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Add Texture to GoogleSome fashion houses celebrate their anniversaries with a fashion show, a book, or an exhibition. Peter Millar has chosen to reissue a sweater. Not just any sweater: the pure cashmere zip-neck sweater with which the company got its start in 2001 in Raleigh, North Carolina, at a time when it sold nothing else. Twenty-five years later, the piece is making a comeback, featuring a hand-embroidered “XXV” on its hem, in four colors that were thought to have been tucked away in the archives since the very first season.
A sweater, a lawn bowling ball, and three founders
The story of Peter Millar begins with a bet that’s rare in the apparel industry: launching a brand with a single style. A cashmere quarter-zip sweater, with no collection to accompany it, would become the brand’s signature piece. Behind this choice were three men: Chris Knott, Greg Oakley, and Chet Sikorski.
As for the name, it owes nothing to a branding agency. Chris Knott came up with it by taking the inscription engraved on an antique lawn bowls ball that his mother had given him. Boulingrin, the traditional game of boules played on grass, thus provided its name to a ready-to-wear label. The brand bears the name of a family heirloom rather than that of one of its founders, which speaks volumes about its early attachment to heirlooms.
The landscape has changed significantly since then. In October 2012, Compagnie Financière Richemont, the Swiss group that owns Cartier, Dunhill, and IWC, among others, acquired full ownership of the brand. Chris Knott retired in March 2015. Today, Scott Mahoney leads the company as chairman and CEO. A brand born in North Carolina around a single knit sweater has thus found itself in the same portfolio as jewelers and watchmakers, without ever abandoning the piece that made it famous.
The Return of the Quarter-Zip
The anniversary model is simply called the 25th Anniversary Cashmere Quarter-Zip Sweater. Its technical specifications can be summed up in just a few lines: 100% cashmere, knitted in a 12-gauge jersey stitch. That is to say, a smooth, classic knit—exactly what you’d expect from a sweater worn over a shirt or under a jacket. Nothing about the construction attempts to reinvent the garment, and that’s precisely the point: to recreate the original piece rather than modernize it at all costs.
The difference lies in the details. The Roman numeral “XXV” is hand-embroidered at the bottom of the garment, and a label exclusive to the 25th anniversary replaces the usual brand logo. Discreet—almost invisible when the sweater is tucked into pants—the marking is intended first and foremost for the wearer.
The color palette is another nod to the past. Peter Millar has reissued four shades from its very first collection in 2001: mint, fuchsia, coral, and corn. These are bold colors, quite a departure from the neutrals that typically dominate men’s cashmere, and they serve as a reminder that the brand didn’t start out in charcoal gray. They sit alongside more expected shades, including Ivy, Bordeaux, Navy, and Sawgrass, for those who prefer the classic look without the fuchsia.
The listed price is $398. No official price has been announced for the eurozone to date; at the October 2026 exchange rate, this would amount to approximately 365 euros—a purely indicative estimate.
When Cashmere Meets the Membrane
While the anniversary collection champions a return to its roots, it is not limited to nostalgia. Its other guiding principle is to combine cashmere with technical membranes—a pairing that would have seemed incongruous in 2001.
The most striking piece is the 25th Anniversary Cashmere Suffolk Jacket. It is a quilted jacket made of pure cashmere, lined with a technical, windproof, and water-repellent membrane. The idea is simple on paper: to preserve the feel and warmth of the fiber while protecting it from the elements—wind and moisture—that can damage it or make it uncomfortable outdoors. It is priced at $1,998 in the United States and £1,695 in the United Kingdom. Again, no official European price has been set; the conversion would come to approximately 1,830 euros, as an estimate.
The same design principle applies to the 25th Anniversary Cashmere Essex Vest, a sleeveless, quilted vest made of pure cashmere, treated to repel wind and moisture. It’s a transitional-season piece, designed to be worn between a sweater and a coat.
At the other end of the spectrum, a 25th Anniversary T-Shirt made of Pima cotton features the commemorative 25th-anniversary logo. It’s the entry-level piece in the celebration and the only item in the collection that doesn’t feature cashmere.
A capsule collection focused on rare fibers
At the same time, a more luxurious line was unveiled for fall 2026. It takes the concept of fine materials far beyond cashmere. It includes pieces made from Peruvian vicuña, sourced through the chaccu—the traditional ritual during which these animals are gathered to be sheared. The fineness of the fibers is reported to be around 12.5 microns, a figure cited in industry publications but not listed on all technical specifications on the brand’s website. Two vicuña pieces—a jacket and a vest—are priced at $4,995 and $6,995, or approximately 4,580 and 6,410 euros at the October 2026 exchange rate, with no official prices listed for Europe.
The capsule collection also features reversible cashmere pea coats, knitwear made from Italian baby cashmere labeled “First Fleece,” and vests crafted from New Zealand deer leather. The collection spans a range from cotton T-shirts to vicuña pieces, with the $398 sweater at the center serving as a benchmark for everything else.
Where to Find It
The first releases and the campaign took place between August and October 2026. The collection is presented as a limited edition. It is available on Peter Millar’s official website, in the brand’s flagship stores—including those on Madison Avenue in New York, in Southampton, and in Palm Beach—as well as at select high-end retailers and partner golf boutiques.
The exact number of pieces produced for this limited edition has not been disclosed.