Cashmere is a luxurious and fashionable material. It is very soft, warm, comfortable, and yet durable. Agood quality cashmere garment can be an investment that will last you forever. Price range for cashmere is so wide these days it can be hard to decide which items are worth buying. To help you understand what exactly to look for when shopping for cashmere, I wrote this guide. Always read the tags, and this is what you need to pay attention to:
1. Ply. Always go for at least 2-ply cashmere (2 or more strands twisted together into a thread). A single-ply yarn is not as strong and may peel and fuzz much quicker. Additional plies make a garment stronger and warmer.
2. Blend. 100% cashmere is the best option, but sometimes blends have their benefits too depending on what you are looking for. For example, adding nylon to cashmere socks or gloves increases their durability and helps to keep their shape. Silk also blends very well with cashmere and gives the garment more sheen and drape. Cotton blended with cashmere is used to make cooler garments. Always check the numbers on the tag. The higher % of cashmere, the more expensive the garment.
3. Country of origins. The best cashmere in the world comes from goats on the plains of Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of China. Due to the extreme climates of the region the goats have the finest, longest, and warmest hair that are used to produce the best cashmere. While China is the best supplier of the raw materials, the best manufacturer of finished garments is Europe. The finest cashmere garments come from Italy and Scotland, who are known for their exellent skills in spinning and knitting cashmere.
4. Color. Very light "white for white" Chinese cashere is the rarest and finest. It is used for white and pastel colors yarns. More common brown cashmere can't be used to make light color fabric. This is why white garments are always more expensive.
5. Brand. Some of the most well-known brands in producing the highest quality cashmere are Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, TSE, Malo, Ermenegildo Zegna and others.
Thank you for reading my guide, hope you found it helpful. Please check out my store for some great cashmere pieces and many other beautiful name brand items. My store
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