I first heard about Gap’s new CashSoft material in the fall when my colleague Ambar Pardilla put me in touch with one of her sources, Elizabeth Cardinal Tamkin, as I was working on our guide to the best cardigans. Tamkin, the author of the newsletter The Corner Booth, recommended Gap’s affordable CashSoft cardigan. Not only was it cozy and easy to wear on its own as a top, she said, but it was machine washable and maintained its quality even after a few washes. After looking at the CashSoft cardigan product description — which described the sweater as a medium-weight layer, with a cashmere-soft feel but made from 53 percent cotton and 47 percent nylon — I was curious to try it for myself.
When my sample arrived, it was pretty much immediately clear to me that Tamkin was right. The CashSoft material was so comfortable and gentle on my skin that I could wear it with just a minimal bralette. Very quickly, the cardigan became a key part of my fall and winter wardrobe, thanks to its ridiculously soft yet sturdy feel, plus how warm it kept me on chilly Toronto days. Since then, I’ve worn it while lounging around my house and to happy hour, then to a Leafs hockey game during the weekend. Weeks later, my cardigan still looks the same as day one. I haven’t noticed any pilling even after lots of machine washing and hang drying.
With the coldest months of the year ahead and the realization that CashSoft was selling out quickly on Gap’s website, I ordered a cream-colored cable-knit sweater and matching pants set. Since it arrived last week, I haven’t taken it off. I’ve worn it everywhere, from walking my almost-4-month-old puppy around our neighborhood to an outdoor holiday market — always in 30-degree weather, no less — and even to get dinner with my best friend. It makes for incredible loungewear, but the brushed material also looks and feels expensive. And because it’s mid-weight, it can be layered or dressed up with another sweater or coat.
After raving about CashSoft to some of the Strategist staff, I learned that I’m not the only fan. New York Magazine’s deputy editor Alexis Swerdloff and Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio are both CashSoft devotees. Trolio, it turns out, owns three of the CashSoft crewnecks — which feature a ribbed neck and cuffs — in cobalt, bright purple, and dark brown. The best part, according to her, is that compared to cashmere’s often $100-plus price tag, CashSoft is a relative steal and is often on sale. It’s been going for “$35 or less long before the holiday season,” Trolio told me.
Swerdloff, meanwhile, discovered CashSoft during Cyber Week, when she was deep on Gap’s site. She says the fabric feels fancy — especially for the very reasonable price — and agrees that while CashSoft is not an exact match for cashmere, it actually feels thicker and sturdier in a way that she likes. Swerdloff is even gifting CashSoft to a handful of family members — joggers for her mother-in-law, a mock neck and gloves for her aunt, and a cardigan for her mom. A friend of hers recently raved about a CashSoft dress, to which Swerdloff said, “Bury me in CashSoft.”
With all of this interest in CashSoft, I wanted to know more about what “CashSoft” even is. A Gap representative told me the CashSoft knit is a “proprietary fabric” that’s made to feel like traditional cashmere but is super easy to care for, thanks to its cotton-nylon blend. To get a non-Gap expert opinion on the material, I consulted our writer and resident textiles expert Erin Schwartz, who visited the Gap store in Manhattan and touched CashSoft in person. “There is nothing you can do chemically to turn a cotton-nylon blend into cashmere — they are in different families of textiles — but I think this comes as close as I can imagine to a cashmere dupe,” Schwartz told me. They pointed out that synthetic fabrics meant to mimic natural protein fibers often have a strange sheen, a common giveaway that they’re not the real deal. CashSoft, however, is without this shiny telltale sign; instead, the Gap material is matte and lacks luster, which gives it a more expensive look.
Schwartz’s analysis that it’s a very successful cashmere alternative is enough of a selling point for me. Trolio, Swerdloff, and I love that CashSoft is extraordinarily soft and warm, and we all appreciate its durable, non-flimsy nature, which never feels too bulky or heavy. I followed Swerdloff’s lead and bought CashSoft clothes for a few people in my family because, well, ’tis the CashSoft season.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
