What Is Cashmere? Your Guide To The Luxurious Wool

It was Fran Lebowitz who said, “I do not believe in God. I believe in cashmere,” and she wouldn’t be the only one.

Cashmere has been long been lauded as the ultimate luxury fabric. In films, a wardrobe full of cashmere can point to a character’s class and financial status—and it’s not so different in real life.

But what really is cashmere? And does the fabric really live up to the hype?

Below, everything you need to know about the luxurious wool.

What Is Cashmere?

Cashmere is a type of wool made from the soft hair of cashmere or Kashmir goats.

The wool was first made in the Kashmir Province of the Himalayas but is now produced across Asia, in countries including Mongolia, China, Northern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tibet and Iran, as well as in New Zealand and Australia.

As cashmere goats are a type of goat, rather than a breed, most goat breeds (apart from Angora) can produce the fibre.

Why Is Cashmere Wool So Expensive?

Cashmere is a 100% natural fibre that’s known for it’s softness and fineness.

The reason cashmere is so expensive is as much to do with its production as it is to do with its high quality.

Three to four goats are needed to make just one cashmere coat, with each goat only producing 200-300 grams of cashmere in a year.

As the cashmere can only be collected during moulting time, in the spring, cashmere fibres are much rarer than other types of wool—which accounts for its high price.

In terms of quality, it’s hard to compete with cashmere, which is not only soft and warm but light enough to allow the skin to breathe.

Of course, 100% cashmere is going to be more expensive than a cashmere blend—so, the price of cashmere will depend on its volume.

Is Cashmere Sustainable?

Due to the rarity of cashmere, many goats are needed to produce a high yield.

The more goats used for cashmere means the less sustainable the production of the wool really is.

However, there are ways to sustainable wear cashmere.

As a high quality fabric, you’re likely to find your cashmere lasts for many years and becoming a slow fashion staple.

Many companies are also attempting to produce cashmere in a more sustainable way, while companies like Patagonia and Stella McCartney, are using recycle cashmere rather than new.

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