Is Cashmere Worth it?

It is well known to everyone that Cashmere is one of the priciest materials for wraps, sweaters, and other accessories that we use in winter. Being so, it is often associated with the wealthier section of the society, which raises several questions about it. And hence, some come up with questions like “Is Cashmere worth it?”, “Why should I buy Cashmere?”, and more. So today, we figured out the same. Is Cashmere worth the money we pay for it?

Cashmere is world-famous for being one of the finest and the most luxurious materials that the wool industries have to offer. It provides extraordinary warmth and is remarkably lightweight. Given the fact that Cashmere wraps and sweaters are stylish and graceful, these are often seen on runways during fashion weeks around the world. All this makes this fine wool a perfect candidate for every woman’s wardrobe; even if they have the most expensive luxuries lined up for winter. 

What is Cashmere?

Cashmere is named after ‘Kashmir’, the valley where it originated centuries ago. Despite China and Mongolia being the biggest producers of cashmere in the world, it is the cashmere found growing on the body of the Capra Hircus goat found in Ladakh, eastern Jammu, and Kashmir, that is of the finest quality. We, at Pashmina.com, bring you the luxury collection handcrafted with the finest cashmere from Ladakh. These goats are peculiar and special because of the harshness of the habitat they manage to survive. The extremely cold temperatures force these goats to grow an additional layer of wool over their underbelly and neck. This fine fleece grows under the rest of their coarse hair coat. This extra layer is Cashmere. It helps the goat survive temperatures of -40 degrees in winter. 

Cashmere is much finer than sheep’s wool. Pure Cashmere has a diameter of just 12-16 microns (that is 12 millionth of a metre). Note that human hair is around 50 microns on average, which makes Cashmere one-fourth of human hair. Being so fine makes it luxuriously lightweight, and unbelievably soft to touch. Moreover, the fibre has a natural crumple, enabling it to trap more air than other wool types. This makes Cashmere 8 times more insulating than sheep wool

Also read: Types of Wool | Know what you are wearing

Where does Cashmere clothing come from?

Cashmere clothing or accessories are handcrafted from Pure Cashmere threads. The wool is acquired from the Himalayas and is later processed manually to fabric which is wearable. Here is a step by step process which shows how to transform Cashmere fibre to fabric, and tells us whether it is worth the hype it gets

Acquisition of Cashmere wool

The first and perhaps the most challenging step is the acquisition of Cashmere wool. The reason is that Cashmere is found over 15000 feet in the Himalayan ranges which is more or less cut off from the rest of the world. A special species of goats called the Cashmere goats are the ones which grow the wool as a downfibre. This wool is warm and hence keeps the goats alive during peak winter season which is otherwise harsh enough for any living being to lose life.

It is this extreme winter when the herders of Cashmere goats rear the animals the best they can. As soon as winters leave and the summer season arrives the goats lose a portion of the wool due to discomfort and the other portion left on their bodies is deliberately lost by them by continuous rubbing against coarse surfaces. Anything left on their body is gently combed off by professionals.

Spinning of Cashmere fibre:

Post acquiring the wool that the Cashmere goats sheds, it is collected by the herders. Herders pack it into small pouches and send them for further processing. The first step in processing Cashmere is washing it. Raw wool is full of dirt and dust and needs thorough cleaning before processing. Thread by thread the lumps of wool are washed off any foreign materials, and hence the raw wool is now clean.

Post cleaning, Cashmere is sent for professional spinning. Spinning of the wool involves transforming lumps of wool to fine fibre (threads) which are ideal for further processing. this is done manually on spinning wheels with high precision and concentration. Due to the high skill of the artisans, the fibre hence produced is just 12 to 16 microns thick. This super fine fibre is now sent for weaving to another set of exceptionally skillful artisans.

Weaving of Cashmere:

Post spinning, the gentle and fine threads of Cashmere are passed on to the weavers who weave it with extreme precision and attention to detail. The threads are mounted on to a traditional handloom which sets the threads in warps and wefts with two or more men manually weaving those. After 3 to 4 days of continuous hard work, a fabric is ready. The fabric can be a Cashmere shawl, a Cashmere scarf, wrap or simply large fabric which can be used to further make apparel. This is the complex process of producing Cashmere.

Post Weaving

After weaving a Cashmere wrap or fabric for a few days, it is time for post weaving embellishments. Cashmere shawls can be embroidered, printed, patterned, or adorned in any way as its admirers want. Embroidery patterns are super intricate and take years to complete at times. There are several embroidered shawls which take 4 to 5 years to complete, and their takers actually wait for time. Printing and patterning takes less time when compared to embroidery. Kani weaving takes most of the time, while plain shawls takes the least time to reach their recipients.

The process of producing Cashmere is really complicated, and hence worth the acclaim and the popularity it has received.

Is Cashmere worth it?

To find out if Cashmere is worth the high prices that its patrons pay for it, we need to see certain factors. This is a serious question that every shopper should ask himself before he sets out to shop for a pricey Cashmere wrap. A Cashmere wrap might cost you double, or even triple the price of a wool one, and you have to wonder whether you really need to spend so much.

Let us look at the factors which make this luxury goat hair expensive

1. Demand is more than Production

The demand for Cashmere wraps is more than its supply and production. That is because the supply is low. The goat which grows it produces just 150 grams of wool in a year. This isn't enough for even a small scarf. Hence 3-4 goats have to produce fleece in order to make one Pashmina shawl. These are the same Pashmina shawls that are of the highest demand all over the world when it comes to Kashmiri handicrafts. This makes demand much more than the production of wool. In addition to this, the Cashmere goat is rare, and there aren't too many left now. This rarity factor makes Cashmere more expensive, and the one who wants the product has to pay more to win it. 

2. Goats produce limited Hair

As stated earlier, one Cashmere goat produces just a few ounces of hair (around 150 grams), which is a little amount when taking the making of large wraps into consideration. Hence wool from as many as 4 goats would suffice. The limited production of this wool adds up to the expensive factor. 

The production of goat hair also depends on the health and natural conditions that the goat lives in. If the goat is healthy and the conditions are according to the goats temperament, the goat produces normal hair. But if the goat falls sick, or migrates to a place where the requirements aren't met, less hair might be produced.

3. How is Cashmere collected?

The making of Cashmere wraps is one of the most intensive processes in the world. From its acquisition from the Ladakh region to the completion of a product, Cashmere wrap-making involves as many as a hundred men and women. 

As soon as the moulting period starts in Spring, the goat sheds its wool, and herders collect it. There is still a portion of the same left on their bodies which some professionals collect. This wool, being full of waste materials and dirt, is manually cleaned in Ladakh, as well as on its arrival to Kashmir. Women, then, take the clean wool for spinning and transform lumps of wool into fine threads on a wooden spinning wheel. Later, these threads are mounted on wooden traditional handlooms, where they are handwoven into wraps, scarves, and other accessories. 

If wraps are to be embroidered, that too is done by hands. Sometimes it takes even years to embroider a wrap. Kani shawls takes 4 to 5 years to complete, while plain solid shawls take around a week to reach its customers.

This extreme labour work by artisans who have decades of experience and acquired skill makes Cashmere more expensive. Artisans work painstakingly at times, and at extended periods at times, but always complete their pieces in time with an unmatched look and feel. Artisans work together for months or years together, preparing their masterpieces inch by inch, for the ultimate satisfaction of the wearer.

Also read: The Trail of India’s Cashmere Goat Men

4. Cashmere is Season Specific

Unfortunately, this luxury wool is not available all year-round. The moulting season begins in Spring. It is only in the spring and summer season that goats shed their wool, and herders collect and sell it. Hence being available just for a single season in a year makes it rare and worth competing for. 

Retailers often have to wait for months together to get their stock of Cashmere wraps. Till then, they are bound to sell stock from the last season. Fortunately, the wool has immense admiration, and its takers actually wait for even years till the completion of their ordered product.

5. The Timeless Treasure

The best thing about owning a Cashmere is that you can wear it at any time of your life. Even if your wrap is 20 or 25 years old, it never looks withered or shriveled. The more aged a Cashmere wrap is, the more heirloom look it acquires, and the more graceful it looks. 

In terms of quality too, Cashmere never ages. In ancient Kashmir, a mother would give her own Pashmina shawl to her daughter on the day of her wedding, as a gift. And the same would look fresh and carry an antique look, which made it more beautiful. This timelessness too accounts for its high price in the market, as customers sometimes take just one Cashmere shawl for an entire lifetime. 

Is Cashmere worth it?

When asked if Cashmere is worth the fame and desirability it receives from people all over the world, our fabric experts, designers and customers say Yes, without a doubt. Cashmere is a luxury in itself. And as mentioned above there are so many reasons why Cashmere is the king of fibres. From being the most in demand yet the least in supply, to being the most warm yet lightweight, Cashmere is definitely something worth a buy. The purest and best quality Cashmere comes from Ladakh, North India where nomadic herders rear Changthangi goas. These goats give the best quality Cashmere which makes the finest shawls and scarves.

Pure Cashmere is worth every penny spent on it, all the time spent looking for it, and all the attention paid to its buying and styling.

An extraordinary warmth, the feathery light weight, and the versatility of this luxury fibre made us realize that the high prices of Cashmere are well deserved. Being 8 times warmer than wool, featuring the decades old skill of artisans, and one piece taking even 4 years to complete would indeed deserve a high price to maintain its value, as well as to pay homage to the glorious art forms of India.

Also read: Cashmere: For Weddings and Beyond