Every woman knows what cashmere is. But not everyone can purchase a really high-quality thing from this material. Cashmere yarn is not an expensive pleasure. Why? What is cashmere made of? Why is this material so valuable? Why is every fashionista happy to update her wardrobe with cashmere products?
Soft Gold
This is what cashmere is called in China. The sophisticated inhabitants of the Celestial Empire know a lot about such things. Manufacturers of the best silk in the world to the question: "What is cashmere?" - they answer: “This is soft gold!” Things made from this material are weightless, very soft and surprisingly warm. It is also important that, unlike wool, cashmere very gently lies on the skin, absolutely not irritating it. Well, tell me, what kind of fabric can combine so many advantages at once?
Cashmere is ...
This is really worth a stop. It is very important to understand what cashmere really is. Unfortunately, some dictionaries refer to it as “light woolen or cotton asparagus weave.” In fact, this characteristic is not entirely true. Speaking about what cashmere is, it should first of all be indicated that it is not wool, but the fluff of mountain goats, and of a particular breed. There is no talk of any cotton fabrics at all. This fluff is plucked from goats in the spring, after minutes of winter cold. Animals are not sheared, but treated with a special pinch. This is done only once a year. One goat can give 200 grams of valuable fluff from the force (usually 100-120 grams). Moreover, donors of "soft gold" are very moody and do not want to live anywhere. They like Mongolia, China, Afghanistan and Iran. Attempts to breed them in other countries were unsuccessful - the quality of the undercoat was quite low. To knit one medium-sized sweater, you will need fluff from five to seven animals. A volume cardigan will require five to six times more.
Characteristic
Anyone who knows what cashmere understands is why it is so expensive. There is a big misconception that this material is needed only for winter walks. Cashmere has a very high thermal insulation ability, so things from it are comfortable with respect to heat. The fact is that cashmere fibers trap air two to three times more than other fabrics. The fiber almost does not accumulate static electricity, so it does not collect dust and is less polluted. Have you noticed that goats are almost always clean? It turns out that the scales that cover the fibers of the cashmere thread prevent the deep penetration of dust particles. In addition, they repel water. Only water vapor can be absorbed. This is explained by the presence of a waxy fatty substance on the fibers, which cannot be removed even after dry cleaning.
Some consumers say rolling is a quality issue. This point of view is also erroneous: cashmere yarn cannot but roll. A knitwear made of this material should be thin and soft. To maximize this quality, you need to "raise" thin fibers. This measure allows both softness and smoothness of the layer. Otherwise, the top layer will be dry and rough. Therefore, do not be surprised at the appearance of spools as a result of friction. Perhaps this is the only drawback of cashmere. In addition, it can be easily removed with either fingers or special machines.
Price categories
What is cashmere and why is it so expensive, we found out. Now let's see why the prices for things from this material are so different. It turns out that the whole thing is the so-called fineness, or the thickness of the fluff. We can conditionally distinguish two categories:
- Pashmina. Fluff of the highest quality, not more than 15 microns, several times thinner than human hair. It is used to produce the finest shawls, the cost of which is from 15,000 rubles to several tens of thousands.
- Cashmere. Down thickness up to 19 microns. It is sometimes referred to as half-suspension. Retail price from 2-3 thousand rubles. The determining factors here are color and thickness. Natural colors of such fluff: gray, black, brown and white. The most expensive fluff is white. It is better stained and much more tender.
If you saw a shawl for a couple of thousand rubles (or a little more), then most likely it is made either from wool or with a low cashmere content. A cheaper product is made either from acrylic or from viscose. However, individual sellers also put "cashmere" prices on such things, hoping that the buyer will not distinguish a fake. How not to fall for such a bait?
Learning to identify fake
- Cashmere is faded. It’s quite difficult to color it (we already wrote why why). Any dye applied to the fluff becomes smoky, i.e. fades a little. If you are shown a bright thing that has a clean, rich color, be sure: you are being deceived. Either this is not cashmere at all, or another fiber (polyester, wool, silk) is added to the product. Of course, the seller may object, saying that white fluff was used. However, even in this case, the color would not be bright! Most manufacturers really add up to 10% silk to pashmina and cashmere. This is done to refresh the product, brighten and improve wear.
- How to find out about the supplement? Along with real fluff, if you look closely, another, thinner and denser thread is noticeable. This is acceptable, so you should not refuse such a thing, especially if you liked it.
- Pay attention to the haze. If the composition really has cashmere, you will see fluffy fibers as thin as a spider line. They create a slight haze on the surface.
- Squeeze the fabric. Hold it for a few seconds between your palms. Provided that it is really cashmere, you will feel noticeable warmth. Pooh not only holds, but also enhances heat.
- Pay attention to the lack of shine. This is a prerequisite for pure cashmere: it must be matte! Gloss indicates the presence of additives.