Cashmere luxury from The Cashmere Specialist




Hello lovelies! I'm so happy to be back firing on all cylinders again. And not only back, but enjoying the opportunity to share details of my new cashmere polo neck courtesy of The Cashmere Specialist. I've been gifted a couple of beautiful items from the Slovakian company, but the review is mine, all my own words and my honest opinion of the goods.






I chose this vibrant fine yarn sweater mainly for the colour (Lapis blue - find it here). I'm all about colour after all. A cashmere polo neck is the ultimate luxury item for the winter and this one is a lovely fit. I like the slimline shape for a sleek outline. I referred to the size chart to check my measurements and opted for the medium which is a perfect fit. I hate to wear wide sweaters as they make me look very square and do like this one for that reason. The smooth, soft yarn is comfortable against the skin without the need of a layer underneath and the tight ribbed neck is perfect for trapping the body's heat to keep toasty warm - it's also very good at disguising my turkey neck! 






The Cashmere Specialist is family run company, trading online only. Quality is their prime concern from sourcing the wool to production across their entire range, whether it's 100% cashmere or the cashmere and cotton range, cashmere and silk or Alpaca range. Luxury items don't come cheap, but the brand offers high quality, which means that these are not only soft, warm and comfortable, but durable and long lasting too. I hand wash my cashmere in a specialist liquid in warm, not hot water and always dry my sweaters flat on a towel to maintain the shape and keep them colourfast.  This jewel bright blue deserves to be kept as vibrant as ever!







Raglan shaping and deep ribbed cuffs and hem are a classic design, ensuring a great finish. The smooth two ply yarn is a real plus in my opinion. I have quite a few cashmere sweaters from other brands that use a fluffy wool  and initially this fluffiness always seems to have a great appeal - oh how cuddly soft they are, just like a teddy bear! However, inevitably over time, the fluff results in piling and bobbling resulting in a sweater that has to be relegated to at home wear. I even bought one of those cashmere mini combs, but all they do is cut off the lumps and bumps leaving you with a thinner patch underneath. 










And here's the rundown of the rest of the outfit: skirt and two-tone brogues are by Boden, but are very old indeed. Rings are pre-loved, tights are ancient and sunglasses are by Quay Australia. Many thanks to Fiona for giving up her lunchtime to take the photos. 




This zingy yellow snood (find it here) is my second gift, and what a fab burst of sunshine it is! Again, I chose a bright colour as another anitdote to the dark winter months ahead. But on a more practical note, the snood acts as a barrier against the cold and also as an effective heat trap to stop the body's warmth escaping. Easier to wear than a scarf, the smooth yarn doesn't itch and is also fine enough not to add too much bulk around the neck either. 






I'm hoping that the yellow snood perks up this offering, which on reflection may be a tad too much brown for my liking. I fancy that I may be less bold in my outfit choices since I've emerged from my poorly time at home. I'll have to scour through my wardrobe to find something a bit more inspirational for my next post. There - I've thrown down the gauntlet to myself style-wise and let's hope I can come up with something worthy. The details however are: trench by Topshop (pre-loved), jeans by Curve Appeal from TK Maxx, striped sweater from Topshop, boots from Primark, sunglasses are by Radley - none of this is new. 




What I've failed to mention this far is the fact that I have a discount code for The Cashmere Specialist - if you order anything from the website between now and the 2nd of December you can claim a 10% discount simply by quoting ANNA10 in your order. 




Do please take a moment to browse through their website - it's a veritable cornucopia of knitwear for both women and men in a wonderful array of yarns and colours. They do a great line in accessories too which may help with your Christmas wish list!


                                                                          Anna x

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As suggested by...Veronica

It's a while since I ran this feature, so here we go with a pair of tights sent to me by my blogging friend Veronica. She posted them on her blog, Vronni's Style Meanderings, here. Somehow I was lucky enough to inherit them as a fabulous colourful addition to my wardrobe. Veronica wants to know what my secret is as to how to stop them falling down as they did on her. The answer, as many of you will already know, is the magical powers of big pants, a la Bridget Jones of course! Ever since I was a teenager I've worn big pants over my tights to stop them falling down. I can never work out if it's because my tights are too big/too small or if it's cos my thighs aren't like drainpipes, which causes them to always fall down, but hey, the problem is easily solved with granny pants. I'm such a glamour puss!












It's wonderful to have another spring-like morning for our photo shoot. Polly and I are getting back into the swing of things with our usual heckling and back chatting being the soundtrack to the ritual. I plan to turn the tables a few more times this year and capture some of Polly's outfits for you to see too.

My ensemble today comprises of my corduroy jacket from H&M, a Boden skirt, Ralph Lauren fairisle top, H&M paisley blouse, shoes from M&S, sunglasses from Sainsbury's, rings from a charity shop and green fresh water pearls from Almost Perfect. Many thanks Veronica for the fabulous tights which really added that extra zing to the whole look.

I'm off to the mainland tomorrow on business for a week, but will be scheduling a couple of blog posts, the first being for Sunday. Hopefully I'll manage to find something to help me break my shopping ban while I'm away (I'm giddy with excitement at the very thought of it). Harrogate is a great stamping ground for me, so fingers crossed that the ladies of the town will have cleared out their wardrobes leaving all sorts of goodies for me to find in the local charity shops.

See you next time!

Anna x

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