Luxury Fibre Feature: Cashmere

Cashmere is my favourite. Hands-down worth every cent. Not only is it the softest feeling fabric, it is durable and luxurious to look at and to touch. At Model Citizens, we have almost eliminated our merino wool sweaters by replacing them with cashmere exclusively.  My obsession has lead to MC carrying some of the best brands and varied selection (not to mention a fraction of the price) that St. John's has to offer. I even have PJs that are cashmere. We carry it all year round and I wear my cashmere in every season. In honour of the coveted cashmere, we have decided to dedicate a blog post to explain the who, what and why of cashmere and how to look after your very own cashmere goodies! 

Characteristics

Cashmere is characterized by its fine, soft fibers. It provides a natural light-weight insulation without bulk. The original undyed or natural colors of cashmere wool are various shades of grey, brown and white.

Why is cashmere coveted? Run your hand across a fine merino wool sweater. Now, try it with cashmere. There's no comparison. Cashmere is softer, and its featherweight fiber is warmer than wool without adding bulk. The supply of imported cashmere to the U.S. ballooned almost 500% from 1997 to 2005, to 14.7 million pieces, as demand also soared. Prices remain relatively high, starting at about $100 for a good sweater. But in the world of luxury gifts, it's hard to beat cashmere's delight-per-dollar value.

Is the number of plies in a cashmere garment like a thread count -- the more the better? The yarn in a two-ply sweater is two strands twisted together to compensate for uneven or weak spots in the individual strands, resulting in a stronger sweater. Additional plies add weight and warmth, but they aren't really a measure of quality. Generally, single-ply cashmere won't be as durable. But high-end makers pull off lightweight, one-ply pieces with high-quality yarn and good construction.

Source of the fiber

Cashmere wool fiber for clothing and other textile articles is obtained from the neck region of Cashmere and other goats. Cashmere goats produce a double fleece that consists of a fine, soft undercoat or underdown of hair mingled with a straighter and much coarser outer coating of hair called guard hair. For the fine underdown to be sold and processed further, it must be de-haired. De-hairing is a mechanical process that separates the coarse hairs from the fine hair. After de-hairing, the resulting "cashmere" is ready to be dyed and converted into yarn, fabrics and garments.

Care instructions

Cashmere is a natural product. Air out your cashmere garment after wearing it, resting it for one or two days between uses. Cashmere can be machine-washed on a cold cycle using a suitable liquid detergent. Lay your cashmere garment flat and allow it to dry naturally. Pilling is a normal occurrence on cashmere and is caused by the cashmere fibres rubbing together during wear. Bobbles can be removed easily using a pilling comb.

Best Cashmere Brands: Malo, TSE, Neiman Marcus, JCREW, Pringle, Loro Piana, Lord and Taylor, Akris, Ralph Lauren