For a long time, I knew 2 things about cashmere - it is expensive, and it is soft. I chalked it up to rich people nonsense until I got a cashmere-wool blend sweater of my own secondhand at Meek Vintage. And baby - she’s a game changer. No wonder cashmere socks, sweaters, and blankets are often on gift guides this time of year.

In dry, cold Denver, my cashmere sweater keeps me toasty without lots of extra layers, and doesn’t chafe my poor, sensitive winter skin. It doesn’t require as much maintenance as you might expect, and (if you do some digging) can be purchased more ethically than some other textiles!

Read on for a rundown on what cashmere is, why it’s so expensive, how to take care for it, and sustainability and ethical factors to consider when buying cashmere.

What Is Cashmere?

Cashmere is a fiber made from the undercoat of a cashmere goat. These adorable fluffballs with v dramatic horns are native to Asia (the most robust global cashmere farming happens in China). North American cashmere goats come from a very mixed gene pool from feral goats, and therefore vary more widely in quality and husbandry techniques needed than typical cashmere goats. North American, Australian, and New Zealand cashmere has a bit more of a paper trail than other cashmere producing regions in Asia, and therefore it’s easier to source ethically.

Cashmere is harvested one of two ways - by shearing, or by comb. When shorn, cashmere goats are shaved with just a little layer of fuzz left over, much like a sheep. The soft inner cashmere fibers are then extracted from the topcoat. Shorn cashmere is lower quality, because it contains more rough, thick outer coat fibers per square inch.

Most cashmere farmers harvest with metal combs. Picture it like using a furminator on your dog when it’s shedding. The teeth of the comb pull out the soft, fine molting undercoat. It doesn’t pull hair out by the root - just removes fluff that’s trapped in the shaggier, thicker outer hair. Some people take issue with the method of hair extraction, as it can bruise, scratch, and/or distress the goats - when done poorly. We’ll discuss how to find ethically sourced cashmere later in this post.

Why Is Cashmere so Expensive?

Even a “cheap” cashmere sweater or cashmere blend can lighten your wallet by a few Benjamins. High quality, ethical cashmere can run into the thousands for a single coat or scarf. But why?

First, the cashmere season is limited. Animals can only grow hair so quickly, even under optimal circumstances. And you don’t want to interrupt the growing and molting season because it will affect the quality of the fibers. You can only harvest from your animals once per year, in the spring.

Each animal produces a very small amount of undercoat as it molts - about a half a pound per animal. That makes cashmere a quite limited resource. Because even lazy/bad cashmere farming is very labor-intensive for a low amount of return product, many cashmere farmers are changing to other types of farming, creating even more of a crunch in the cashmere market (although Chinese scientists are playing around with gene-edited goats).

What Is the Difference Between Cashmere, Angora, and Other Wools?

cashmere 101 a pile of fluffy white unprocessed wool — Photo by Johnstons of Elgin on Unsplash

Cashmere, angora, and alpaca all fall into the category of “superfine wool.” Superfine wool refers to fibers made primarily from the undercoats of certain animals. Many animals that produce these supersoft materials come from cold, wind-swept habitats in their natural environment. That means they often have bristly, shaggy outer coats, and buttery soft, fluffy under coats.

Superfine wool is defined in terms of micron diameter. One micron is about 1/1,000 of a millimeter (0.001 of a millimeter). For comparison, an average sheet of paper is between 100-200 microns thick. Most superfine wool measures in at under 20 microns (typical wool is between 25 and 30 microns, and lambswool and merino wool fibers are usually between 22-25 microns). By global trade standards, each cashmere hair must be fewer than 19 microns across. The fewer the microns, the softer the fiber.

Different types of wool often refer to the specific breed of sheep or goat that produces that wool. But superfine wool often comes from specific animals. Angora comes from angora rabbits (not to be confused with angora goats which produce mohair fibers). The softest hair in the world comes from an Andean camelid called the vicuña. Each hair is between 8 and 13 microns (that’s .008 of a MILLIMETER thick 🤯).

What Are the Benefits of Cashmere?

Besides being very soft, cashmere and other superfine wools has lots of practical benefits. All wools (not just superfine) are designed by evolution to be maximally appropriate for the environment of that animal, and those properties stick around.

First, it’s very warm. Superfine wools function very well as warm, dry protective undercoats for the animals from which they’re harvested. They keep heat regulated and provide a natural buffer from wind, meaning you can wear fewer, lighter layers with more benefits.

Besides the simple pleasure, wearing super soft wools is just plain more comfortable! Thick wool sweaters are very warm, but when skin is already dry and itchy, traditional wool only makes it worse. Superfine wool also requires fewer layers, because you don’t need a thin cotton undershirt to prevent Wool Madness™️(a term I just made up for when you’re so warm but soooooo itchy).

The high concentration of hairs per square inch of cloth makes superfine wools stronger as well. The fabric lasts longer and is more flexible. The strength of the fabric itself is highly dependent on the manufacturing process. The more skilled the artisan, the higher the quality and strength.

Animal fibers are also very, very good at keeping themselves clean. Think about it: herd animals don’t shower very much, but barring things like mud and sticks, they stay relatively clean. Wool protects animals from bacteria and mold in addition to cold temps, and the process applies to wearing wools too. It’s moisture wicking and doesn’t absorb odors as easily as other materials.

How Do I Wash It?

Since cashmere is so odor and moisture repellent, you should not wash it every time you wear it. Obviously the moisture-wicking only goes so far, but over-washing cashmere will cause the yarn to loosen, remove natural oils such as lanolin that maintain the wool’s integrity, and generally cause it to fall apart. Wash your cashmere items at the beginning of the winter season, and then every 10-15 wears (depending on the type of item).

To wash all wool items, get a high quality detergent designed specifically for delicates or sweaters (my fave is Forever New, not affiliate). Wash your garment in cold water. If you’re hand-washing, make sure the sink or tub you’re washing in has been thoroughly cleaned. Agitate the garment in the water very gently, rather than scrubbing.

If machine washing, make sure you have a mesh laundry bag (either white or undyed - you don’t want fun colors to run all over your beautiful sweater!). Turn the sweater inside out and zip it up in the bag either by itself or with other wool products to prevent pilling. Wash with gentle detergent in COLD WATER on a delicate setting.

Sweaters should always be hung or laid flat to dry - even the air dry setting on your dryer is too rough for cashmere!

Note: sweater-specific laundry detergents such as Woolite often contain lanolin - which is great for wools, but bad for other delicates such as silk and bamboo. If you like Woolite, use it with sweaters and sturdy knits only.

How Do I Store It?

There are 3 Achilles heels of superfine wool products: stretching, moths, and pilling.

To prevent stretching in your wool products, fold your knits instead of hanging them up on a hanger. Your knits will maintain their shape and size, and you’ll avoid those annoying shoulder bumps from hangers. For sturdier garments (like coats) hanging is fine.

Moths are a lot trickier. Moths are worse depending on many factors; the area of the country you live in, the age of your home, and whether or not you have a pre-existing issue. Luckily, they’re not a huge problem in Colorado. You can prevent moths by adding sachets of cedar, rosemary, lavender, and cloves to your drawers and closets, and by storing your wool garments in airtight (not cardboard) containers during the summer. Read here for more information on getting rid of moths.

If you have a sweater for any amount of time, you’re bound to run in to some pilling. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and washing wool and knit garments properly is the best way to prevent pilling. That said, a cashmere comb is a worthwhile investment for the first signs of pilling. For secondhand sweaters that have seen better days, a motorized de-pilling tool is worth its weight in gold and cashmere. It’s also hugely helpful for all knit textiles prone to pilling.

Can I Purchase Superfine Wool Ethically?

Disclaimer: my version of purchasing animal products ethically may vary from yours. If you are a vegan or otherwise opposed to wearing animals-based textiles entirely, there is no way to purchase cashmere within the bounds of what you consider ethical, and that is fine. I wish you well. As a carnivore who grew up on a farm, I have a generally positive view of animal husbandry and care very much about keeping systems in place to ensure we are treating our animals well.

Consumer suspicion of source material production on the current scale is a relatively recent phenomenon. That means that at this time, there is no formal certification process for ethical cashmere. But that doesn’t mean you can’t purchase it even somewhat ethically - just that it will take some digging (and, ultimately, a level of trust).

The Italian company (and giant in the cashmere industry) Loro Piana has led the charge in codifying global cashmere standards for sustainability and ethical animal husbandry. The Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturing Institute is a group dedicated to both protecting the quality of global cashmere and promoting sustainability and ethical farming in the cashmere industry. Lastly, many well-known eco-conscious brands (such as Stella McCartney and Patagonia) work very hard to ensure their cashmere is sourced as ethically as possible.

If you are thinking of jumping on the cashmere train, I’d encourage you to do it! A classic cashmere piece can carry you through many, many cold winters and snuggly nights.