5 Jenni Kayne Sweater Dupes From Sustainable Brands
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Close your eyes for a minute and imagine yourself with your hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee on a cool morning, luxuriating in the brush of cashmere on your bare skin. This is what Jenni Kayne does best — lush comfort, luxe fabrics, and timeless craftsmanship. Her sweaters are an investment wardrobe staple complimenting all kinds of bodies and lasting a lifetime. But with a number of Jenni Kayne’s sweaters falling in the $300–$500 range, they may fall out of budget for some of us. If you’re longing for Jenni Kayne’s commitment to sustainability and quiet luxury but at a lower price point, or even if you’re just curious what other brands are doing similar work, we’ve rounded up five sustainable sweater dupes to give you that quintessential cozy feeling.
For sweater styling ideas, check out the other garments in our fall capsule wardrobe and our favorite sustainable knee-high boots. ☕️ 🍂
1. NAADAM
Best For | Affordable cashmere
Ethics | Cultural preservation and environmental stability
Sizes Available | XXS-3X
Prices Starting At | $98
If you want your cashmere to be 100% ethically sourced directly from Mongolian herding communities, then NAADAM is the company for you. Started in 2013 by two college friends who traveled to Mongolia’s Gobi Desert and saw how traditional cashmere traders hike prices and hoard profits, the brand decided to change the industry by investing directly in herding communities and cutting out middlemen. The result is a transparent business model using circular design principles to produce premium cashmere at affordable prices. NAADAM offers a wide variety of contemporary designs, from quarter zips to cardigans. Fun fact: Their cashmere comes from the Zalaa Jinst white goat, the only completely white breed of cashmere goat in the whole of Mongolia.
2. Tradlands
Best For | Size-inclusive 100% cotton that feels like cashmere
Ethics | Family-owned manufacturers
Sizes Available | XXS-4X
Prices Starting At | $236
Tradlands makes quality sweaters in small batches, rendered in classic archetypal designs that are slowly and thoughtfully developed. The company uses mono-materials like 100% cotton to make their soft-as-cashmere sweaters like the Shelter Cotton Crewneck, designed to give off a classic East Coast vibe. Because Tradlands has a family-owned manufacturing facility in Peru, and cotton is native to the area, Tradlands can localize their cotton cultivation, source from seed to finished garment, and reduce shipping pollution.
3. ABLE
Best For | Recycled poly-blend that feels like cashmere
Ethics | Women empowerment
Sizes Available | XXS-3X
Prices Starting At | $158
Started by a husband and wife who wanted to help at-risk women in Ethiopia, and with a mission to end generational poverty, ABLE’s ethics lead their company’s practices. ABLE’s staff is made up of 96% women; the brand works with worldwide manufacturers, many owned and operated by women; and all ABLE’s products are designed and made by women. With a home office located in Nashville, ABLE aims to empower women in everything they do. Their Harriet Slouchy Sweater is the softest not-cashmere-feels-like-cashmere you’ll ever wear. And we’re obsessed with the stripes and patterns offered.
4. Boden
Best For | Machine-washable cashmere
Ethics | Cashmere certified to the Good Cashmere Standard
Sizes Available | XS-XL
Prices Starting At | $150
Imagine quintessential British fashion and you’ll conjure up Boden — classic designs, impeccable tailoring, primary colors, and quality in every tiny detail. Family-owned Boden designs all their clothing in the heart of London. Their mission is to make the clothing you will wear forever and then pass on, minimizing impact on the planet. The brand’s goal is to be carbon neutral, with all recyclable packaging, using 100% sustainably sourced materials by 2025. Boden abides by GCS (Good Cashmere Standards) to ensure quality of life for their cashmere goats, and excellent labor and working conditions of their herding communities.
5. Gentle Herd
Best For | 100% ethically-sourced Mongolian cashmere
Ethics | Fair trade, environmentally friendly
Sizes Available | S-L
Prices Starting At | $229
Gentle Herd sources their cashmere directly from Inner Mongolia, what they call “the world’s largest pasture.” The brand invests in the herds from day one, monitoring and controlling herd size and making sure no animals are harmed during any stage of their production. Gentle Herd maintains fair trade practices and invests in the labor rights of their workers. They also happen to make the softest cashmere out there for under $500. Bonus: You can purchase cashmere pants from this brand and feel like you’re walking in a cloud.
Featured image is from ABLE
