How warm is Cashmere compared to Merino wool?

As soon as winter and fall come upon us, all we think about are sweaters, wraps, and basically anything that would keep us warm and comfortable, all season long. The most popular choice amongst common masses is wool. We visit shops, online stores, and simply pick wool, perhaps without even knowing what we are buying. Wool is not just one type, but it has several types, based on the source. Should we pick merino wool, or should we ask for Cashmere? What is the difference between merino wool and cashmere? How warm is cashmere compared to merino wool? Let's find our answers to all these questions frequently asked by customers.

What is Wool?

Wool is the coat that is on the outer body of sheep. The hair on the other side is again of two types: guard hair and undercoat. The guard hair is on the outside of the goat or other hair-bearing animals. Guard hair is used for rain protection as it is thick and coarse. The undercoat bears fine hair. It is used to keep the animal warm. Undercoat hair is highly prized, as it is finer, warmer, and softer than guard hair or wool itself.

History of Wool

It was around 6000 BC when wool was used in garments. It is believed that ancient Iranians started rearing sheep to acquire wool from them, which they use in apparel to keep themselves warm. Little did they know that this basic practice of theirs would emerge as an industry. So much so that people now have the luxury to pick any type of wool that they want and it gets acquired from the animal, processed, and crafted to meet the requirement.

While there are many types of wool, there are classifications on the basis of softness, luxuriousness, and warmth factor. Again wool is different from hair, as wool comes from sheep, and hair is sourced from goats, rabbits, and alpacas.

Properties of Wool

Wool has a number of properties which makes it the number one choice of women, as soon as summer departs. Here is a list of them

• Wool is durable and water repellent.
• It allows good insulation because of its moisture-absorbing properties, and the ability to trap air.
• Wool accepts dye very well. In fact, both wool and hair take dyes well, and there is no need to colour the material further after the initial one.
• Wool, as well as hair, are recyclable.

Types of Wool

Here is a breakdown of the types of wool.

Lambswool

The first shearing of sheep produces the finest and softest wool which is called Lambswool. This type of wool is acquired generally from lambs younger than seven months. Sheep can produce between one to thirteen kg of wool, which depends on their health, breed type, etc. Some breeds produce hair such strong and resilient that carpets and rugs can be made out of it. Others give away softer wool, which is put into making apparel or wraps.

Merino Wool

The softest sheep wool in the world comes from Merino sheep and is called Merino wool. This type of wool is the most popular and is used in clothing. This type of clothing is most luxurious, and its fiber count can go down to even 20 microns. Merino wool gives a beautiful drape to apparel and wraps.

Mohair wool

Mohair comes from Angora goat. The hair is longer in length which gives the production a smooth texture. Mohair is lustrous and durable. Mohair is often used in dresses, baby clothing, sweaters, and scarves.

Angora

Angora is sourced from the undercoat of the Angora rabbit. The fibers are exceptionally fine at about 10-15 microns, which makes them incredibly soft and the finest of all their counterparts. Rabbits are continuously combed, and at the end of each year, a rabbit produces at the most 400 grams of wool.

Qiviut

Sourced from the undercoat of the arctic muskox, Qiviut is finer, more expensive, and softer than sheep wool. It is eight times warmer than ordinary wool and does not shrink in water. The muskox sheds its fleece during the molting season, and the breeders either comb it off or pick it from the ground

Cashmere wool

Cashmere is the down coat of the Changthangi goat and the processed fleece is only one-fourth of the total hair sheared off the goat. Well known for its luxurious and warm feel, cashmere is extremely fine and the diameter of the fibre is around 16 microns. Cashmere comes from the neck and underbelly region of the goat which has to be combed gently for 7-15 days continuously. One goat yields around 150 grams of Cashmere a year. Hence, to craft one shawl, it takes the fleece over 3-4 goats, hence explaining the high price of Pashmina shawls. The fine fibres constituting Cashmere wraps or apparel make it less resilient and gentle as compared to sheep wool. Yet Pashmina shawls are the most luxurious wraps and have a history of getting ancient royalty spellbound.

Vicuna

The rarest wool in the world is Vicuna. It is even finer and warmer than Cashmere. Vicuna is so delicate and gentle that it doesn't take dyes and hence is left in its natural state. But the shearing of Vicuna is done in limits since the fall in the numbers of the animal population.

Cashmere vs Wool

The comparison of wool is often done with Cashmere as buyers believe that Cashmere is better than wool. This is absolutely true when it comes to warmth, finesse, lightweight of Cashmere, and the breathtaking colours and patterns Cashmere wraps and apparel are produced in. However, when it comes to prices, Cashmere is much more expensive than wool. 

Owing to this, wool and Cashmere buyers often compare the two to each other. Wool buyers do not want to buy an overly expensive accessory, while Cashmere patrons believe that Cashmere wraps and apparel are more warm, and hence they do not need to buy many wraps. Just one or two Cashmere pieces are enough for the entire winter.

What is Cashmere

Cashmere is the most popular kind of animal hair, as far as warmth is concerned. It is often compared to merino wool, as both are used for keeping oneself warm and comfortable, besides being luxurious and fine. The difference between merino wool and Cashmere is that Merino wool is sheep wool and Cashmere is goat hair. And we know wool and hair are two different things.

Cashmere comes from the Himalayan ranges, situated in Asia. An exotic goat species is found in the top regions of these mountain ranges. It is these goats that grow the luxury Cashmere as a downfibre. It grows on their bodies in the colder months and keeps them warm in the biting cold of the winter Himalayas where temperature drops to -50 degrees C. In the summer months however, the hair naturally falls off from the body as a result of hormonal changes. This is collected by its herders and cleaned thoroughly. 

Post cleaning, Cashmere is sent for spinning and weaving which produces luxury shawls, wraps, sweaters, accessories and apparel. 

Warmth of Cashmere

It is enough evident that Cashmere is one of the most warm fabrics ever discovered by the fact that it survives goats in the harshest temperatures. As temperatures fall to sub zero, it is this fine wool that helps the goats as well as its herders survive. But as soon as summer starts, the goat rubs its body against coarse surfaces like shrubs, walls, large stones and the ground itself. This leaves its hair helter skelter, all over its habitat, and takes time to collect. There is still some portion on its body, which is ethically acquired by professionals by gentle combing. 

The raw Cashmere is processed for months or even years at times and transformed to super warm apparel and accessories. Cashmere is considered 8 times warmer than sheep wool (the Cashmere vs wool discussion), and is often worn in sub zero temperatures. 

Cashmere is Stylish

Besides being luxuriously warm and comfortable, especially for the winter days, Cashmere wraps, scarves or apparel are super stylish. It was empress Josephine, who set Cashmere wraps to a timeless fashion. Since she was a style icon of her time, every single woman followed her, and acquired Cashmere wraps even when these were not affordable for all.  The Empress owned a certain hundred shawls made in Cashmere, and hence started the trend, which is being followed till now. 

In this era, famous designers, celebrities and commoners own Cashmere wraps not only for warmth but a timeless appearance. Cashmere wraps haven't been out of fashion ever since the first shawl was made in Kashmir. Popular designers have started putting their own creativity in action as far as producing wrps are concerned. As such, modern embroidery patterns, contemporary checks, stripes, abstract patterns and more can be found in Cashmere wraps. Some designers customise wraps as per the demand of a taker. 

Hence Cashmere wraps are traditionally as well contemporarily in vogue. A 30 year old shawl looks as elegant as a freshly made piece. Hence a woman of today can easily pull off a shawl that belongs to her mother or grandmother. Thanks to the timelessness and the ageless nature of Cashmere designs, one can own even the most pricey pieces at one time.

Wool vs Cashmere (Is Cashmere Warm when compared to Wool)

Both Cashmere and Merino wool are warm, comfortable, and come in a large variety of styles to keep their wearers looking stylish. However, there are a number of differences between them which makes each of them unique and special in their own way. Be it warmth, weight, or price, Cashmere as well as Merino wool are high quality wool types and offer their own special properties to enrich your winters.

Is Cashmere warmer than Merino Wool? (Merino wool vs Cashmere

For a contest of Merino wool vs Cashmere, it is believed that Cashmere is 7 times warmer than Merino wool. For this reason, Cashmere is highly-priced. Not only it provides more warmth, but cashmere is gracefully lightweight to carry around as compared to Merino wool

Another difference between the two is softness. Cashmere is softer as compared to Merino wool. However, wool is treated with fabric softeners nowadays and it transforms into a much softer fabric than before.

As far as durability is concerned, Merino wool is more sturdy than Cashmere, and requires less care as compared to Cashmere. Cashmere is more complicated to clean and store and might become troublesome for those who do not have much idea about the same.

Also read: Can you wash your Pashmina?

Buying the purest Cashmere

Cashmere is warm, luxurious and super comfortable. But did you know that there are fake Cashmere wraps and shawls selling in the market like hot cakes. Why?Because they are cheaper. 

It all started in the late 1990’s when a few traders started mixing Cashmere fibre with nylon or silk, or simply sheep wool. This proved to be detrimental for the art form, as Cashmere buyers sensed something was different with these. The fake and mixed varieties did not last for even a few years, whereas original Cashmere does last for a month, and the regular buyers knew it. Hence the industry got in trouble and the sales declined on account of fake Cashmere being sold. Sellers who sold the purest Cashmere, too, earned a bad reputation because the entire industry was now infamous for dishonesty.

Soon the industry recovered after some serious albeit challenging efforts of a few honest sellers, who revived the industry by selling only the purest Cashmere. These sellers contacted the makers of original Cashmere (the artisans of the ancient art form), and began selling the best, high quality Cashmere that was famous all over the world in the 18th century. 

One of those is Pashmina.com. We sell the purest, high quality Cashmere shawls, wraps and scarves that come from Kashmir. It is Ladakh, where the Changthangi goat is found, whose Cashmere wool is put to use to produce the finest Cashmere wraps and scarves.  Kashmiri Pashmina shawls or Cashmere wraps are world famous and have travelled the globe earlier in the 15th to 18th century. These are considered the finest of all its counterparts, and Pashmina.com is the leading seller of Kashmiri shawls with designer prints and patterns. From contemporary to conventional, the assortment features all types of wraps and scarves, handcrafted from purest Cashmere.