There’s a reason a true cashmere coat or sweater feels different. The softness, the warmth, the weight — it’s unmistakable. But behind that comfort lies an honest truth: cashmere is rare, labor-intensive, and impossible to mass-produce without compromising on the quality.
The Source: Nature’s Finest Fiber
Unlike wool fabrics that come from sheep, cashmere comes from goats. These goats come from the region around the Tibetan plateau. What makes cashmere feel so soft is how fine and soft it is. Suiting and Coating fabric is measured in Microns (diameter of the fiber) to determine how fine and soft the fibers are. Wool starts out at around 25 and goes down to its finest at 19-18. Cashmere is between 18 and 14 microns, making it incomparably softer.
The goats grow their fine inner fleece only in winter to survive temperatures as low as -30°C. And because each goat produces a small amount of cashmere a year, it takes around the fleece of about 6 goats to make one coat.
This scarcity alone sets cashmere apart.
Tip: When shopping, look for 100% cashmere or blends that specify fiber length and origin (Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, or Tibet are top sources).
The Process: Slow, Skilled, and Human
Unlike wool, which is sheared using a machine, cashmere is hand-combed during the spring when the goats naturally shed their coats. Harvesting the fibers during this time is most important, because it allows the fibers to stay intact without causing harm to the goats.
After combing, each batch must be sorted, cleaned, and “dehaired” — separating the ultra-fine down from coarse outer hair that may have gotten mixed together during the combing. This is a very precise process that is labor intensive.
Once the fibers are selected they are washed and now ready for the weaving possess.
The Quality: Not All Cashmere Is Created Equal
Even within Cashmere there are many levels of quality. Some companies chose to select the leftover remnants of the fibers that are short and can’t be spun into high quality garments. What separates the real deal from the low-end products are the mills that only select the long and stable fibers for weaving. This creates an incomparably longer lasting fabric.
So if you ever wondered why some $150 “cashmere” sweaters fall apart while others last for decades — that’s why. (And BTW, the same applies to wool. The fabrics that tend to pill up very easily are the ones that use very short fibers in the weaving of the fabric.)
Look for: 2-ply or 3-ply yarns, tight knitting, and reputable mills in Italy or the UK (like Loro Piana or Joshua Ellis).
The Result: You Will Feel The Difference.
When all is said and done, putting on a cashmere coat is a whole different experience than one that is made from wool. The way it drapes along your body and the way it feels against your skin, all the factors come together to make a beautiful piece of art.
And that's why its 100% worth it to buy cashmere over wool any days of the week!