Totême knitwear: cashmere, merino, alpaca and the shapes
Totême knitwear: cashmere, merino, alpaca and the shapes
Knitwear is the quiet test of a minimalist house and Totême passes it: cashmere crews and turtlenecks that keep their shape, merino and lambswool for the everyday, alpaca for the boxy winter knits, and the compact knit tanks and tees that read as jersey. 168 knits on Luxury Shoes , $252 to $2,610, median $980, of which 64 are cashmere. This page is fibre by fibre and shape by shape, with the fit and the care.
Key facts
- 168 knits on Luxury Shoes , $252 to $2,610, median $980
- Cashmere: 64 pieces, $756 to $1,360
- Other fibres: merino, lambswool, alpaca, cotton, wool-silk; RWS-certified wool on many pieces
- Shapes: classic crew, turtleneck, cardigan (raglan, hammered-button, fine-knit), cape knit, cable knit, boxy alpaca, compact knit tank and tee, knit dress and skirt
- Fit: true to size, cut with air inside; the boxy and oversized knits say so on the page
Cashmere
The classic cashmere crew knit is the piece to buy first, in grey melange, camel and black; the cashmere turtleneck and the raglan-sleeve cashmere cardigan follow. The yarn is dense enough to hold its shape and pills less than the contemporary competition after the first weeks.
Merino, lambswool and alpaca
The merino cotton crew and the fine-knit cardigans are the everyday knits; the lambswool turtlenecks are the winter ones; the boxy alpaca knits and the alpaca beanie are the season’s texture pieces. All are certified where the page says so.
The shapes
The cape knit drapes over the shoulder; the cable knit turtleneck and dress are the heaviest; the hammered-button cardigan is the one with the house’s metal buttons; the compact knit tank, tee and dress are the fine-gauge pieces that wear as jersey.
Fit
True to size with room to move; the brand flags the oversized shapes on each page. The compact knits are close and stretchy. Letter sizes: S is EU 36 and UK 8; the size guide has the rest.
Care
Cold hand wash in a wool detergent, press the water out in a towel, dry flat, store folded with cedar. Comb the cashmere in the first weeks. The care guide covers each fibre.
The pieces on Luxury Handbags now
1. Alpaca knit beanie black, $252
A permanent-line piece, in the shade named on the listing.
2. Compact jersey top in Black, $410
Made from 81% viscose, 15% polyamide, 4% elastane, shown in black.
3. T-Lock leather cardholder black, $416
A permanent-line piece, in the shade named on the listing.
4. Compact jersey turtleneck in Black, $470
Made from 81% viscose, 15% polyamide, 4% elastane, shown in black.
5. Crinkled knit tank in Black, $570
Made from 75% viscose, 25% polyester, shown in black.
6. Compact knit tank in Black, $600
Made from 53% viscose, 31% recycled polyamide, 14% polyamide, 2% elastane, shown in black.
7. Classic compact knit tank in Black, $610
Made from 53% viscose, 45% polyamide, 2% elastane, shown in black.
8. Compact cotton top in Black, $630
Made from 100% organic cotton, shown in black.
9. Sleeveless fine turtleneck in Black, $630
Made from 75% wool RWS, 25% silk, shown in black.
10. Compact knit tee in Black, $720
Made from 53% viscose, 31% recycled polyamide, 14% polyamide, 2% elastane, shown in black.
11. Compact knit v-neck in Black, $720
Made from 48% viscose, 29% polyester, 20% polyamide, 3% elastane, shown in black.
12. Silk tee in Black, $720
Made from 100% silk, shown in black.
13. Wool silk knit in Black, $720
Made from 75% wool RWS, 25% silk, shown in black.
14. Compact knit top in Black, $740
Made from 53% viscose, 31% recycled polyamide, 14% polyamide, 2% elastane, shown in black.
15. Fine crew knit in Black, $770
Made from 75% wool RWS, 25% silk, shown in black.
16. Fine turtleneck charcoal in Charcoal melange, $790
Made from 70% wool, 30% silk, shown in charcoal melange.
“I love working with shades, exploring how a saturated black creates an impact together with a washed cotton, or putting a crisp fresh white next to something ivory,” Elin Kling told The Telegraph’s Lisa Armstrong in February 2025.
Frequently asked questions
Is Totême cashmere worth it?
Yes. It holds its shape and pills less than the contemporary competition, and the classic crew is a Signature the house repeats, so it does not date.
How much is a Totême cashmere sweater?
$756 to $1,360 on Luxury Shoes , median $1,059.
Does Totême knitwear run big?
It is cut with room, and the boxy and oversized shapes are flagged on the page. Take your usual size; size down only on the pieces the brand calls oversized.
Can I machine wash it?
No. Cold hand wash and dry flat, per the brand’s care line.
What is the compact knit?
The fine-gauge knit the house uses for tanks, tees and dresses; it wears like a heavy jersey and is true to size.
Which knit for the office?
The classic cashmere crew and the fine-knit cardigan; the turtleneck under a blazer in winter.
Read next
Materials and care The capsule wardrobe Tops and shirts Camel and beige
More Totême guides
Every Totême page by Luxury Shoes ’s fashion editor Gemma Deeks: Is it a luxury brand?, How to style, Brands like Totême, The edit, Who is Totême?, History timeline, Size guide, Shoe size guide, Price guide, Where to buy, Sale, Review, Real vs fake, Materials and care, Glossary, Who wears it, vs The Row, vs Khaite, Capsule wardrobe, The Signatures, Fall winter 2026, Spring summer 2026, Coats, Scarf jackets and coats, Jackets and blazers, Shearling, Dresses, Trousers, Jeans and denim, Skirts, Tops and shirts, Swim and beachwear, Leather, Bag guide, T-Lock bags, Belted tote, Shoe guide, Boots, Flip flops, Sneakers, Jewellery guide, Sunglasses, Scarves, Black, Camel, beige and brown, White and ivory.
Sources and method
Checked on 18 September 2026 by Gemma Deeks, fashion editor at Luxury Shoes . Product facts, the compositions, care lines, dimensions, heel heights and country of manufacture, are the brand’s own product-page text; counts, prices and price ranges are Luxury Shoes ’s live catalogue on that date and move with stock; the founders’ biography and the house history come from the brand’s own pages and the press articles listed below, each read on the date above; the size scales are the brand’s own. Where a claim could not be checked against one of these it was left out, and where the fitting room is giving its own advice the page says so.
- toteme.com, About: the house’s own description of itself, its founders and the atelier in Stockholm
- toteme.com, Sustainability: the Signatures, the design principles, the Milkywire partnership and the 2024/25 report
- toteme.com, FAQ: shipping countries, duties, payment and returns on the brand’s own store
- toteme.com, Stores: the flagship list by country
- Totême product pages: the description, composition, care, size-guide and country-of-manufacture lines of every style (1,297 pages saved between June and September 2026)
- Elin Kling on Wikipedia
- Karl Lindman on Wikipedia
- Wikidata Q4959117
- WWD, With New Investment, Totême Shoots for the Stars (2021): the Altor minority investment, growth and margin figures and the founders’ quotes
- The Telegraph, Lisa Armstrong, 24 February 2025 (via Yahoo Life): revenue, headcount, the Paris show and Elin Kling’s quotes
- Vogue Scandinavia: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden’s favourite Nordic brands
- The Business of Fashion, BoF 500: Elin Kling and Karl Lindman
- Luxury Handbags live catalogue, 18 September 2026: prices, sizes and stock
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