white denim jacket:
Both the ecru/navy and olive/navy colourways go well with dark jeans, as well as any jacket or outerwear in navy, such as our superfine lambswool tennis cardigan in navy:
For a fresh smart casual summer look, pair the breton stripe sweater with cream trousers, and a navy blazer. Again, the outfit works for both the ecru/navy and olive/navy colourways. We also like to pair the ecru/navy version with a chambray shirt - the lighter blue of the shirt complementing the darker navy stripes on the breton stripe top, but both belong in the blue palette so that the colours complement each other:
For an even smarter look, pair the breton tripe with smart grey trousers, like so:
Discover our cashmere cotton collection here.