All the NYC Girls Are Wearing Intimissimi’s Cashmere Ultralight Top

• Size range: S to XL
• Colors:18
• Materials: 85% Modal, 9% Cashmere, 6% Elastane

How I Tested the Intimissimi Modal Cashmere Top

Given that NYC has been going through a horrible winter, it’s more of a question of when was I not wearing this base layer. With “feels like” temperatures in the negative teens on some days, I was wearing this top under every single sweater I own. And, admittedly, wearing it with the slimmest my sweaters to see how little I could get away with. (I hate feeling restricted by clothing in the winter.) I evaluated this on the PW100 scale, scoring it on comfort, design, aesthetics, quality and value for a total score out of 100 points.

In the design, comfort and aesthetics department, Intimissimi’s base layer performed well. The cut is incredibly slim—even lighter than the thermals I’ve been wearing for a decade. Given that my preferred sweaters more resemble a shirt than oversized knit, there’s not a lot of room for layering. The top’s lightweight fabric was much easier to wear under said sweaters, where my normal thermal would have been just a tad snug.

The majority of the fabric is Modal, a form of viscose, with a touch of cashmere and elastane for stretch. Indeed, the fabric is super stretchy but hasn’t lost its shape. Viscose and cashmere are known for their breathability, and I did find that I was sweating less in the fabric, compared to my polyester thermals.

The biggest perk is probably the 18 different colors you can choose from. While the fabric is most definitely translucent, I’ve seen friends wear darker colors solo (with the right bra) and pair it as a visible layer in an outfit, usually under a cardigan. Safe to say, this top has range.

The only downside with this cashmere base layer is that the fabric is finicky. One of my friends has consistently bought this style for the past several years, and told me, “I love it, but I don’t think it ages well. Starts to look worn out after a year, even washing on delicate and air drying.”

While the top is machine-washable, given her feedback, I took to hand-washing mine. It sounds like a hassle, but the top really scrunches up into almost nothing, and I was able to soak two of them in a large mixing bowl with a drop of detergent. After letting everything sit for a few hours, I rinsed and rung them out—at no cost to the shape, it appears, and let them hang dry. I suspect that this will be the key to fabric longevity.

The Bottom Line

At $65, Intimissimi’s cashmere top is definitely a luxe pick compared to my $10 thermals. However, given its breathability and slimmer profile, I do prefer layering this under my clothes as it’s much more comfortable. The bevy of colors also give it the opportunity to be a part of your wardrobe instead of just an invisible layer, if you want to style it that way. While I’m not going to line my closet with them, I think having a staple one or two is a great option as winter transitions to spring and we want to ditch our coats. I suspect my fellow New Yorkers would say the same.