EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT CASHMERE WOOL
The wonderful world of woolens embraces a whole group of fibers. Since its creation, La Maison de la Maille has been known and recognized for its items made of alpaca wool, merino wool and also recycled wool. Discover today another type of woolen fabric which doesn’t need us to sing its praises: cashmere wool. We didn't use it at the Maison ...until today.
CASHMERE WOOL, WASSAT?
It is widely regarded as THE luxury wool. Not necessarily more prestigious than alpaca wool but considerably more popular nowadays.
Highly sought after because of its extreme softness and its rarity, cashmere is worthy of this name if its fibers are sheared from a goat raised in a geographical area that extends from the north of the Indian Kashmir (if, like me, you spent too much time playing tic-tac-toe in geography class, check it out on Google Earth) to the north of Mongolia. Cashmere wool comes from the long undercoat (the down) of goats that are known for their ability to withstand extreme temperatures in their natural habitat.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CASHMERE WOOL
Cashmere has earned this prestigious reputation because the characteristics that define it would make any sheep green with envy. Soft, supple, insulating and extremely fine, another quality of cashmere is that it also combines very well with other textiles such as cotton or different categories of woolen fabrics.
LOOKING AFTER CASHMERE
Cashmere loves water! So don’t hesitate to wash your cashmere items regularly to prevent the appearance of bobbles, and also to ensure that they remain supple and soft. And, despite all the common preconceptions on the subject, cashmere washes very well in the washing machine on a cold wool cycle using special detergent for woolens. And, of course, you can also wash it by hand.
How do you dry it?
Again, information is often contradictory. One thing that’s important to remember: use a very gentle spin cycle (maximum 500 revolutions) and then spread your item out flat on a towel to prevent it losing its shape.
A good tip
You can iron cashmere provided you follow a few basic rules to prevent damaging the fiber (iron lightly, with a steam jet, and inside out). One thing you must absolutely not use when cleaning your cashmere, although you might think otherwise, is fabric softener. It makes the wool heavy and distorts its quality and softness.
THERE’S CASHMERE AND THERE’S CASHMERE
All the same, be very careful when selecting your cashmere item. As often happens, when products are as successful as this, it leads to a whole murky process of sourcing and manufacture, with certain economy brands today offering items at very attractive prices but which do not always meet the criteria of luxury and authenticity required by cashmere. Don’t hesitate to spend a few extra euros on your throw or scarf; you won’t be disappointed with your investment.
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Article written by Laura Isaaz
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