Italian Cashmere vs Scottish Cashmere: Which Luxury Knitwear Tradition Is Better? 

Updated November 2026: brand histories, ownership and production facts re-checked against company histories and published sources. We have not worn-tested these garments; comparisons of feel and durability are summarised from producers’ statements and general knitwear principles, and are labelled as such.

Italian and Scottish cashmere are often framed as rivals, but they are closer to two traditions that start from the same raw material and finish it in different ways. The fibre of the great majority of the world’s cashmere comes from goats in Mongolia and China, and that is true of both Italian and Scottish products. What differs is where it is spun, knitted and finished, how tightly it is knitted, how the garment is designed, and what the brand wants the wearer to feel. This guide compares the two on those terms and says plainly where the evidence is thin.

Short answer: Choose Italian cashmere if you value a very soft hand, refined colour and contemporary design. Choose Scottish cashmere if you value a dense, traditional knit with a long manufacturing heritage. Both can be excellent; the brand, the yarn and the construction of the specific sweater matter more than the flag. For the wider picture of Italian knitwear, see our guide to Italian cashmere.

Italian vs Scottish Cashmere at a Glance

What Determines Cashmere Quality?

Before comparing countries, it helps to know what actually separates a good cashmere sweater from a poor one. The same five factors apply in Italy and Scotland.

Fibre Diameter and Length

Cashmere is commonly defined as an undercoat fibre with an average diameter under about 19 microns. Finer fibres feel softer, and longer fibres (roughly 34 mm and above is often cited for premium yarn) form stronger yarns that are less likely to pill. The finest grades marketed by houses such as Loro Piana are well below the 19-micron line, and houses usually describe them with their own names, such as “baby cashmere”. Treat such names as brand terms rather than industry standards.

Yarn: Ply and Twist

Multi-ply yarns (two-ply or more) are stronger and hold their shape better than single-ply, but they can feel less airy. A well-spun two-ply yarn generally pills less than a loosely spun single-ply one.

Gauge and Knit Density

Gauge, the number of stitches in a given width, and how tightly a garment is knitted affect drape, warmth and pilling. A tighter knit tends to hold its shape and resist surface fuzzing; a looser knit usually feels softer and drapes more. This is the heart of the Italian and Scottish difference in practice, and it varies by brand and by garment.

Finishing

Washing, brushing and milling give a sweater its final hand. Heavy finishing can make a sweater feel soft on the first day but may shorten life if the fibres are weakened. Good finishing is subtle and does not mask short fibres.

Where It Is Made Matters Less Than You Think

A “Scottish” or “Italian” label refers to where the yarn was processed and the garment was made, not where the goats live. The country of manufacture tells you about the mill’s tradition, not automatically about the grade of fibre in the sweater. For how raw fibre becomes a garment, see how Italian cashmere is made, and for pricing differences see why Italian cashmere costs more than Mongolian cashmere.

The Scottish Tradition: Hawick, Elgin and the Borders

Hawick, in the Scottish Borders, has been a clothes-making centre since the 1700s. Several of Scotland’s best-known cashmere names have roots there or nearby:

• Pringle of Scotland was founded in 1815 by Robert Pringle in the Borders, began producing cashmere in 1870 and is associated with the twinset and argyle pattern developed under designer Otto Weisz in the 1930s. It is now owned by the Hong Kong-based S.C. Fang & Sons.
• Johnstons of Elgin was founded in 1797 by Alexander Johnston and introduced cashmere in 1851. It remains family owned, runs a vertically integrated mill at Newmill on the River Lossie, and bought a knitting mill in Hawick in 1980. It supplies cashmere and cloth to other luxury houses as well as selling under its own name.
• Barrie was founded in Hawick in 1903, opened a purpose-built cashmere factory at Burnfoot in 1975, had been making knitwear for Chanel for more than 25 years when Chanel bought it in October 2012. Its own-label collections are designed in Paris and made in Hawick.
• Hawico and Begg x Co are other Scottish names; Hawico is a Hawick knitwear maker, while Begg x Co is known for scarves and wraps.

Scottish mills went through a downturn in the late 1980s and 1990s, with closures and asset sales at some makers, and investment such as Chanel’s in Barrie helped stabilise the industry. Today much Scottish production is private-label work for fashion houses, which means you may already own Scottish-made knitwear under another name.

The Italian Tradition: Piedmont, Umbria and Tuscany

Italy built its cashmere industry on the wool-processing districts of northern Italy, above all around Biella in Piedmont, which has a long history of spinning, dyeing and weaving. Italian houses then turned knitwear into a fashion category, with careful colour work and a focus on how a garment looks and feels as part of a wardrobe.

• Loro Piana was founded in 1924 in Quarona, Piedmont, by Pietro Loro Piana, and LVMH acquired an 80 percent stake in 2013. The house is known for fine fibre grades and for sourcing and finishing its own cashmere. See our Loro Piana guide.
• Brunello Cucinelli is based in Solomeo, Umbria, and is known for neutral palettes and textured knits. See our Brunello Cucinelli guide.
• Malo is a Florence-based knitwear house; read our Malo guide.
• Falconeri offers more accessible Italian cashmere; see Falconeri and our Falconeri vs Malo comparison.
• Fedeli is a quieter label known for understated knitwear; see Fedeli.

If you are deciding between the two most-discussed Italian houses, read Loro Piana vs Brunello Cucinelli, and for a wider list see the best Italian cashmere brands.

Softness, Durability and Pilling: What Is Actually Different?

The most common claim is that Italian cashmere is softer and Scottish cashmere is tougher. There is some truth in it, but it is not a rule. Nick Bannerman of Johnstons of Elgin has said that Italian cashmere is often knitted more loosely and that Scottish cashmere is knitted more tightly, which he credits with greater longevity, better shape retention and more resistance to pilling over time. That is one producer’s perspective and has not been independently tested here.

Reading the claim carefully, three practical points follow:

1. Tighter knits tend to wear better. That is basic knitwear logic, regardless of country. A dense two-ply sweater resists fuzzing and stretching better than a loose single-ply one.
2. Softer is not always weaker. Top Italian houses use very fine fibres that feel exceptionally soft but are also long enough to resist pilling. The cheaper way to get softness, however, is heavy finishing of short fibres, and that is more likely to pill.
3. Brand and price band beat nationality. A mid-priced Italian label can pill sooner than a well-made Scottish sweater, and the reverse is equally true.

The honest verdict is that a typical Scottish sweater is more likely to feel dense and traditional, a typical top-end Italian sweater more likely to feel airy and refined, and both can last for years with good care.

How Do Johnstons of Elgin and Loro Piana Compare on Softness?

Readers often ask how Scottish cashmere from Johnstons compares to Loro Piana for softness. Loro Piana is widely regarded as the softer, finer-handed of the two, because of its fibre grades and finishing. Johnstons offers a firmer, more structured hand in its classic knitwear. Whether that is an advantage depends on whether you prioritise drape or structure.

Fair Isle and Patterned Cashmere

Fair Isle sweaters are defined by their multi-colour stranded pattern, not by the quality of the yarn. A cashmere Fair Isle should be judged like any other sweater: fibre grade, ply, knit density and finishing. Because stranded colour work carries extra yarn inside the garment, it is warmer and slightly less drapey than a plain knit, and quality shows in how neatly the floats are controlled. Plain cashmere knits are usually softer against the skin, while patterned sweaters are better as outer layers.

Sourcing and Traceability

Because the fibre is shared, traceability is a better test of a brand’s seriousness than its flag. Cashmere farming affects grasslands in Mongolia and China, and a number of producers have joined initiatives to improve herding practices. Johnstons of Elgin, for example, was one of three founding members of the Sustainable Fibre Alliance in 2015 and set a goal of sourcing all its cashmere from certified sources by 2024. Italian houses publish their own sourcing programmes. When you shop, ask where the fibre is sourced, whether it is certified, and whether the brand publishes any figures. Statements like “ethically sourced” with no detail carry little information; named schemes and numbers carry more.

Traceability also affects durability. A brand that controls its yarn, as Loro Piana and Johnstons both do to different degrees, is better placed to keep fibre length and quality consistent from season to season than a label that buys finished knitwear from many suppliers.

Design and Style

Italian knitwear tends to be cut for a contemporary silhouette: slim crewnecks, relaxed turtlenecks, refined colour ranges and draped cardigans. Houses like Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana lean toward quiet luxury and neutral palettes, which fits the wardrobe-building approach in our Italian designer clothing guide.

Scottish knitwear leans on classic shapes: shawl-collar cardigans, crewnecks, argyle and twinsets, often in saturated heritage colours. Pringle’s twinset and argyle designs are a clear example, while Barrie’s collections are designed in Paris and made in Hawick, which blends the two approaches.

Value for Money

Neither tradition is cheap at the top end, and both offer mid-priced options. The price of a sweater reflects fibre grade, ply, weight, brand and retail margin as much as country. A few practical guides:

• Price per wear: A cashmere sweater worn twice a week through a winter for several years can cost less per wear than a cheaper one replaced every season. This only works if the sweater lasts, so tighter, plied yarns are worth paying for.
• Branding premium: Fashion houses charge more for design and name; mills selling under their own name or private-label customers may offer similar fibre at a lower price.
• Check current prices: We have not listed prices because they vary widely by brand, weight and season. Compare ply, weight and fibre grade, not just the price tag.

How to Compare Luxury Knitwear Before You Buy

1. Read the label. Look for 100 percent cashmere, the country of manufacture and any fibre-grade terms. Blends with wool or silk are not worse, but they should be priced accordingly.
2. Check ply and weight. Two-ply or more and a weight that suits your climate indicate better durability than very thin single-ply knits.
3. Hold it to the light. A dense, even knit suggests better construction than one that shows gaps.
4. Test the hand. It should feel soft but with some body, springing back when squeezed rather than collapsing.
5. Look at the seams. Fully fashioned shaping, linked seams and neat ribbing show care in construction.
6. Ask about care and repair. A brand that offers repairs signals confidence in the garment.

How to Care for Cashmere

Care advice is the same for both traditions. Follow the garment label first, wash sparingly, and store cashmere folded rather than on hangers.

• Hand wash in cool or lukewarm water with a gentle wool or cashmere detergent, or dry clean if the label says so.
• Press water out gently, never wring, and dry flat away from direct heat.
• Remove pills carefully with a cashmere comb or fabric shaver rather than pulling them off.
• Store clean, folded and protected from moths, using breathable bags or cedar.

Who Should Buy Which?

Italian cashmere suits you if you want the softest possible hand, refined colour and a quiet-luxury look, and are comfortable paying a design and brand premium. Start with the best Italian cashmere sweaters for men or the best Italian cashmere sweaters for women.

Scottish cashmere suits you if you want a dense, traditional knit with a clear manufacturing heritage, prefer classic shapes, and value mills that have been making cashmere for generations.

Accessories: For scarves, Scottish makers such as Begg x Co and Johnstons are as well regarded as Italian ones; see our guide to the best Italian cashmere scarves for comparison.

Conclusion

The Italian and Scottish traditions share raw material and a high level of craft. Italy tends to prioritise design and a soft hand; Scotland has a deep heritage in knitting and a reputation for dense, durable knits, though that reputation rests partly on producers’ own claims. Buy on the evidence in the garment: fibre grade, ply, weight, density and construction, not on a flag alone.

Explore more Italian luxury: Best Italian Cashmere Brands | How Italian Cashmere Is Made | Loro Piana | Brunello Cucinelli | Falconeri | Malo | Fedeli