For quiet luxury: a premium alternative to Loro Piana, but without the exclusive price tag
For discerning connoisseurs seeking hidden wealth and tactile pleasure, Loro Piana embodies the pinnacle of understated luxury. Revered for its cloud-like cashmere, soft camel hair and impeccable craftsmanship, the Italian brand sets the benchmark for noble fabrics and minimalist design. However, its high pricing—knitwear often exceeds $5,000 and outerwear exceeds $9,000—put it out of reach even for many luxury enthusiasts. This raises a basic question: Can one embody Loro Piana’s obsession with fine materials through other brands offering comparable heritage and quality at accessible prices?
The answer lies in strategically exploring the luxury space and discovering brands that prioritize textile innovation, artisanal integrity, and timeless silhouettes—often without the celebrity markup or retail markup of a large conglomerate. Below, we dissect eight brands that offer Loro Piana’s exquisite craftsmanship and fibers at 30-70% lower prices, designed for collectors who distinguish between prestige and true value.
1. Elgin Johnston (Scotland)
heritage: 225 years of mastery of cashmere and fine wool
Price comparison: $250-800 vs Loro Piana $1,500-6,000
Why it’s comparable: Until the 1980s, Johnstons was one of Loro Piana’s own suppliers. Johnstons also had similar technical capabilities, sourcing raw fiber from Inner Mongolia and processing it in a Scottish factory. Their two-layer cashmere sweater ($495) rivals the feel of Loro Piana, while its delicate tartans and scarves exhibit equal dyeing precision. Unlike Loro Piana’s runway releases, Johnstons focuses on heirloom-level essentials—think timeless unisex travel shawls and crewnecks.
Investment pieces: Crombie Cashmere Coat ($1,995) – Half the price of a similar Loro Piana product but with the same fiber density.
2. Gran Sasso (Italy)
heritage: Family owned since 1938, located in the heart of Italian knitwear (Abruzzo)
Price comparison: $300-$1,200 vs. $1,200-$4,000
Why it’s comparable: Dubbed the “anti-Loro Piana” by Italian editors for its democratization of luxury knitwear, Gran Sasso produces 80% of its cashmere in-house, maintaining vertical control similar to Loro Piana’s “wool-to-fashion” process. Their unique selling point? Extrafine 14-micron cashmere is brushed and worn with a ribbed turtleneck ($420) and a slouchy cardigan ($580), embodying Loro Piana’s effortless elegance. The brand eschews logo-centric designs, instead focusing on pigment-rich tones and airy layers.
3. Elder Statesman (USA)
heritage: Founded in 2007 by cashmere expert Greg Chait
Price comparison: $700-$2,500 and $1,600-$5,500
Why it’s comparable: Loro Piana specializes in conservative tones, and TES offers psychedelic art on cashmere of equal quality. Each piece is handwoven in Los Angeles from Mongolian and Afghan fibers and dyed using OSKA-approved dyeing methods to ensure saturated color and fade resistance. Though aesthetically bolder, TES lives up to Loro Piana’s obsessive fiber standards, especially in the brushed sweater ($2,200) and ombre sweater ($1,850). Ideal for collectors who value exclusivity (limited editions) and tactile creativity.
4. Falconeri (Italy)
heritage: Cashmere specialist division of the Calzedonia Group
Price comparison: US$150-700 vs. US$900-3,500
Why it’s comparable: For those who prioritize fiber excellence over runway cachet, Falconeri offers ultra-soft 100% cashmere at an entry-level luxury price. Their secret? Purchase Grade A fiber in bulk and simplify retail distribution. While the construction is simpler than Loro Piana (fewer handmade seams), the underlying materials, like the 2/28 NM reversible scarf ($230), feel strikingly similar. This is the luxury minimalist’s go-to for a tonal capsule wardrobe.
5. Maison Cashmere (Global)
heritage: Digitally native brands emphasizing traceability
Price comparison: $180-550 vs. $1,000-3,000
Why it’s comparable: Maison Cashmere leverages vertical integration and DTC margins to offer traceable “Mongolian Gold” fiber (16.5 micron) in a timeless shape. Their ribbed beanies ($185) and funnel-neck coats ($540) use similar spinning techniques (Salvatore Ferragamo’s former factory) and avoid embellishment, and cost 400 percent less than Loro Piana. Sustainability adds to the appeal—each garment lists its Nomad co-op.
6. SUITSUPPLY (Netherlands/Italy)
heritage: Revolutionizing accessible tailoring since 2000
Price comparison: $1,200-$2,800 vs. $4,000-$15,000
Why it’s comparable: Although SUITSUPPLY is not a cashmere specialist, it embodies Loro Piana’s tailoring philosophy in its outerwear and suits. their "luxurious" The collection is made in Vitale Barberis Canonico wool and cashmere blend ($1,490), produced in the same Como factory as Elite. Their camel hair coat ($1,850) uses a three-layer canvas construction similar to Loro Piana’s Storm System® approach to create a vicuña-like texture, but without the six-figure price tag.
7. Corgi (Welsh)
heritage: Weaver Royal Warrant since 1892
Price comparison: $200-$900 vs. $800-$4,000
Why it’s comparable: Corgis, beloved of British aristocrats, make each garment by hand in Wales using yarn from Italy’s Tollegno 2000 factory, a Loro Piana partner. Their unique selling point is the chunky cable-knit shawl collar ($625) and lambswool and cashmere blend dyed with natural pigments. While not as sophisticated as Loro Piana’s runway pieces, Corgi’s traditional cardigans have the same nostalgic warmth and heirloom durability.
8. Eric Bompard (France)
heritage: Paris Cashmere Institute founded in 1985
Price comparison: $250-$1,100 and $1,200-$6,000
Why it’s comparable: Eric Bompard "Mongolia high quality" Series (15.5 micron) achieves Loro Piana-like softness by elongating the fiber wash and nap. Their color expertise shines in subtle neutrals (mushroom, caramel) applied via eco-friendly dyes. While there are fewer ultra-luxe offerings (no lambskin, for example), its double-layered turtleneck ($390) and ribbed leggings ($260) are favorites for basic-luxe layering.
Conclusion: Beyond the Price Tag—The New Computing for Quiet Luxury
It’s no accident that Loro Piana dominates the spectrum of understated luxury, but its pricing strategy increasingly reflects exclusivity rather than intrinsic value. The brands mentioned above prove that superior quality doesn’t require an astronomical premium. By prioritizing vertical integration (Johnstons, Gran Sasso), artisanal transparency (Corgi, Eric Bompard) or innovative DTC models (Maison Cashmere), they offer similar material brilliance while eschewing group markups.
For enthusiasts, this marks an opportunity: enrich your arsenal with legacy mills and niche specialists whose craftsmanship transcends their brand recognition. After all, true luxury lies not in the label, but in the invisible hours that go into weaving, dyeing and finishing, transforming raw fibers into wearable works of art.
FAQ: Brands like Loro Piana but cheaper
Q: Do these alternatives use the same quality cashmere as Loro Piana?
A: Select brands (especially Johnstons of Elgin and Eric Bompard) use the same fiber as Loro Piana (14-16.5 microns). Falconeri and Maison Cashmere use slightly thicker yarns (17-18 microns), sacrificing minimal softness for durability and affordability.
Q: Will the products from these brands be as durable as Loro Piana products?
A: Durability depends on fiber grade, number of layers and construction. Competitor Loro Piana, Johnstons’ 2-ply cashmere and Gran Sasso’s brushed cashmere, will last a long time with proper care. Entry-level options, like Falconeri’s Single Ply, may pill faster but still remain cost-effective per wear.
Q: Where can I purchase these brands online?
A: Johnstons of Elgin, Eric Bompard and Maison Cashmere operate DTC sites. Gran Sasso and Falconeri are available through ModaOperandi or SSENSE. The elder statesman requires a boutique appointment or Bergdorf Goodman.
Q: Are there any sustainable alternatives like Loro Piana?
A: Yes, Johnstons of Elgin and Maison Cashmere are both B Corp certified, exceeding Loro Piana’s environmental efforts. Both trace fibers back to specific pastoralist collectives and use non-toxic dyes.
Q: What is the true luxury of cashmere?
Answer: Check:
- Fiber fineness (≤16.5 microns)
- Number of layers (2 or 3 for increased durability)
- Origin (Mongolia/Inner Mongolia > China)
- Hand seams (not seams)
Q: Can I find alternatives to camel hair?
A: Camel hair is still extremely rare, but SUITSUPPLY’s camel hair and The Elder Statesman’s ultra-fine guanaco blends offer similar rarity and softness at only 10% the cost.
