The Loden is a men's four-ply cashmere crewneck designed with the weight, proportion and practical detailing of a classic sweatshirt, knitted entirely in Hawick from Grade A Scottish cashmere. A crewneck earns its place in a wardrobe by doing one thing well. The Loden does that, then adds something quieter, built entirely in cashmere.
Most cashmere crewnecks are dressed for the office. The Loden is dressed for a Saturday. It keeps the fiber, the mill, and the knitting standards of the rest of the Billie Todd men's collection, then applies them to a shape people actually reach for on a cold morning.
A Short History Of The Sweatshirt
The sweatshirt has a specific origin. In 1926, a University of Alabama football player named Benjamin Russell Jr. asked his father, the founder of a small Alabama textile mill, for a training top that did not itch and chafe the way wool practice jerseys did. Russell Sr. reworked a cotton jersey already in production, adding a ribbed triangular insert at the neckline that let the collar stretch over the head without losing its shape and doubled as a place to absorb sweat at the chest, a detail now known as the V-insert. By 1930 the design was in full production as a loose, collarless cotton pullover, the first sweatshirt. A few years later, Champion Knitting Mills added a heavier double knit and a seamless tubular construction at the cuff and hem, aimed at teams standing on cold sidelines rather than running drills.
Those early construction choices, the V-insert and the tubular knit hem and cuff, were practical decisions built for durability and stretch under repeated wear and washing. The Loden keeps the tubular knit and reworks the V-insert into a cleaner shape, then adds a construction the original sweatshirt never had at all: a saddle shoulder.
Robb Report Recommends
Robb Report featured the Loden sport crewneck in its Robb Recommends series, describing it as a go-to piece with a "luxuriously substantial 4-ply weight." After nearly a year of wear, the reviewer reported no pilling, with the neckline and wristbands holding their shape. Read the review.
A Familiar Shape, Rebuilt In Cashmere
The Loden borrows its proportions from a classic sweatshirt: a slightly relaxed body, a substantial ribbed hem and cuff, a crewneck that sits close without pulling. What it does not borrow is the fabric. Where a sweatshirt is cotton fleece, the Loden is knitted entirely from Grade A cashmere, at a 4 ply weight that gives it the structure and warmth to hold that shape.
A few construction details set the Loden apart. Some are inherited directly from sweatshirt history, some are Billie Todd additions. The tubular knit cuff and hem carries over from the original construction, giving the trim a clean, finished edge rather than a separate cut-and-sew band.
The saddle shoulder is not part of that history. It is a Billie Todd addition: a seam that runs from the collar down over the top of the arm instead of across it, giving a cleaner shoulder line and more room through the arm than a standard set in sleeve.
The V-insert is reworked as well. The classic version is a ribbed triangle stitched at the neckline. On the Loden, that shape is cleaned up into a narrower, more minimal line, keeping the function of the original detail while giving it a quieter, more luxury finish in cashmere.
One more detail confirms the construction. Along the shoulder seam, a set of fine fashioning marks, small rib lines left where the knitting was shaped rather than cut, are visible on close inspection. They are the signature of true full fashioned knitting: proof the panel was built to its finished shape on the machine, not trimmed to size afterward.
The result reads as a crewneck first. The sweatshirt influence shows up in the construction rather than the silhouette: the tubular rib, the saddle shoulder, the refined V-insert, the fashioning marks at the shoulder. It is a piece built for the moments a sweatshirt usually covers, made from a fiber a sweatshirt never touches.
Why 4 Ply
Ply describes how many individual strands of yarn are twisted together before knitting. A 2 ply cashmere piece, like the Earnest crewneck, is lighter and closer to the body. A 4 ply piece like the Loden uses twice the yarn, which means more warmth, more structure, and a heavier hand that holds its shape through repeated wear.
That weight is what makes the sweatshirt inspired styling work. A lighter gauge would drape too softly to hold the ribbed hem and relaxed body the design calls for. The 4 ply construction gives the Loden the substance to look intentional rather than slouchy.
The Yarn and Where It Is Made
The Loden is knitted in Hawick, in the Scottish Borders, from 100% Grade A Todd & Duncan yarn. The fiber measures 15.5 microns in diameter with a 35mm staple length, spun at the Todd & Duncan mill in Kinross using water drawn from Loch Leven. The knitted panels are shaped on the machine rather than cut and sewn afterward, then finished in Hawick on the River Teviot.
None of that changes how the Loden looks on a hanger. It changes how it wears over years: fewer weak seams, less pilling, and a garment that softens rather than breaks down with repeated washing.
| Construction | 4-ply, shaped on the machine as it is knitted |
| Shoulder | Saddle shoulder, seam runs from collar to cuff, a Billie Todd addition |
| Neckline | Refined V-insert, cleaner line than the classic shape |
| Fashioning Marks | Fine ribs at the shoulder seam from full fashioned knitting |
| Cuff and Hem | Tubular knit, seamless rib |
| Yarn | Grade A Todd & Duncan cashmere |
| Fiber | 15.5 micron, 35mm staple length |
| Mill | Kinross, Scotland, processed with Loch Leven water |
| Knitting | Hawick, Scottish Borders, finished on the River Teviot |
| Category | Crewneck, sweatshirt inspired styling |
The Loden In Every Colorway
The Loden — Japanese Blue, Harborside
The Loden — Loden
The Loden — Titanium
The Loden — Japanese Blue, Countryside
The Loden — Naval Jack
Shop The Loden 4-Ply Cashmere Crewneck in every available color.
How To Wear It
The Loden is built for the register a sweatshirt usually occupies: weekend errands, travel days, a layer under a jacket once the temperature drops. It pairs easily with denim or chinos, and the ribbed hem sits well untucked. Because it reads casual, it also works layered over a collared shirt without looking like an attempt to dress it up.
Care
Hand wash in cool water using a mild detergent, then dry flat away from direct heat. Store folded rather than hung, ideally with cedar, to keep the ribbing and shoulder shape intact between wears. Proper cashmere care extends the life of any garment by years; a 4 ply piece like the Loden, built for regular rotation, benefits from it most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Loden a crewneck or a sweatshirt?
It is a crewneck. The sweatshirt influence is in the construction: the tubular rib, the saddle shoulder, and the refined V-insert. It sits in our men's cashmere crewnecks collection.
What is the difference between the Loden and the Earnest?
The Earnest is a 2 ply crewneck built for a closer, lighter fit. The Loden is 4 ply, heavier, and cut with more room, with sweatshirt inspired detailing the Earnest does not have.
Where is the Loden made?
The Loden is knitted in Hawick, Scotland, from Grade A Todd & Duncan yarn spun in Kinross.
What is a saddle shoulder, and why does the Loden use one?
A saddle shoulder is a construction where the shoulder seam runs from the collar down over the top of the arm rather than across it. It is not part of traditional sweatshirt construction. It is a Billie Todd addition, chosen for a cleaner shoulder line and more room through the arm.
What is the V-insert below the collar?
The V-insert is the ribbed detail found at the neckline of a classic sweatshirt, originally used to let the collar stretch over the head and to absorb sweat at the chest. The Loden keeps the detail but refines its shape into a cleaner, more minimal line suited to cashmere.
What are the fine ribs along the shoulder seam?
Those are fashioning marks, the small rib lines left where the knitting was shaped rather than cut. They are a visible sign of full fashioned construction, confirming the panel was built to its finished shape on the machine instead of trimmed to size afterward.
How should I care for a 4 ply cashmere crewneck?
Hand wash in cool water, dry flat, and store folded with cedar. Avoid high heat and machine drying.
