The Elder Statesman Archive Sale Review

The Elder Statesman recently held their first Archive Sale. Unfortunately this website was still in the building process when the sale opened so we were not able to share it with you, but this will serve as a guide and reference for future sales, and as a general review of some of The Elder Statesman’s products.

If you are unfamiliar with the brand, they are known for making high end luxury cashmere goods. We think their cashmere sweaters are the best on the market in terms of quality and style. There may be some nicer fabrics from brands like Loro Piana but they are usually rather basic, and even more expensive for what you are getting. The Elder Statesman gives you incredibly soft cashmere in interesting styles. They also make cashmere accessories, as well as nice shirts and jackets, among other things.

Their recent Archive sale, the first they’ve ever held, opened at elderstatesmanarchive.com on September 15th, though there was a pre-access for those who signed up, opening on September 14th with password “statesman”.

They offered an impressive amount of product, both newer and older styles. The newer items were more expensive, but the items that were from a few seasons prior were available for great prices. Not all staple pieces were available, but some were. Picasso sweaters, graphic sweaters, all kinds of accessories; There was something for everyone, both men and women.

The best deals we found were on non-cashmere or cashmere blend items. Some items were up to 80% off, and maybe more. The 100% cashmere items were closer to 50% off, some less, and some up to 70% off. Below is a rundown of our purchases and how much they cost. All were great deals, especially the silk shirts and the felt sweater, which is a particularly amazing item.

The Elder Statesman Silk Betony Camp Collar Spider Webs Button Down Shirt

These silk shirts were one of the highest discount items available in the sale. The retail price was near $750, maybe more. During the archive sale it was available for $125. It’s high quality silk in a camp collar cut shirt with a spider web pattern.

The Elder Statesman Silk Betony Camp Collar Javanese Floral Button Down Shirt

Another silk shirt in a “Javanese Floral” design. This one was also $125

The Elder Statesman Alex Israel Sky Printed Felt Sweater

This is by far the nicest piece of the group. The retail price for these felt cashmere blend sweater / sweatshirts is around $2,200. During the archive sale they were $250, and they were worth every penny. The Elder Statesman always uses high quality cashmere, but this blend which is 80% cashmere feels like a cloud. This print is especially nice, based on Alex Israel’s Sky Backdrop artwork. Technically a unisex piece, it fits a bit relaxed, like many of the brand’s pieces. They also had a thermal print which was very nice.

The Elder Statesman Cashmere Blend Tshirts

The sale had a good amount of Tshirts in both Cotton, Cotton/Cashmere, and Cashmere/Silk Blends. The Elder Statesman ‘Favorite’ Tshirts are their nicest, which are 85% Cashmere and 15% Silk. The Cotton/Cashmere Tshirts were the best deal, and the fabric is nearly as nice as the more expensive Cashmere/Silk versions. This black one was a steal for $65, while the ‘Magic Rings’ versions below were $125.

The Elder Statesman Dip Dye Fleece Sweatshirt

Here is a 100% Cotton sweatshirt in a maroon dip dye pattern. It’s a nice soft fleece, though the sleeves are very long. This was $85

The Elder Statesman Whirlwind Denim Jacket and Shirt + Dress

There were a number of pieces in the ‘Whirlwind’ pattern, including this denim jacket. $225

They also had this short sleeve work shirt for $155. While the denim jacket above is TTS, slightly oversized, this shirt is massive. It fits more like an XL than a Medium.

There was also a raw silk long sleeve shirt version, which was $250. Unfortunately, they accidentally sent a shirt dress version. Photos included below to show the fabric, which is substantial and almost flannel like

Now, we must mention that The Elder Statesman’s customer service has been spotty. We contacted them about one order we placed, which was for about $1,400, 12 days after the order was placed with no sign of it shipping (a subsequent smaller order had shipped almost a week before). Two days later we got an email about some of the items being out of stock; It’s unclear whether this email was a response to our initial inquiry or they just coincidentally finally got around to emailing us. They were very helpful and even provided some photos of some possible replacement items they had available. Once sorted, the order shipped soon after.

Sadly, our emails about the dress being sent incorrectly have gone unanswered since October 3rd, almost 20 days ago. A follow up was sent directly to the person who helped with the other order, but that was 6 days ago with no response. We are in a unique situation these days, but these wait times are rather excessive. For such a high end and expensive brand, I’d expect better service, even for an Archive sale.

At the end of the day, the sale was a great one. The products The Elder Statesman offers are all beautiful and it’s rare that they are available for the prices seen in the Archive Sale. They previously had a lower end line, ‘Tyro’ by TES but it doesn’t seem like they produce it anymore. They used less cashmere, either a blend or even alpaca or cotton. Some of it can be found on the secondary market, but if you’re able, The Elder Statesman stuff is well worth seeking out. You’d have to be very well off to afford it at retail, but don’t pass up a good sale.