Cashmere and I, we go together like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong (which unashamedly gives you a clue as to what is my favourite movie…). I love the softness of the pieces, the warm, comfy yet elegant feeling I get from wearing them and the fact that they are not too bulky but softly drape around your curves (big, thick knits = not my kind of thing). However what I don’t appreciate is the price tag… Ralph Lauren, I love you, but € 200 – € 400 per sweater doesn’t fit well within my budget, especially with a toddler and a baby on the way.

Another pet peeve of mine is that cashmere is only supposed to be worn during those unspeakably cold few months of the year between, say, December and March, when layering up is the thing to do, and you can’t go outside before having raided Regent Street’s section of Uniqlo. Granted, they do provide that snuggly warm extra layer between a thermal and a puffer jacket, but the truth is, I love wearing cashmere when the autumn leaves start falling or on those first sunny days of spring, when a pair of skinny jeans, a pair of black boots and a cashmere sweater make the perfect Sunday outfit.

This is where United Colours of Benetton steps in, with a new collection of colourful cashmere sweaters and cardigans, lightweight enough to be worn in autumn and spring, yet warm enough to be a good layer in winter. As a company as famous for their knitwear as for their publicity campaigns, the quality of these knits is indisputable, but with prices starting at € 46.95, the addition of that perfect neutral soft grey sweater and that vivid orange or lime green one won’t break the bank. Now all I have to do is choose between the casual V-neck or the ladylike cardigan…