Everything you need to know about Cashmere

1. Cashmere – often eulogized as “soft gold” or ‘the “golden fleece” has been long revered through the centuries as one of the most luxurious materials of the textile industry on account of its softness and rarity. Not only is cashmere hailed as the softest natural fiber on the planet, but due to the nature of the raw material and the manufacturing process it is also one of the warmest.

2. The home to the best cashmere in the world is the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in China.

3. Cashmere Origins: Napoleon was the fist who introduced cashmere to Europe. The time honored tradition of weaving pashmina wool into scarves is said to date back to the 13thcentury. Emperors from India and Iran were often seen wearing cashmere shawls in political proceedings and religious ceremonies. Throughout the ages, cashmere wool has been hailed as the diamond fabric, and the fiber of kings. Legend has it that pashmina became the ultimate French fashion piece when Napoleon gifted his wife Josephine with a beautiful and much-envied cashmere scarf.

4. Specific process of production – cashmere wool is obtained with combing of the lower hair (the lower layer of hair) from special goats that provide cashmere wool. The goats naturally shed their coats when the temperature rises in summer. After combing this luxurious material cashmere producers send it for spinning, dying and other processes. Since combing is the primary means of retrieving the hair, no goats are harmed in the process.

5. Cashmere is a superlative, hypoallergenic fiber. Cashmere fiber is much like sheep’s wool, but warmer and not itchy. It is lacking in lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic and also allows it to be processed without the need for high temperatures or harsh chemicals in washing. All these qualities make cashmere a supreme product for babies.