December 5, 2004 --

Elizabeth Alvarez-KFOX Morning News Anchor/Reporter

Cashmere sweaters have always been considered a real luxury item. But with everyone from Costco to Wal-Mart offering them for less than $100, do you have to pay big bucks to get a good one? We size up your options, to see if these are a smart buy this Holiday Season, in our Consumer Watch Report.

Consumer Reports wanted to know if you can get good cashmere for less. Textile expert Pat Slaven looked at six different cashmere sweaters. Prices ranged from less than $50 all the way up to $450. It turns out the under $100 sweaters were no bargain at all. A label on one $45 sweater says it's "Pure Cashmere." But a magnified fiber analysis reveals it's actually 10% wool!

Pat Slaven-Consumer Reports: "Cashmere should be a nice smooth fiber with smooth even scales. This gives cashmere many of its fine properties. And here (looking at a microscopic image) you can see that the chemically treated wool, the surface is falling apart."

Even if a sweater is 100% cashmere, if it's made with single-ply yarn, Consumer Reports says you're not getting top quality.

Pat Slaven-Consumer Reports: "If you get a hole in it or a weak spot, it will literally pull apart. And also, it'll stretch out more at the cuffs and the bottom border."

The expensive sweaters Pat tested turned out to be cashmere at its finest. They're made from high-quality, three-ply yarn that will stand the test of time, but they cost hundreds of dollars. Our testers did find two bargains. A sweater from Lands' End and another from Charter Club were made from good quality two-ply yarn and cost a little more than a $100.

So if you're considering giving someone a cashmere sweater this holiday season, Consumer Reports says remember, you get what you pay for. They say to avoid the under $100 ones, and look for a sweater that's at least two-ply.

For more helpful consumer information, visit *Consumer Reports on the web.

http://www.consumerreports.org/

*Consumer Reports is a fee based website. Many of the articles require a subscription.