Learn Why
All Cashmere are not Equal
Cashmere originates from the fur
of the Kashmir goat, most of which live in
Mongolia, Tibet and Iran. The best cashmere
comes from the Mongolian goats. This fur is
found on the underside of the goats. The fur may
also be found on the back and legs of the goats,
however, even though it may be designated
"cashmere" it is not as soft nor as long as the
fur that is located on the goat's belly and
throat. It is quite common today to find
sweaters that are made with this lower quality
fur. It is believed that this trend started in
the 1960's and 70's, and is continues today.
You can determine by the feel of the cashmere
whether it is high quality or
not. The high quality cashmere will feel very
soft and lightweight. A high
quality fiber cashmere will be longer than the
lower quality and will not be susceptible to
pilling. Pills are those little balls of fur
that appear on the sweaters due to friction.
These pills often appear on cheaper sweaters
that are made from short fibers. The pills can
be carefully cut off, but they will probably
reappear once the sweater is worn again and
comes in contact with such items as a purse or
seatbelt.
The shape of the armholes may also determine the
quality of the sweater. In
cheaper sweaters, the sleeves are usually cut
out of the knitted fabric in
order to fit the armholes; and the bodice of the
sweater is cut out, then
the two pieces are sewn together. With higher
quality sweaters, the
armholes, shoulders and sides of the bodice are
shaped on the knitting
machine so that they fit perfectly together.
Then the pieces are sewn
together. The seams are referred to as fashion
marks. This stitching may be
compared to the stitching on a baseball.
You should always look for signs of wear and use
if you are shopping for
vintage cashmere. One of the hazards of
purchasing a vintage sweater is that
they have been exposed to moths; therefore, look
for holes. If a sweater
contains only tiny moth holes, they can be
easily mended by an experienced
seamstress.
If you find a sweater that has many pills, keep
in mind that it will most
likely continue to generate pills. Look at
various locations on the sweater, such as
armholes for signs of pilling. Felted areas may
also be indicated under the arms.
Also, look for stains because old stains are
very difficult to remove. You
should not use harsh chemical treatments to
remove stains from cashmere
sweaters as they are not good for the fibers.
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