Tips for Buying Cashmere Apparels

 Without doubt that cashmere is a  magnificent  garment  and often linked with  luxury  apparels. But ever question why it is  judged  so  valuable? Obviously , it is supple  and feels incredible  when trying  it, but there’s more to cashmere than just the feel.  It starts with the source.

For centuries, the sheep from the Kashmir  area (hence the origins of the title ) have yielded  the softest , most  luxuriant apparels  in the world.  However  is Kashmir the sole   place  you find cashmere wool? Not exactly , while  the beginnings  of the word arrived  from the Kashmir  area in Persian era , we are lucky  that several  other  countries are now supplying cashmere. Inner Mongolia in northern China is one in particular. This area is the largest developer  of cashmere goats on the planet . Other countries  such as  Tibet, New Zealand and Turkey have significant productions.  Because these locations  are considered   distant  ( in particular to  North America), it cost more to export them and eventually  augments to cost of the garment.

The  crucial factor in developing superior cashmere is the  weather . The weather is a significant factor in the making  of cashmere. The colder the weather , the  bulkier  the goats’fur  will be. Hence , it is not surprising  that superior  quality cashmere wool comes from cold climate regions .  With global warming on the rise, there is a chance that quality cashmere will become even harder to find.

Because  cashmere  raw materials are  naturally expensive, the apparels  or garments are also expensive . One  technique  many manufacturers will apply  to  lessen  the  cost is mixing  the cashmere wool with  a lower quality fabric .  Unfortunately, this also  reduces the quality and  traits  admired  with cashmere.

Anyone who has ever bought and tried a quality cashmere cape or women’s coat swears how comfortable and warm it is. Unlike the familiar wool, cashmere is soft and does not irritate when wearing it. Plus , it has the ability to be woven into exceptional threads or thick yarns. These features lend a great deal of flexibility to designers when crafting garments of cashmere. Coats in this natural material , consequently, appear in a surprising variety of patterns, textures, colors and forms . A word of caution be careful when purchasing your cashmere cape or shawl, there are a lot of cashmere imitations on the market.

In review , if you do decide to purchase a cashmere sweater , remember the following:

1) Ask yourself – where does the cashmere come from? ( remember that colder climate areas produce higher quality cashmere)

2) Does your sell person have any knowledge about cashmere?

3) If there’s a blend of additional wools. How much percentage cashmere it there in the apparel ?

 

This commentary was written by Dino Karatzios who is a third generation coat maker. He learned the tradefrom his Father (Dimitrios who is the actual master furrier) and has been working in the fur trade from a very young age. You can say that furs andluxury outerwear is practically in his blood. For more information regarding furs, leathers or specialty wools, please feel free to contact Dino at Frank’s Furs and Fashions (http://www.franksfurs.com)