Cashmere garments and home textile furnishings are long term investments. Besides being soft, warm, light and beautiful, cashmere garments don't wrinkle and are easily wearable. Whether you travel, go from work directly to social occasions, or lead an active lifestyle, your cashmere garments will always look good and keep you comfortable without bulk. Cashmere is a natural product and a renewable resource. To make the most of your investment, choose your cashmere carefully. Good quality cashmere will get softer with age, will rarely pill, and should last a lifetime with proper care and storage.

Choosing Cashmere

When shopping for garments, pay attention to the quantity of cashmere used in knits. A 'bargain' sweater may contain half as much of the precious fiber as a high quality sweater of similar design. The real test will be in the weight of the cashmere, but if you hold a sweater up to the light and you can see through it, it is likely that it will not last a very long time. Good cashmere is soft to the touch and has an almost buttery handle. It is never scratchy or rough. If a cashmere product feels dry, brittle, or rough, it is most likely inferior fiber, incorrectly processed, or mislabeled. Durable cashmere knits depend on strong yarns. The longer the cashmere fibers are to begin with, the more durable the yarn will be. For this reason, most knits contain some percentage of Mongolian cashmere, which is naturally very long. Beware of 'bargains'. Many cashmere garments sell at retail for considerably less than what it would cost just to purchase the raw material that goes into them. If the price of a cashmere sweater simply seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Garment care

The best way to make sure that cashmere and other products made from fine fibers last is to wash, handle, and store them correctly.  Fine fiber garments and home textiles will look new and wear well for a very long time if you follow these guidelines:

Knits

• Hand wash with cold water, using a gentle detergent or soap suitable for woolens and squeezing suds through the fabric. Do not scrub or twist. Do not wring dry, but roll in a towel and press gently to blot up excess moisture. Always dry flat, away from direct sources of heat.
• It is possible to dry clean knits, but the chemicals used in dry-cleaning can be hard on natural fibers and hand washing with gentle soaps ensures your knits will retain their softness.
• Wash knits after every 6 to 7 wearings to keep them looking their best.
• Fold knits or store flat in a drawer, avoid using hangers or coathooks.
• If areas of heavy wear (elbows, insides of arms) show signs of pilling, gently remove them with a sweater shaver, razor, or with a comb.

Wovens

• Woven garments should be dry cleaned to maintain their shape and body.
• Hang wovens on padded or shaped hangers, never on wire or thin plastic hangers.
• Keep garments zippered and buttoned when hanging to help them retain their shape.

All Fine Fibers

• Hang or lay flat garments for a day between wearings, and wrinkles should disappear by themselves.
• Brush garments gently with the nap, using a soft brush, to restore their finish.
• Treat stains immediately by rinsing with cold water; stains may set when they dry, and food stains will attract insects which may damage the garment if it is put away soiled.
• If you will store garments for extended periods, clean them first and make sure they are stored in a cool and dry place out of direct sunlight. Use mothballs, cedar chips, or store in cedar chests or closets to protect garments from moths.

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