Cashmere: Woollen Luxury
When you hear ’soft wool’, you probably think ‘cashmere’. Why wouldn’t you? Its silky and luxurious texture, combined with its soft hue ranks cashmere as one of the most popular types of wool all over the world. Our televisions and movie screens have been graced with actresses wearing a variety of clothing made from cashmere throughout the years, setting a trend that will never go out of fashion and will always be on every woman’s must-have list.
Cashmere can be used to create a variety of products, from warm sweaters to bohemian scarves. These products are considered as tasteful, timeless, and elegant. On wearing them to occasions, whether casual or intimate, you’ll find that you’ll stand out in sleek comfort. Over the years the popularity of cashmere has only grown.
It might be hard to believe that the much sought after material of cashmere originates from the fur of goats in the Gobi Desert, but their low population, and the length of time it takes to gather enough fur to make cashmere clothing makes it a rare commodity indeed (it can take up to four years for a goat to grow enough fur to make a coat)!
Cashmere wool can either be knit or woven to form various garments. Not only is cashmere pleasing to the eye, but despite their thin and silky texture they also provide much warmth during the colder seasons of the year; surprising, given how light cashmere garments can be.
Cashmere garments are considered ‘chic’ gifts, in that they are suitable for people from all ages from young to old; people who favour vintage or modern ways of dressing and lead different lifestyles are suited to the elegance of cashmere.
Just as there are many ways to design clothes made from cashmere, it tends to be the case that the price of this wool also varies depending on which part of the goat the fur came from. The best quality often comes from the throat and underbelly, and therefore garners the higher price. The lesser quality, which is still good, comes from the legs and back of the coat. This is less expensive as it is not as long and dense as the hair protecting the goat’s vital organs.
Regardless of quality, all cashmere fibers can be fashioned into dresses, capes, scarves, sweaters, hats, mittens, shawls and even blankets. There is a wide array of articles to choose from. Cashmere lovers claim that with proper care and handling, cashmere articles are the ultimate keepsakes.
Even as more and more people purchase the latest designs, avid vintage collectors are also on the prowl for the more intricate designs of the past. Cashmere is considered timeless, and when knitted and woven in good taste, often provides an air of sophistication for the wearer time and time again for years to come.
Proper cleaning for knitted cashmere garments involve gentle hand-washing with soap and warm water, whilst woven ones must be dry cleaned. Keep these garments in areas of normal temperature. Make sure that you store them in a dry place, so that they will not be ruined by any moisture. Consider your cashmere garment as an heirloom and treat it as you would any treasured keepsake that will serve you well in the distance future as well as now.