HOW TO SCORE TWO CABLE KNIT CASHMERE SWEATERS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE

Today I’m going to let you in on one of my all-time favorite style hacks: how I score preppy basics like this Ralph Lauren cable knit cashmere sweater for around 50% of their retail cost. It’s not a flash sale site or a promo code, so it’s something you can do year-round. Ready for it? Meet me in the boys’ department.

I own a handful of Ralph Lauren women’s cable knit cashmere sweaters (you can see two I lived in on our honeymoon) and I think the classic style and quality speak for themselves. But at $398, they’re definitely a splurge, until a couple girlfriends recently clued me in on a little secret: Ralph Lauren sells the same style in boys’ sizes 8-20 for $195. Yes, even in bright pink!

Now the fit is definitely a little boxier in the body, but I might actually prefer that to the super slim fit of the women’s style (in which I usually size up from an XS to a small). But the length, sleeve circumference, and quality are all virtually indistinguishable between the two.

In terms of sizing, here’s what I recommend: the women’s XS is comparable to a boys’ medium, a women’s small would be a boys’ large, and a women’s medium would be a boys’ XL. Oh and obviously double check to make sure you’re in the boys’ 8-20 department and not ages 2-7. 😉

I haven’t tried this with other styles yet, but I love knowing I can score two cable knit cashmere sweaters for the cost of one and no one would ever know the difference (er, you know, until this blog post). I could see this trick working just as well on this classic flag sweater too. Have you tried buying from the boys’ department before? Do tell!