Cashmere
History
During ancient times, the
wealthy and privileged were provided with
luxurious downy fleece that came from the
Kashmir goats who roamed the high plateaus of
the Gobi Desert and the mountains of Tibet.
These privileged individuals included the
maharajahs and members of the Roman Empire and
the Courts of Europe. Only members of royalty,
and a few other privileged individuals, were
able to enjoy the pleasures of cashmere. Along
with jewels, cashmere was considered among the
most precious gifts of nature.
During the reign of Napoleon, cashmere became
very popular when he presented his second wife,
Empress Eugenie, with 17 cashmere shawls.
Cashmere then became a passion of Queen
Victoria. In addition, Britain's arbiter of
fashion, Beau Brummell, became the envy of many
men and women when he adorned his stunning white
cashmere waistcoat in the early part of the 19th
century.
Today, cashmere is still considered the most
luxurious fiber, associated with members of high
society and fashion authorities.
The most extravagant and luxurious cashmere has
its roots in China and Mongolia, and even today
that region is known throughout the world as
having the finest cashmere.
ORIGINS OF CASHMERE
China and Mongolia are well known for having the
best handwork and finest cashmere in the world.
The exquisite and exceptional sweaters are
unequaled in their beauty and quality the world
over. These incomparable sweaters maintain their
beauty and value and are enjoyed by their
fortunate owners for many years, even decades.
DESCRIPTIONS OF CASHMERE
Cashmere is actually the down that is shed on a
yearly basis by certain goats. These goats live
in the areas of northern China into Mongolia
that surrounds the Gobi Desert. The weather
conditions of these high and dry plateaus is
extremely harsh. As a result, the goats need
their coarse outer hair to repel the inclement
weather conditions so that they may survive.
Somewhere beneath their coarse external coat is
a very fine fiber that insulates the goats from
the bitter cold. This fine fleece is known as
cashmere.
It will take four years for the goats to produce
enough cashmere for just one sweater. The
cashmere from the goats is collected each
spring, as an individual combs each goat by
hand. After that, the fleece is gathered and
sorted by hand. Most of the sweaters are knitted
by hand operated machinery.
It takes a great deal of time and skill to
convert the cashmere into sumptuous sweaters and
other garments. |
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