January is the best time to purchase cashmere clothing, when the sales begin. This remarkable fiber has many fine qualities. It’s incredibly soft, lightweight yet has exceptional heat retaining capability. Because its so lightweight you look less bulky. It’s also hand washable (check the label and ask a knowledgeable sales clerk. More clothes than you think can be gently hand washed, i.e. no wringing, just gently squeezing water out, then rolling up in a towel. My favorite designer’s clothes were all washable until about a year ago when ‘dry clean only’ appeared. The clerk said some customers thought ‘washable’ meant in a machine, and perish the thought, with hot water.)
Cashmere is one of the most durable fabrics. Jim still has a cashmere scarf I gave him 48 years ago...its only setback caused by moths in Galveston before I discovered garment bags, and a tea stain. But now it' quadrupled its value because of its lineage and sheer endurance!
Cashmere comes from an Asian goat, originally from Kashmir, India, now bred in China, Mongolia and central Asia,according to Martha Stewart Living magazine. Sheep and angora goats can produce 10 pounds of wool from one shearing. Cashmere goats are different, their fibers’ are harvestable only once a year, during molting season. It then takes a week to comb out the long strands by hand. Net gain: 4 oz.of wool per goat. It takes l0 oz. to make a woman’s single-ply sweater.
You get the picture. The downside of cashmere is its cost.
Take heart! Now is prime cashmere sale season. Good cheap cashmere is an an oxymoron but cheaper cashmere is possible to find. Look at high end department stores' January sales. I found a fabulous Italian cashmere sweater loomed by one of the best, Loro Piana, at 75% off! I’m not fond of outlet stores because they often have designs that never graced the racks of Neimans or Nordstroms, which makes me to wonder as to their true pedigree.
The best cashmere mills are in Italy and Scotland. Be careful or you may end up with a blend of cashmere with lesser fibers. If the label says 100% cashmere and is scratchy and rough, pass it up. If you squeeze good cashmere and let it go it will hold it’s shape.
Although you may gasp at your initial out-of-pocket cost, keep in mind it may last 30 to 40 years. If you select a universal design you’ll have made a sound investment, especially if you treat your cashmere properly. This means storing in a breathable garment bag because of moths and of course hand washing as carefully as you would a newborn babe, using a gentle soap such as Forever New (32 oz. cost $15 but lasts for years. and it’s made in South Dakota!). Proper hand washing can significantly lessen your dry cleaning footprint, too.
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