A good cashmere turtleneck should not cost $600, and under $200 it should not feel cheap either. The one to buy right now is the GOBI Cashmere turtleneck in charcoal: 100% Mongolian cashmere, made in Mongolia, at $159.50, down from $319. Half price, on a sweater that will outlast most of the shirts in your closet.
Below, why that one wins, which color to choose, how the neck and body should fit, and how to wear it from the office to dinner.
Why Mongolian-made beats a label at this price
Most of the world's cashmere comes from goats on the Mongolian and Inner Mongolian steppe. The difference between a $150 sweater and a $700 one is rarely the raw fiber. It is how much of the price goes to the yarn and the knitting, and how much goes to the name on the neck tape and the store it hangs in.
A brand that knits in Mongolia, close to where the fiber is combed, skips several of those markups. That is the case for GOBI. At full price, $319 is fair for a cashmere roll neck. At $159.50, it is the best value in knitwear on the deals page.
What to look for in any cashmere at this level: a dense hand when you squeeze it, a surface that is soft without being fuzzy straight from the bag, and ribbing at the cuffs and hem that springs back after you stretch it. A sweater that pills heavily in the first week was made from short fibers. Some light pilling under the arms is normal and comes off with a cashmere comb.
Charcoal or taupe
GOBI makes the same turtleneck in two colors worth owning, both at $159.50 from $319.
Charcoal is the first one to buy. It goes under a navy or brown sport coat, over gray flannel, with dark denim, and with black or brown shoes. It hides wear, it reads as dressed in the evening, and it makes a gold watch look deliberate.
The GOBI natural color cashmere turtleneck in taupe is the second sweater, not the first. Taupe is softer and warmer, and it is at its best with brown: a brown tweed jacket, dark brown suede shoes, a cognac belt. It is a daytime color, and the better choice if most of your wardrobe is brown and olive rather than navy and gray.
If you only buy one, buy charcoal. If you already own a navy crewneck, the taupe adds more range.
How a turtleneck should fit
The neck is where cheap turtlenecks go wrong. It should fold over once and sit about two fingers' width below the jaw, close to the throat without gripping it. A neck that stands too tall makes the head look small. One that sags open makes the whole sweater look tired.
The shoulder seam should land on the shoulder bone. The body should skim the chest and stomach without clinging, because a turtleneck already draws the eye to the torso and any tightness shows. The hem should reach the belt and cover it by an inch at most. Sleeves end at the wrist bone, with enough length that the cuff does not ride up when you reach for a glass.
Under a jacket, size for the jacket. If the sweater bunches at the armhole or pulls the jacket's shoulders out of line, go down a size or choose a thinner knit. If you plan to wear it alone most of the time, a touch of ease through the body looks better than a tight fit.
Three ways to wear it
At the office. Charcoal turtleneck, navy sport coat, gray flannel trousers, black or dark brown calf shoes. This replaces the shirt and tie on a day without client meetings and looks more considered than an open collar. A turtleneck is also the cleanest answer for anyone who finds ties a fuss but still wants to look like he made an effort.
At night. This is the night out look: the charcoal turtleneck, a gold watch, a black belt and black penny loafers. The Doucal's Siena penny loafer in black calf is made in Italy with a leather sole, at $485.90 from $826.03. The Slowear woven leather belt in black, also Italian, is $271.71 from $410.28. Dark trousers, no jacket if the room is warm, a navy overcoat if it is not. Both the loafer and the belt are on the Italia page.
On the weekend. Taupe turtleneck, dark denim, brown suede boots or a brown penny loafer, and a waxed or suede jacket over the top. Brown with taupe is the whole palette.
If a turtleneck is not for you
Some men find a high neck too warm or too close. The same mill offers two alternatives under $200 that do the same job with a lower neckline.
The GOBI natural cashmere crewneck in off-white is 100% undyed Mongolian cashmere, $155.40 from $259. Undyed cashmere keeps the fiber's natural color and handle, and an off-white crew under a navy jacket looks expensive in a way a white T-shirt never will.
The GOBI ribbed cashmere sweater in navy is $159.20 from $199. Ribbing gives the knit more texture and a slimmer line, and navy is the most useful sweater color there is. Wear it with gray flannel and brown loafers.
For a collared option, the client lunch guide covers a cashmere cardigan over a shirt and tie.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with a wool or cashmere shampoo, or use a delicate wool cycle in a mesh bag. Press the water out in a towel, never wring it, and dry the sweater flat. Fold it, do not hang it, or the shoulders stretch. Between wears, give it a day off so the fibers recover. Store it in a cotton bag with cedar over the summer.
Treated this way, a $159.50 turtleneck lasts a decade. That is the real argument for buying one well made, at half price, before the charcoal sells through in your size.
The pieces
The best markdowns, before they sell out.