Cashmere is synonymous with luxury, softness, and enduring quality. Highly coveted for its remarkable softness and insulating properties, cashmere is not just a fabric but a statement of sustainable elegance.
Yet, beyond its luxurious reputation, there's depth worth exploring. As consumers increasingly question the origins, sustainability, and ethics behind their clothing, understanding cashmere in the context of slow fashion becomes essential.
Here, we delve into everything you need to know about cashmere, from its origins and qualities to its environmental impact and why it’s valued as a slow fashion staple.
A closer look at Cashmere
Cashmere belongs to a rare category of natural fibres known for their exceptional fineness. At less than 19 microns in diameter, each strand is significantly finer than human hair, giving the fabric its distinctive lightness and fluid drape. Its surface is naturally smooth, which is why it feels so soft against the skin without irritating.
Another defining quality is its unique warmth-to-weight ratio. Cashmere fibres are hollow, allowing them to trap air and retain heat while remaining breathable, a combination that keeps the wearer warm without heaviness. This makes cashmere a truly trans-seasonal textile, comfortable in both cool and temperate conditions.
Where does cashmere come from?
The finest cashmere is produced in high-altitude regions where winters are long, dry, and extremely cold. Mongolia, parts of northern China, Nepal, and the Himalayan plateau are especially renowned for their herding traditions. The goats that live here have adapted to grow a dual-layer coat: a coarse outer guard hair for protection, and a fine, downy undercoat for insulation.
The characteristics of the fibre, its softness, length, and warmth, are shaped by the climate and grazing environment. In harsher, wind-swept areas, the undercoat tends to be denser and finer. This connection between landscape and material is what gives each region’s cashmere subtle differences in texture and feel, adding to its artisanal value.
Harvesting of Cashmere
Cashmere harvesting is a seasonal process timed to coincide with the goats’ natural shedding cycle in spring. Skilled herders use hand-combing to separate the undercoat from the coarser guard hair, working slowly so as not to damage the fibre. The method is labour-intensive, often requiring multiple passes over the same animal to collect the full yield.
This approach preserves fibre length and quality, which in turn produces yarns that are softer, stronger, and less prone to pilling. It also maintains the ethical standard central to slow fashion: respecting the welfare of the animals and the rhythm of their natural growth cycles. After collection, the raw fibre is sorted, cleaned, and graded with equal care, ensuring that only the finest strands are spun into pure cashmere garments.
How fine is Cashmere?
Cashmere fibres are incredibly fine, typically measuring around 15 to 19 microns in diameter, much finer than most sheep’s wool, which averages between 20 and 40 microns. This extreme fineness directly contributes to the fabric’s exceptional softness, warmth, and luxurious feel against the skin.
The finer the fibre, the softer and more valuable the cashmere. High-quality cashmere garments feel uniquely silky and smooth, offering unparalleled comfort and gentle warmth.
Is Cashmere Itchy?
One common concern among consumers new to cashmere is its comfort, specifically, whether cashmere fabric feels itchy against the skin.
Unlike traditional wool, cashmere is typically non-irritating and hypoallergenic, largely due to its fine fibres. When produced correctly, pure cashmere garments feel exceptionally soft and luxurious, making them perfect for sensitive skin.
However, lower-quality cashmere blends, or fabrics produced with shorter, coarser fibres, may feel rougher or slightly itchy. Investing in high-quality, ethically sourced cashmere ensures that itchiness is rarely a concern, and the resulting garments provide a soothing, comfortable experience.
Is Cashmere warm?
Cashmere is revered not only for its softness but also for its incredible insulating properties. Its unique fibres trap heat effectively while remaining lightweight, keeping the wearer comfortably warm without overheating. This excellent insulation is due to the tiny air pockets within each fibre, naturally designed to regulate temperature.
Interestingly, cashmere garments can also adapt to various climates, offering warmth during cooler weather and breathability during mild conditions. Its versatility and thermal efficiency are major reasons why cashmere is a prized material in sustainable, slow fashion wardrobes.
Why is Cashmere so expensive?
The higher cost of cashmere is the result of a combination of natural scarcity, careful craftsmanship, and ethical production values.
Limited supply: Each cashmere goat produces only 150–200 grams of usable undercoat each year, enough for just one scarf or a fraction of a jumper. This scarcity is dictated by nature, not by manufacturing limits, making every garment inherently rare.
Labour-intensive harvesting: The most respected producers rely on ethical hand-combing during the goats’ natural moulting season. This method is slow and requires skill, but it preserves fibre length and quality, resulting in softer, stronger yarns. It also ensures the welfare of the animals is prioritised, aligning with slow fashion principles.
Meticulous processing: Once harvested, the fibres are washed, sorted, and graded by hand to remove any coarse hairs. Spinning and weaving high-quality cashmere demands expertise, often involving small, specialised mills that maintain traditional techniques.
These combined factors explain why cashmere commands a higher price. Beyond its softness, its value lies in the integrity of its production: a commitment to quality over quantity, and to garments that last for many years rather than just a season.
What different types of cashmere fabric are there?
Not all cashmere fabrics are created equal. Variations arise based on fibre quality, production processes, and yarn treatment methods. Some notable types include:
Grade-A: Highest quality, longest and finest fibres. Exceptionally soft, durable, and luxurious.
Grade-B and Grade-C: Shorter and slightly coarser fibres, still soft but less durable.
Cashmere Blends: Mixed with other fibres like wool or silk, blending luxury with affordability and added durability.
Selecting the right type of cashmere depends on the desired qualities, such as softness, longevity, affordability, or ease of maintenance.
How does Cashmere wool impact the environment?
Like all natural fibres, cashmere carries an environmental footprint, but the extent of that impact depends heavily on how it is sourced, processed, and produced. In its pure form, cashmere is fully biodegradable, breaking down naturally without leaving behind harmful microplastics. This makes it inherently more sustainable than synthetic fabrics.
However, the environmental benefits depend on responsible farming practices. In regions where goat populations are managed carefully and pastures are allowed to regenerate, cashmere production can coexist harmoniously with the surrounding ecosystem.
Sustainably produced cashmere prioritises animal welfare and ecosystem health. This means keeping herd sizes small enough to prevent overgrazing, following the goats’ natural grazing patterns, and avoiding harmful chemicals in fibre processing. Traditional hand-combing and small-batch spinning also minimise the need for heavy industrial machinery, reducing the reliance on energy consumption.
How we source our cashmere at Afar
At Afar Boutique, sustainability and ethics sit at the heart of everything we create, including our approach to sourcing cashmere. We prioritise suppliers who adhere to strict sustainability standards and ethical farming practices. Our cashmere is responsibly sourced, ensuring animal welfare is maintained, land degradation is minimised, and fair working conditions are provided for all involved.
We advocate for slow, mindful consumption, creating garments with enduring quality that encourage customers to buy less, but better. By sourcing cashmere thoughtfully, we ensure our products align with our ethos of living lightly and meaningfully. You can explore these values in practice through our Cashmere Collection, which showcases pieces made with the same care, respect, and timeless design that define Afar.
How does including cashmere in your wardrobe support a shift towards slow fashion?
Incorporating thoughtfully sourced cashmere into your wardrobe is more than a style choice; it's a commitment to slow fashion and environmental responsibility. Cashmere garments made with care provide exceptional durability, reducing the frequency of replacements and promoting a more sustainable approach to fashion consumption.
High-quality cashmere is designed to last, developing character and softness with proper care, ultimately embodying the essence of slow fashion: fewer items, thoughtfully chosen, designed to be worn and cherished for years.
Choosing Cashmere with Care
By selecting ethically produced cashmere from transparent Australian makers like Afar, you’re doing more than adding a beautiful piece to your wardrobe, you’re taking part in a slower, more considered way of dressing. Every purchase supports herders who care for their goats with respect, farming practices that protect fragile landscapes, and craftsmanship that honours the natural qualities of the fibre.
In the end, choosing well-made, ethically sourced cashmere is about more than clothing. It’s a quiet statement about the kind of world you want to live in, one where luxury and responsibility walk hand in hand.