What is cashmere wool? Why does everyone love it?

Cashmere wool is a natural luxury fibrous material that comes from the undercoat of cashmere goats.

Cashmere wool…..I love this magic material.

And I’m not the only one.

Who doesn’t like cashmere?

Its soft and luxury fibers feel so fine on the skin.

It will make you feel warm and comfortable on a cold day.

People from all walks of life tend to enjoy this material, whether you’re rich or a middle-class person who wants to look classy.

But first, for those persons that need to find out more information about cashmere, let’s answer some frequently asked questions

What is Cashmere wool?

We can view the cashmere definition below:

Cashmere wool is a natural luxury fibrous material that comes from the undercoat of cashmere goats.

It is strong, delicate, light and very soft. It is almost silky to the touch as you caress your hand over it.

There are many types of goats which produce cashmere wool, but the most popular are the cashmere goats that are native to Australia.

Where does the name “Cashmere” come from?

The name “cashmere” is derived from the word “Kashmir,” which is a northern region in the subcontinent and country of India.

Kashmir used to be the prime location for producing cashmere wool because the region had lots of cashmere goats.

Many Indian business people raised these goats for their wool and then exported the cashmere wool products to other countries throughout the world.

This is how the Kashmir name got attached to these wool products, although it started being spelled as “cashmere” to make it more English friendly.

Why is Cashmere so expensive?

There are a few reasons as to why cashmere wool is so expensive.

One of the main reasons pertains to how rare this natural fiber is in the world.

After all, there is not exactly an abundance of cashmere goats in any country in the world.

Sure, there are people who breed them for their wool, but it takes a lot of time and effort just to raise a goat to maturity like this. And to create one cashmere product, it will take anywhere from 3 to 5 goats just to produce enough wool for it.

Think about this, one cashmere goat provides only 200 grams of Cashmere hair per year.

This would mean that 5 goats would equal about 1,000 grams of Cashmere hair, which is just about what you need to create one Cashmere shirt or coat.

These are goats which are between 4 and 6 years old too. That means you would need to raise 3 to 5 goats for 4 to 6 years just to produce one Cashmere product.

If you are a businessperson who wants to export dozens or even hundreds of these Cashmere clothing products, just think about how many goats that would entail and how long you’d have to commit to raising them.

Therefore, the rarity of these goats increases the value of all products which are made from their undercoat material.

That is why they are so expensive when you purchase them from retailers.

So, what? Aren’t there enough Cashmere goats to cover the cashmere industry?

It’s not that goat farmers are just lazy and don’t want to tend to lots of goats every day.

The fact is there are not too many Cashmere goats around. Even though there are native cashmere goats to various regions in the world, you will never find an abundance of them in any one place.

That is what makes them so valuable.

The most popular locations to have cashmere goats are China, Mongolia, Australia, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and various Central Asian Republics.

You will find these countries to be the best sources of cashmere products.

Goats tend to shed their hair naturally after the winter season ends and the spring season begins.

This gives an opportunity to the goat farmers to collect these cashmere hairs and place them together into a unique cashmere product.

The farmers will collect these hairs by combing the loose neck hairs of the goats and merely picking up the shed hairs from the ground.

This can be a labor-intensive process at times.

What is Cashmere wool color?

The natural color of Cashmere wool is grey, white, and brown.

Some cashmere clothing manufacturers will stick with these natural colors in order to pass their products off as 100% natural.

But if you are the type of person who likes lots of different colors and designs in their clothing, then you will be able to discover cashmere clothing products which have dyed fibers on them.

These fibers can be dyed virtually any color to accommodate your tastes.

Is cashmere warm?

Cashmere wool has high insulation properties, despite being just a few millimeters thick.

When you wear the wool material over your naked skin, it will keep your body temperature constant when it is very cold outside.

This is how the cashmere goats can naturally stay warm as they stand outside all winter long.

If it weren’t for these insulation properties, the goats wouldn’t be able to survive the winter.

What is cashmere wool used for?

– Clothing Production: The most common use of cashmere wool is for producing clothes, such as shirts and jackets. They feel very soft and comfortable over your torso while keeping you warm at the same time. How could anyone not want to wear this wool?

– Scarves and Shawls: There is a good reason that scarves and shawls are commonly worn in Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries. It has to do with their close proximity to goat farmers that create these products from wool. Cashmere wool, in particular, is used to make these special clothing items too.

– Blankets: Since cashmere wool has insulation properties for keeping people warm, it only makes sense that they are made into blankets too. If you want to fall asleep in bed and stay warm on a cold night, use a cashmere wool blanket.

What are the advantages of using cashmere wool?

Cashmere wool can produce products that men and women can both enjoy and use.

There is no discrimination where cashmere wool is concerned. Anyone can find a cashmere product that they will love and feel comfortable with.

Here are the main advantages that anyone will have using a cashmere wool-based product:

1. It is an extremely soft material that feels extremely comfortable.

2. It is uber light so that you won’t feel weighed down as you’re wearing it.

3. It keeps you cozy without feeling too bulky, especially during the wintertime.

4. It is simply magnificent because of how rare and valuable the wool material is.

5. It is strong and durable enough to withstand cold temperatures, winds, and light impacts.

6. It produces luxury products that everyone wishes they had. If you just mention the word “cashmere” to someone, they will instantly become impressed because they will think of how luxurious it is.

Are there Cashmere wool disadvantages?

As great as cashmere wool can be, there are some disadvantages to using cashmere wool as well.

There are only a couple of disadvantages, so don’t let them discourage you.

– The price of cashmere is rather expensive when compared to other types of wool. This doesn’t mean you need to be rich to afford it, but it will certainly be more than you would normally spend on clothing material.
– There is a limited amount of Cashmere wool-based products made each year. This means that it will be very difficult for you to get your hands on one.

Did you know that?

1. One cashmere fiber strand is 6 times finer than one human hair. This has a lot to do with why cashmere fibers are so soft to the touch.

2. The use of cashmere is not some new phenomenon.

The noblemen of the Roman Empire era had used cashmere for their clothing all the time. These were the respectable people of the Empire who could afford such luxurious clothing items.

Throughout the centuries after the Roman Empire fell, the use of cashmere wool was not something that was done too often.

Cashmere wouldn’t become popular again until the 18th century.

The royal families and aristocrats living in Europe during this time were starting to appreciate the luxuriousness that cashmere brought to their lives. This started a trend of cashmere being worn by upper-class people. This trend continued from the 18th century all the way into the 21st century.

In fact, cashmere is even rarer now than it was back then. That has raised the value of the material even more.

3. The world’s largest supplier of Cashmere wool is China, followed by Mongolia. For a country that is known for producing cheap materials, you cannot expect to get too much of a discount when it comes to cashmere wool from China.

Damn…that is a lot of information, isn’t it?!

But I got a bonus for you!

I did a nice infographic about cashmere and I hope you will enjoy it.

So without further ado, I will let you enjoy the drawings

8 facts and myths about Cashmere

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