Reviews Style

I tried $545 cashmere sweats from Gigi Hadid's luxury label. The fabric is top notch, but here's my one peeve.

Left: Gigi Hadid. Right: The author wearing a Guest In Residence cashmere sweater.
Guest In Residence, Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider
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Supermodel Gigi Hadid has both an inherent sense of style and plenty of business connections in the fashion industry. The easy thing for her to do would have been skincare or candles. Instead she created Guest In Residence, which is now among the top cashmere brands. With the help of stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson and Sijeo Kim (formerly of Theory and The Row), its knitwear is branded as "future heirlooms."

The price of a Guest In Residence Cashmere Crewneck has risen from $385 to $426 (over 10%) since I first ordered one in 2024. I've also tested a ton of cashmere lounge sets since then, including a GIR ensemble that all together costs $1,040 — definitely an investment piece.

The author wearing a tan Guest In Residence cashmere lounge set.
Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider

My main issue is with the Everywear Pants' waistband, which annoyingly keeps gets twisted inside the casing whenever I roll it up. At $545 a pair, even a min or flaw like this stands out.

A close up look at a twisted waistband on cashmere pants.
Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider

Nevertheless, I can't deny how soft and smooth the cashmere itself feels. It's the perfect weight for travel or transitional weather — I didn't feel stuffy in it as I shuffled through a packed train to my seat, and it's such a cohesive matching set that I didn't look out of place when I wore it out to lunch later on.

On the Guest in Residence site, you'll find more genderless, boxy designs made from richly colored, fine-knit cashmere. The styling reminds me of what a Nickelodeon character might wear to a skatepark (in a good way! Very Y2K). I tested an oversized crewneck in a shade called "Matcha" (now retired), and it's lasted me two years with some only minor fraying at the interior seams.

The author wearing a green cashmere sweater.
Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider

Running my hand over it, there's zero coarseness or itchiness — it's just a fluffy, inviting fabric. The knit is 14 gauge, while most cashmere sweaters are 7 to 12 gauge. A lower gauge is easier to make, but a higher gauge is silkier, finer, closer-knit, and slower to pill.

A close up on the seams of a Guest In Residence cashmere sweater.
On the left, the interior of the sweater shows some minor imperfections in the stitching. On the right shows its exterior, where these flaws are invisible.  Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider

The Oversized Crewneck costs $425, which is definitely steep for any single article of clothing. I'd expect the stitching on its interior seams to be immaculate for this price, but upon closer look, it isn't.

That said, it has withstood three wash-and-dry tests over two years. It hasn't turned lumpy, and the fabric has stayed smooth and relatively pill-free. The rolled hems on the sleeves and neckline are still intact because I made sure they weren't laying flat as the sweater air-dried.

The author in a green cashmere sweater.
Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider

I'm 5-foot-9 and wear a size Small top, but I went up to a Medium because I wanted a more oversized fit. The extremely dropped shoulders give it a more masculine edge, but I think a size Small would've been just as slouchy.

Two models in a Guest In Residence cashmere sweater.
Guest In Residence

According to a company spokesperson, the brand sources its Grade-A cashmere from a farm in Inner Mongolia. Otherwise, the site doesn't provide information on its origin. I've found Good On You's rating system to be a consistent way to monitor brands with a lack of transparency on the subject, and Guest In Residence is not one of its high-ranking brands.

The bottom line

I have to dock points for construction because the Oversized Crewneck has less-than-perfect stitching on the inner seams, while the waistband of the Everywear Pants has a flimsy elastic band. And at this pricepoint, those details ought to be flawless.

Still, I love the super soft handfeel of this slouchy fabric, which has a relaxed drape and has aged gracefully. After all my experience testing luxury sweaters, I'm willing to bet that Guest In Residence bids high on premium-grade cashmere to craft these pieces. It barely pills (even after regular wear over a two-year period) and it's the right weight to wear 10 months out of the year.

Shop all Guest In Residence luxury cashmere.

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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@jkmperu.com.

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A headshot of Gabrielle Chase.
Gabrielle Chase
Gabrielle Chase is a style and beauty expert who has worked in the fashion journalism industry for five years. As an editor and reporter, she has covered viral products, luxury companies, and durable closet staples. She applies a healthy dose of skepticism to the trends on social media — still, she's never above a good designer dupe.ExperienceBefore joining Business Insider in 2023, Gabrielle interned with Interview Magazine, and then wrote for Elle Magazine’s online series, The Launch.In her role on the Reviews team, Gabrielle tests clothing, shoes, and accessories for their durability, quality, and, of course, style appeal. She brings her eye for fashion to every story she writes or edits, whether she’s helping readers get dressed for work or find a new favorite pair of jeans. Gabrielle is also an expert when it comes to finding great deals on clothing and shoes, from finding affordable hidden-gem brands, to showcasing the best discounts around deal events.She upholds Insider Reviews’ rigorous product testing standards, only recommending products that look good,  feel good, and last for season upon season.Expertise
  • Women’s shoes and clothing
  • Apparel deal hunting
  • Viral fashion trends
  • Luxury handbags
EducationGabrielle graduated from the University of Rhode Island with degrees in Journalism and Spanish. There she started runway modeling, which gave her an intimate look at how much work goes into producing a single garment. Backstage she'd overhear designers retelling their creative process, causing Gabrielle to shift her focus from broadcast journalism to fashion journalism.Outside of workGabrielle is the eldest of four. She enjoys K-pop music and horror movies, and is based in Brooklyn.