What can accompany you for more than ten years is a high-quality cashmere sweater. This kind of investment is much more cost-effective than buying ten fast fashion items every year. From Hepburn to Yuan Quan, those women who are really good at dressing will always have a cashmere sweater in their wardrobe that can be worn for a lifetime. Its value is not reflected in the price tag, but in the calm temperament that becomes fresher and fresher after a long time.
Why is cashmere called soft gold?
The reason why cashmere is precious mainly lies in its rarity. One goat can only produce about 30 grams of usable cashmere in a year. To make an ordinary cashmere sweater, you need the total amount of cashmere from five goats. More than 70% of the world's cashmere is produced in China, and more than half of the high-quality raw materials come from vast grassland areas like Inner Mongolia.
According to the collection process, cashmere can only be obtained by hand. Herdsmen need to use a special iron comb to gently grab the goats during the short window period when they naturally shed their hair. This process must be extremely patient and must not cause harm to the animal. After that, it needs to go through more than a dozen processes such as sorting, washing, and dyeing before it can become a textile raw material.
The fiber diameter of cashmere is only 13.5 microns, which is thinner than the ordinary hair of an adult goat. This extremely fine hollow fiber structure can lock the still air and form a thermal insulation layer. Its thermal insulation performance is 1.5 to 2 times that of wool, but it is much lighter in weight, and there is almost no weight-bearing feeling when worn on the body.
Real cashmere and sheep wool are two different things
The labels on the market are extremely confusing. However, strictly speaking, only cashmere can be called cashmere. The hair produced by sheep, no matter how fine it is, can only be called wool. The so-called cashmere is purely a commercial marketing term. Consumers must clearly read the cashmere content on the ingredient label when purchasing.
According to national standards, when the cashmere content is above 30%, it can be called a cashmere sweater. When it reaches above 95%, it can be labeled as 100% cashmere or pure cashmere. Some businesses will use cashmere and wool blending to reduce costs. Such products tend to feel hard and their warmth retention properties will also be significantly reduced.
Authentic cashmere feels extremely soft, slippery, and waxy, and it doesn't have that scratchy feeling next to the skin. There is an American writer named Fran. He said that wearing a high-quality cashmere sweater is better than the warmest hug. This feeling of close contact with the skin comes from the scale structure at the end of the fiber, which is thinner and smoother than wool and will not cause irritation to the skin.
Which domestic cashmere brands are worth buying?
Zhousheng is a designer brand founded in 2017. It specializes in breaking the stereotype that cashmere can only be used for inner wear. Their cashmere sweaters use highly saturated colors and destructive tailoring to weave the rebellious emotions of adolescence into the clothes. This year’s pink and tender colors for autumn and winter are especially suitable for young girls who want to express their personality.
The brand co-founded by mother and daughter is BYARN. Its design style tends to be grand and steady. The most suitable cashmere sweaters in warm brown tones in autumn and winter. V-neck cardigans with Chinese piping, which have oriental charm and are suitable for daily commuting. The price is around 1,000 yuan, and the price-performance ratio is quite good.
If you are craving for a feminine style, you might as well take a look at Ms MIN. Its designer, Liu Min, once interned at the Victor Rove fashion house. After returning to China, he took the MBTI personality test and gained experience at Ports before establishing the brand. Their cashmere sweaters have loose silhouettes and are quite aura. The knitted sweater Tao Hong wore in "Everything Is Good" comes from his family. Its simplicity contains the softness and strength of oriental women.
How to choose an affordable alternative
If you have a limited budget, you can consider cashmere blended materials, such as the macaron cashmere sweater from C+ Signia, which is priced at only 339 yuan. Although the fiber content in the blended fabric does not reach the standard of pure cashmere, adding a small amount of cashmere will significantly improve its feel, and the blended fabric will be more crisp and less prone to deformation.
On e-commerce platforms, many cashmere sweaters priced at 100 yuan are actually a mixture of wool and chemical fiber. Before purchasing, be sure to check the quality inspection report. The cost of what can truly be called pure cashmere is clearly stated. As long as it is within the range of a thousand yuan, it is difficult to buy high-quality products. It is really better to choose blended styles launched by well-known brands. That way, at least the ingredients are clear and transparent and the quality is guaranteed.
How to wear cashmere sweaters fashionably
The classic item with the highest investment value is the turtleneck solid-color cashmere sweater, which can be worn alone or as an inner layer. The dressing styles demonstrated by Liu Wen and Gigi Hadid in their street photos are worth learning from. A colorful cashmere sweater is layered with a white T-shirt, slightly exposing a small amount of the neckline or a corner of the hem, and paired with a pair of jeans. This style of dressing not only displays the warmth effect, but also plays a role in highlighting vitality.
Short cashmere cardigans have become extremely popular in recent years. Girls with graceful figures can follow the example of Bella Hadid and wear them alone and paired with high-waisted pants. In the office attire, you can pair a cashmere sweater with a suit jacket. The soft texture and tough material collide with each other, creating a very layered look. Wearing an umbrella skirt or wide-leg pants on the lower body can create an effortless sense of fashion.
With proper care, it can last a lifetime
There is no need to wash cashmere sweaters frequently. Washing them once or twice a season is enough. When wearing them, they should be separated from rough materials as much as possible. If the strap of the backpack has long-term friction, it is easy to cause pilling. This is a normal situation and does not indicate a quality problem. Use a pill trimmer to gently handle it.
Cleaning must be done by mixing cold water with special cashmere cleaning agent. The dirty parts must be gently pressed and absolutely not rubbed. The clothes must be laid flat to dry naturally in a cool place. They must not be hung to dry, otherwise the clothes will deform due to their own weight. When storing, put them on top of each other and put them in a sealed bag, then add moth-proofing agent. In this way, when you take out the clothes every winter, they will look like brand new.
Would you bear to spend thousands of dollars to buy a cashmere sweater that can be worn for ten years, or would you prefer to buy new fast fashion clothes every year? Share your consumption views in the comment area. The top three likes will receive a special detergent for cashmere care!
