What is Cashmere?

Technically, cashmere is in the wool family, however it is finer, stronger, lighter, softer and 3 times warmer than sheep’s wool. This fine natural fiber offers maximum warmth with minimum bulkiness.

Cashmere facts

• Cashmere is a type of wool that comes from a specific breed of goat.
• Cashmere fiber is six times finer compared to human hair.
• The soft and dense material can keep users warm down to -40 °C even though it’s only a few millimeters thick.
• The fine, soft undercoat hair of the goat (underdown) is reserved for textiles while the straighter and coarser outer coat is called the guard hair and is used for brushes and other non-apparel purposes.
• Due to its high moisture content, cashmere’s insulation properties change relative to the humidity in the air keeping you comfortable.
• Cashmere fiber lacks lanolin, rendering it hypoallergenic.
• Cashmere goats produce up to one pound of fiber annually, of which about one fifth (100 grams) is the finer undercoat used in textiles. It takes the wool of approximately 3 – 5 goats to produce one sweater.
• Most cashmere is woven into two-ply yarn – it lasts longer and is more resistant to changes in weather. So, don’t be misled by garments touting 2-ply or double-ply since most sweaters are by nature two-ply.
• Cashmere wool is collected during the Spring molting season when the goats naturally shed their Winter coat. The down is removed by hand with a coarse comb or the animals are sheared.
• Cashmere is not only soft and warm, it is also long-lasting. If you take proper care of your cashmere garments, they will last for a long time. Cashmere garments keep their original shape even after years of use. They don’t stretch or fade, if you take proper care. You do have to protect from clothing moths by proper storage and cleaning.
• Pets are known to love cashmere, too. Proper storage and handling of your items will ensure less need for repairs. (Yes, we have sewn up giant holes from puppy teeth.)