Cashmere
Two numbers decide whether a cashmere sweater lasts a decade or pills into a rag by February: fibre length and ply.
Cashmere is the undercoat a goat grows for winter, combed out by hand in spring. One goat gives around 150 grams of usable fibre a year, which is why a real cashmere sweater cannot be cheap.
Long fibres, roughly 34 mm and up, stay locked into the yarn. Short fibres work their way out under friction and become pills. Grade A cashmere is long and fine; a 300-euro sweater made of short fibre is still a bad buy.
Ply is how many strands are twisted into the yarn. Two-ply is the sensible minimum for a sweater. Single-ply knits feel featherlight in the shop and go thin at the elbows within a season.
All cashmere pills at first. The loose short fibres have to come out. De-pill gently with a comb after the first few wears and the surface settles down for good; keep pulling at it and you'll thin the knit yourself.
Signs of quality
- Two-ply or more, stated on the page
- Fibre length or grade published
- Fully fashioned knitting rather than cut-and-sew panels
- A named mill, ideally in Scotland, Italy or Mongolia
What to watch for
- Cashmere blends where the percentage is buried in the care tab
- A crewneck under 100 euros — the maths doesn't work
- Very light single-ply knits sold as luxury
Care
Hand wash cool with wool detergent or use a wool cycle at 30°C, press the water out without wringing, and dry flat. Store it folded — hanging stretches the shoulders — and give it a rest day between wears so the fibres recover.
Certifications worth knowing
- SFA
- Sustainable Fibre Alliance: herding and animal-welfare standards at the source.
- OEKO-TEX
- Harmful-substance testing on the finished knit.
