AW 2026-27 Cashmere Knitwear Silhouette Report: 5 Forms B2B Buyers Are Requesting from Ordos

Between April and September 2026, our sample room in Ordos processed 47 distinct development requests for AW 2026-27 cashmere knitwear. This is a 28% increase in development requests versus the same period in 2025, and the silhouettes being requested have shifted meaningfully away from the relaxed “quiet luxury” forms that dominated 2023-2025. This page is a categorized summary of what is actually being developed, with the gauge, yarn count, MOQ, and program-fit notes for each silhouette.

If you are a brand developing an AW 2026-27 cashmere capsule, this is what your peer group is making. If you are a yarn buyer selecting stock for a 2027 program, the gauge and yarn-count notes at the bottom of each silhouette will help you size your forecast.

1. How to read this report

Each silhouette below includes: the silhouette name, what buyers are asking for, the gauge and yarn count we are running, the MOQ we recommend, the program fit (who this is for), and the things that go wrong when the silhouette is not specified well.

The gauge and yarn counts are based on actual development samples in our sample room, not textbook recommendations. Where a buyer came to us with a wrong specification (too-fine gauge for a chunky silhouette, wrong yarn count for a soft-handle requirement), we have noted it. The MOQs are 2026-current; for any program above $20K total we will negotiate MOQ on a per-style basis.

The 5 silhouettes below cover approximately 78% of the development requests we received. The other 22% are more category-specific (e.g. fine-gauge men’s underlayers, technical cashmere for outdoor, intarsia-heavy sweaters) and are not in scope here.

2. Silhouette I — “The Editorial Half Cardigan” (33% of requests)

A wide, drop-shoulder half-cardigan with a slightly cropped length. The collar (no hood, no shawl) is a ribbed stand-up neck that folds over into a shallow shawl. Sleeves are wide and hit at the wrist bone, not the palm. Length hits at the high hip.

The buyer request: 70% women-led brands, mostly in the 25–40 age range; Western European (Paris, Milan, Antwerp) and Japanese (Tokyo, Osaka). The aesthetic is “editorial layering piece” — designed to be worn over a longer shirt and under an outer layer, with the half-cardigan visible at the neckline.

Gauge and yarn count (2026 specs):

7gg to 9gg (the wider the better, but 7gg is at the limit for a soft half-cardigan — 9gg gives a cleaner drape)
2/26 Nm or 2/30 Nm worsted spun, depending on hand preference
Total weight: 380–480g per piece at size M
Cashmere content: 100%, no blends

MOQ: 200 pieces per colorway, 4-color minimum in a capsule, with single-colorway orders at 100 pieces accepted for development capsules.

The thing that goes wrong: Buyers who specify this silhouette often default to 12gg or 14gg, which makes a half-cardigan feel too fine and too tight. The silhouette is the entire reason for the gauge choice — 7gg gives the silhouette its drape and weight, and 14gg defeats the point. If your buyer asks for 14gg, push back to 9gg and explain the drape.

Program fit: Womenswear, contemporary, mid-to-premium positioning. Pairs with the Eclipse Earth and Botanica palettes from the 2026-2027 color forecast.

3. Silhouette II — “The Heavy Polo” (24% of requests)

A men’s cashmere polo with a 2-button placket, raglan or set-in sleeve, and a slightly relaxed body. Distinct from the “fine-gauge polo” that has been in and out of the market for 15 years; this is heavier, more textured, and reads as a “winter polo” rather than a transitional piece.

The buyer request: 90% menswear brands, 50% US-based, 30% Italian, 20% Japanese. The polo is positioned as an alternative to a cashmere crewneck — same warmth, more visual interest, more “personality” than a basic.

Gauge and yarn count (2026 specs):

7gg (5gg is too heavy, 12gg is the fine-gauge polo that this is not)
2/26 Nm or 2/30 Nm worsted spun
Total weight: 320–380g per piece at size M
Cashmere content: 100%, with a small number of requests for 90/10 cashmere/wool (cheaper, more durable for the polo use case)

MOQ: 300 pieces per colorway, 3-color minimum, with single-colorway at 150 pieces for development.

The thing that goes wrong: Buyers who specify a 2-button placket without specifying the placket length. A 2-button polo placket ranges from 2.5cm (very short) to 8cm (long, almost quarter-zip). The “heavy polo” works best with a 5–6cm placket — long enough to read as a polo, short enough to not be a quarter-zip. If your buyer does not specify, default to 5.5cm.

Program fit: Menswear, premium casualwear, and the “elevated basics” capsule that has been building for 3 seasons. Pairs with the Boreal and Eclipse Earth palettes.

4. Silhouette III — “The Funnel-Neck Sweater” (19% of requests)

A women’s or unisex sweater with a funnel neck (a stand-up collar that is taller than a standard crew but shorter than a true turtleneck — typically 10–12cm). The body is a relaxed fit, sleeves hit at the wrist bone, and the silhouette is meant to be worn over a long-sleeve t-shirt or under an outer layer.

The buyer request: 60% womenswear, 40% menswear, mostly premium positioning. Italian, French, and Korean brands. The funnel neck is positioned as a “less aggressive” alternative to the turtleneck — present in the silhouette but not a statement.

Gauge and yarn count (2026 specs):

9gg to 12gg, depending on whether the buyer wants a soft drape (9gg) or a clean line (12gg)
2/26 Nm or 2/30 Nm worsted for 9gg, 2/48 Nm worsted for 12gg
Total weight: 280–380g per piece at size M
Cashmere content: 100%

MOQ: 250 pieces per colorway, 4-color minimum, single-colorway at 125 pieces for development.

The thing that goes wrong: Buyers who specify a “turtleneck” and then expect a funnel neck, or vice versa. A funnel neck is 10–12cm and folds slightly forward. A turtleneck is 18–22cm and folds over fully. The two silhouettes are not interchangeable in cashmere — a 22cm cashmere turtleneck is heavy and hot and reads as costume; a 10cm cashmere funnel neck is luxurious and wearable. Specify the height in cm, not “turtleneck” or “funnel neck.”

Program fit: Womenswear, menswear, premium positioning. Pairs with the Twilight Plum palette for a more dramatic direction, or with the Eclipse Earth for a more classic.

5. Silhouette IV — “The Slightly Oversized Cardigan” (16% of requests)

A men’s or unisex cardigan with a 5-button closure, two patch pockets, set-in sleeves, and a body that is 4–6cm larger in the chest than the standard fit. The cardigan is meant to be worn open over a t-shirt or a fine-gauge cashmere crewneck, not closed.

The buyer request: 75% menswear, 25% unisex. The “slightly oversized” is the key — buyers are explicitly not asking for a true oversized fit (which they consider a 2024 trend they are moving past). The new direction is a “refined relaxed” — a cardigan that hangs well but does not look like it is borrowed from a larger size.

Gauge and yarn count (2026 specs):

5gg to 7gg (this is the chunky end of cashmere; 5gg is at the limit of what cashmere yarn can do without losing its hand)
2/26 Nm or 2/30 Nm worsted spun
Total weight: 480–620g per piece at size M (this is the heaviest silhouette in the request set)
Cashmere content: 100%, with a smaller number of 95/5 cashmere/wool requests for durability

MOQ: 200 pieces per colorway, 3-color minimum, single-colorway at 100 pieces for development.

The thing that goes wrong: Buyers who specify 3gg gauge because they want a really chunky cardigan. 3gg cashmere looks heavy but is structurally weak — the yarn pulls, the cardigan stretches at the elbow within 4 wears, and the drape is bad. 5gg is the floor for a quality chunky cashmere cardigan. If your buyer wants more weight, the answer is a heavier yarn count (2/26 Nm instead of 2/30 Nm), not a heavier gauge.

Program fit: Menswear, premium casualwear, and any “elevated basics” or “post-quiet-luxury” capsule. Pairs with the Eclipse Earth and Boreal palettes. This silhouette is also the most common request for cashmere-blend (95/5 cashmere/wool) because the heavier gauge makes pure cashmere a stretch for some price points.

6. Silhouette V — “The Long-Sleeve Roll Neck” (8% of requests)

A women’s long-sleeve pullover with a roll neck (a true turtleneck, 18–22cm, designed to be folded over once). The body is a close fit, sleeves are fitted, and the silhouette is meant to be worn under a blazer or as a stand-alone piece. This is the most “luxury” of the 5 silhouettes — cashmere roll necks at 14gg+ are a statement of brand taste, not just a garment.

The buyer request: 100% womenswear, mostly mid-to-premium European and Japanese brands. The roll neck is positioned as the “anchor piece” of a winter collection — a 14gg cashmere roll neck at 100% cashmere under a wool blazer is the brand-defining piece for a lot of contemporary European labels.

Gauge and yarn count (2026 specs):

12gg to 16gg (this is the fine-gauge end of cashmere; 16gg is at the limit of what cashmere yarn can do without going transparent)
2/48 Nm or 2/60 Nm worsted spun (the fine yarn counts)
Total weight: 220–280g per piece at size M
Cashmere content: 100%, with a smaller number of 90/10 cashmere/silk for the absolute finest hand

MOQ: 150 pieces per colorway, 4-color minimum, single-colorway at 80 pieces for development. The lower MOQ reflects the higher yarn cost and the higher risk of the program.

The thing that goes wrong: Buyers who specify 18gg or 20gg because they want the “finest possible” cashmere. 18gg cashmere is so fine it is essentially transparent in places, and the 2/60 Nm yarn required is at the limit of what worsted spinners can do. The result is a garment that looks beautiful on a flat surface and falls apart in wear. 14gg is the floor for a luxury roll neck; 12gg is the sweet spot. 16gg is acceptable for a layering piece, not for a stand-alone roll neck.

Program fit: Premium womenswear, and specifically the brands that compete on quality of cashmere rather than on price. This is the highest-cost silhouette in the request set — a 14gg 100% cashmere roll neck at proper yarn is a $80–100 FOB Tianjin garment, which means a $300+ retail price. Program the price point accordingly.

7. What the 47 development requests tell us about AW 2026-27

Three observations from the request set that might be useful for your own planning:

The drop-shoulder / relaxed silhouette is the leading direction. Silhouette I (the half cardigan) and Silhouette IV (the slightly oversized cardigan) together represent 49% of all requests. This is the post-quiet-luxury direction — the silhouette is not as exaggerated as the 2024 oversized, but it is moving away from the fitted 2022–2023 baseline. If you are developing one silhouette for AW 2026-27, the half cardigan is the safest bet.

The funnel neck is the new turtleneck. Silhouette III is up 4x year-over-year, while traditional turtleneck requests are flat. Buyers are gravitating toward a slightly less aggressive neckline. The funnel neck is also more versatile — it works under a blazer, where a turtleneck sometimes doesn’t, and it reads as more contemporary.

The chunky gauge is the new luxury. Silhouettes II, III (9gg), and IV are all in the 7–9gg range. 12gg and 14gg requests are flat year-over-year. The market is moving toward a more textured, more visible cashmere — chunkier gauges that show off the yarn character. If you are selecting a yarn for AW 2026-27 development, 2/26 Nm or 2/30 Nm worsted in 7gg to 9gg is the safest forecast.

8. The development process at our sample room

For each of the 5 silhouettes above, the typical sample room flow is:

Tech-pack review. Send your tech pack, sketch, or reference garment. We will review the spec against our development history and flag any gauge / yarn / stitch-density issues before we cut a sample. This step is free.
First sample. 14 days from approved tech pack. Cost: 1 sample at 2/3 sample-unit cost, refundable against a production order above 200 pieces.
Fit and yarn review. You review the sample in your studio. We provide the actual yarn spec, the actual gauge, and the actual weight per piece, so you can validate the spec against the sample.
Fit revision (if needed). 10 days for one revision. Most silhouettes are 1.5–2.0 fit rounds.
Pre-production sample. At 50 pieces, in your final color, with bulk yarn. This is your final pre-production sign-off.
Production. Standard lead times by gauge and yarn count, ranging from 35 to 55 days.

We can compress the sample-room timeline for programs with an AW 2026-27 retail deadline in September 2027 — talk to us early (October–November 2026) so we can hold sample-room slots.

9. The thing that goes wrong most often

Across the 47 development requests in our sample room in 2026, the single most common problem is gauge and yarn count mismatch with the intended silhouette. Buyers specify the silhouette correctly (e.g. “funnel neck, relaxed fit”) but specify a gauge and yarn count that don’t deliver the silhouette (e.g. 14gg 2/48 Nm, which makes a stiff, thin funnel neck rather than the soft drape that 9gg 2/26 Nm would deliver).

The fix is simple: talk to us before the tech pack is finalized. We can tell you in 15 minutes what gauge and yarn count will deliver the silhouette you want. We do not charge for this and there is no obligation — the conversation is just the fastest way to a sample that is right the first time.

For a quick gauge / yarn count reference by silhouette type:

Drop-shoulder half cardigan: 7–9gg, 2/26 Nm or 2/30 Nm worsted
Heavy polo: 7gg, 2/26 Nm or 2/30 Nm worsted
Funnel neck: 9–12gg, 2/26 Nm (9gg) or 2/48 Nm (12gg)
Slightly oversized cardigan: 5–7gg, 2/26 Nm worsted (2/30 Nm for lighter hand)
Long-sleeve roll neck: 12–14gg, 2/48 Nm or 2/60 Nm worsted

These are not the only valid combinations, but they are the combinations that consistently deliver the silhouette that the buyer is actually asking for.

10. How to start a development

For a new development or capsule, the most efficient path is to send a single email with: target silhouette (1 or more from the 5 above), target price point (if known), target MOQ, target delivery date, and target color story. We will reply within 24 hours with: a sample-room slot, a gauge / yarn count recommendation, a price estimate, and a sample delivery date.

For programs that match one of the 5 silhouettes above, we can usually have a first sample in your hands within 14 days of tech-pack signoff, and bulk production started within 60 days of sample approval.

If you are a wholesale buyer selecting a stock program (not custom development), we maintain standing inventory on most of the 5 silhouettes in the Eclipse Earth and Botanica color palettes. Standing inventory programs are faster to ship and lower in unit cost; talk to us about your target silhouette, color, and quantity for a same-day quote.