Everlane oversized alpaca crew versus cashmere crew review

I have two new colorful sweaters to get through the last of the chilly temperatures–the Everlane cashmere crew and the oversized alpaca crew. Before I owned them, I was pretty torn about which to pick, so I thought I would compare them side-by-side for anyone who feels similarly, and talk about sizing, if they’re itchy, quality, and warmth! Spoilers: I kept both. But let’s get into what I recommend each for!

Cashmere Crew

The cashmere crew has been around for a while but this is my first time owning one! I chose both this and the alpaca as gifted items to write about from Everlane this month–the colors were exciting to me and my sweater collection is looking pretty bedraggled, so both are one-in one-out replacements for similar sweaters I own that have gotten pretty misshapen (and a teal sweater that lost the war against moths).

The cashmere crew has a slim fit, good length in the arms (I’m 5’11” so I need that–but also a long cuff that can easily be rolled and still looks polished), and a ton of colors to choose from. I chose the new heathered indigo color aka teal aka my FAVORITE COLOR and I’m so glad it’s coming back around.

Ignore my tie dye blanket…I’ve been cold…

The quality is decent, but not my most luxurious cashmere sweater (thrifted fancy cashmere is life tbh). I honestly forget it isn’t cotton when I’m wearing it. It’s light but warm enough as a layer under coats. The crew neck is nice for layering with collared shirts but not tight. I have no itch factor here (but if you’re allergic you obviously would).

I usually choose a small in Everlane shirts and am a size 6, but I’m glad I picked the medium on this one. It’s fitted without being clingy and better for putting a long sleeved shirt underneath. This sweater goes up to a size 2XL which is slightly better than the alpaca (only goes up to an XL) but I wish Everlane would do better expanding sizing (versus churning out more colors) in both.

Alpaca Crew

Next, the alpaca sweater. This is the softest, fuzziest, lightest, all the -ests I can come up with. I am a big fan–this is my second one (I reviewed the java color here–I got it for Christmas and have worn it at least once a week since then!). The puff sleeve is a cute detail and I like the pattern in the knit. I think this sweater looks overall “trendier” (sort of like a Sezane sweater) but is still work-appropriate.

The fit on this one is boxier, the sleeves are a tad shorter, and the neck is a bit tighter. I have the java color in a small and the mustard color in a medium. I like the medium a bit better–it’s slouchier but still fits well. The difference is pretty minimal, though, as you can see from my very scientific attempt to compare the sizes on my bed:

I will say I think the alpaca pills more than the cashmere. Here’s a close up of the mustard (worn once) versus the java (worn constantly for the past month):

I don’t think the pilling looks too obvious, though, because the sweater is so fuzzy.

Onto the important stuff: is it itchy? Yes, particularly on the neck. I wear a crew neck long sleeve tee and that helps, but it still took me about two wears not to feel the itch. Is it warm? Yes, warmer than the cashmere. I am always pushing the sleeves up when I get inside. Good thing it looks cute that way.

Which one am I reaching for? With 30 mph winds all week, the alpaca for sure! Here it is with dress pants:

But I think the cashmere will be a great spring transition. And the color of both is so welcome after wearing mostly black and white for the past few months. Which would you choose? Do you have other Everlane sweaters you recommend? I also just saw that my favorite cropped pant now comes in a full length so that might get added to my 20 items of the year as well!

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