Massimo Alba Sport Crew Neck Sweater

Jacquard in knitwear means the pattern is constructed rather than applied. Multiple yarns are carried through the knitting itself, so the design exists in the structure of the fabric and is visible on both faces, and it cannot fade, crack, or wash out, because there is nothing sitting on the surface to come off. It is significantly slower to produce than a plain knit and it is one of the few things in knitwear that cannot be faked convincingly at a lower price.

Doing it in cashmere is the extravagant part. Cashmere is a short fibre and a fine one, and it is knitted plain more often than not because plain is where it is at its softest and least stressed. A cashmere jacquard therefore gives you two things that are usually alternatives: the pattern and the hand together. In Lemur, a grey, the pattern reads tonally rather than graphically, which is the correct temperature for it. At a distance this is a grey cashmere crewneck. Up close it is not.

Classic fit, which is the right decision. A patterned knit with any styling in the cut would be doing two things at once.

We bought this for the wardrobe that already contains the plain cashmere crewneck, which is a real position to be in and a badly served one. It is also a sweater we more or less have to put in someone's hands before they understand it, because the jacquard does not photograph.

Massimo Alba's years in cashmere are most visible in this sweater, which is the technically hardest knit the house makes.

One hundred percent cashmere jacquard, made in Italy. Classic fit, crew neck. Colour: Lemur.

Classic fit, meaning it skims without clinging, which is what cashmere needs; a tight cashmere sweater pills at the friction points. A jacquard knit is fractionally denser and less elastic than a plain knit of the same gauge because of the extra yarn carried through it, so this holds its shape a little more firmly than a plain cashmere crewneck. It layers under a jacket, though it has more presence than a fine plain knit and a close-cut jacket will feel it.

With the Ionio2 in Caffe or the Winch2 in Alluminio, grey on grey, which is the version that lets the pattern do the work. Under the Baglietto. Over the Genova in Bianco with the collar out.

Fold it, never hang it, and air it between wearings. Hand wash cool with a wool detergent when it needs it, dry flat, and reshape while damp. Our general care guidance covers the rest.

The Liam Sweater is the cashmere half-zip, the Larry Crewneck Sweater is the extrafine virgin wool, and the Persico Cardigan is wool, alpaca, mohair, and silk. The Baglietto Jacket is the wool jacket over it. Everything we carry from Massimo Alba is listed together.