The Row Ophelia Cardigan review: worth it or skip?

What the The Row Ophelia Cardigan does well

The headline: cashmere cardigan. The details: Yarn: Cashmere; Weight: Heavy; Fit: Oversized; Made in: Italy. In our list it is the pick for: quiet cardigan. It usually sells for $2,200–$3,000 in the US.

Quiet.

The trade-offs

Good: logo-free. Not so good: pricey. Read the skip-if line before you spend: skip it if you want logo.

What to buy instead

Instead, consider the Brunello Cucinelli Cashmere Cardigan ($2,000–$3,000): cashmere cardigan with monili beads. Better if you want refined knitwear.

Instead, consider the Loro Piana Baby Cashmere Cardigan ($2,500–$3,200): baby cashmere cardigan. Better if you want the softest.

Instead, consider the Loro Piana Baby Cashmere Crewneck ($1,800–$2,400): baby cashmere crewneck. Better if you want the softest cashmere.

Before you buy

Ply and gauge: 2-ply cashmere is tougher and warmer than single-ply; finer gauges look smarter, chunky ones feel cozier. Fiber length: long-fiber cashmere pills less; squeeze it, and it should spring back. Care: hand wash or a wool cycle, dry flat, and use a cashmere comb for the first pilling.

Buyer tip

Cashmere sweaters from great mills (Johnstons, Loro Piana, Cucinelli) last a decade with care; cheap cashmere often pills within weeks.

Buying in Europe: Italian (IT 38, 40, 42) and French (FR 36, 38, 40) clothing sizes are not the same; IT 40 is about a US 4 and an FR 36. Check each house’s chart, and keep returns in mind when you order from another country.

Luxury prices move in a different rhythm from everyday shopping. The great houses (Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Rolex) raise prices once or twice a year, often in January and in spring, and almost never discount their icons. Seasonal pieces, colors and many shoes, coats and knitwear drop 30–50% in the end-of-season sales in January and from late June. Watches from brands such as Omega, TAG Heuer, Longines and Breitling, and most fragrance, see the best prices around Prime Day and Black Friday. Judge any deal against the usual price we show.

Buy from the fashion house, an authorized retailer or a reseller that authenticates and guarantees every piece, and keep the receipt, the dust bag, the box and any warranty card: they matter for repairs and for resale. Swiss watches carry a 2- to 5-year international warranty when bought from an authorized dealer, and buyers in the EU and UK also have a legal guarantee of at least two years on new goods.