Pick Of The Litter

In our last post, we Vixens shared some care tips for your favorite sweaters. But not all knits are created equal. When choosing which sweater to purchase, or caring for your favorite picks, remember that knitwear fibers have different "personalities":

Acrylic - Durable, inexpensive and very popular fiber for knits. Easy care (machine or hand washable). Likely the fastest fiber to start pilling.

Angora - Luxury fiber, extremely soft. Tends to develop pills under the arms, easily picked off without need for a pill shaver. Fibers from furry angora can tickle the nose. Hand washable in cool to lukewarm water with no agitation.

Cashmere - Classic luxury fiber, very soft. Can pill slightly but does not look offensive. Hand washable in cool to lukewarm water with no agitation.

Cotton/Linen - Easy-care and wrinkles only slightly. Machine washable though it helps to minimize wrinkles with a quick fold while still warm from the dryer. Hand washing will help prevent a soft whitish tint from developing on the fabric surface.

Mohair - Very silky luxury fiber. Begins to mat over time, does not pill easily. Dry cleaning is best because of the matting tendency.

Nylon/Polyester - Synthetic-feeling, inexpensive but usually comfortable to wear. Easy care. Machine washable but for nylon in particular, vintage versions tend to snag so we recommend hand washing.

Wool - Lasts for years with good storage. Tends to soften and fit the wearer better over time. Pills somewhat, but depends on the yarn & pattern. Dry cleaning is easiest, but careful hand washing is possible with cool water and no agitation.