We've just received a new shipment of Tibetan cashmere shawls at our Torana Beijing store, so I'm going to take the opportunity here to describe what Cashmere is ... and also what it isn't.
Cashmere is a very fine, soft material that is neither wool nor hair. It comes from the Pashmina goats (hence it's alternative name) that live at high altitudes. In the case of our cashmere, that means Tibet.
The altitude is important, because the purpose of the downy cashmere is to keep the goat warm in winter. Many animals living at high elevations grow cashmere coats under their outer fur or hair, even yaks (the yak version of cashmere is called kulu), but the type from the pashmina goat is the whitest and softest available. Pashmina goats live very happily at lower altitudes, but they don't produce good cashmere if the weather is too warm.
The material got its name "Cashmere" because it became popular in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries and the country doing most of the weaving of Tibetan cashmere in those days was Kashmir. In those days most shawls were woven with traditional paisley designs from the Kashmiri weaver's traditional repertoire. Today shawl designs are a great deal more varied and they are made in several locations around the Himalayas.
These days a great many shawls and scarves are on sale in China and elsewhere that are called "Cashmere" or "Pashmina". The problem for the buyer is that these include a range of materials from Tibetan cashmere (best, because of the altitude) through Mongolian cashmere (lesser quality) to New Zealand wool (artificially fluffed to make it seem like cashmere). Until you are familiar with the real thing these materials can be difficult to tell apart. Most of the inexpensive "Cashmere" that I have seen on sale in Beijing is not cashmere at all. This includes the countless shawls in shades of chemical pink and blue that are sold in the markets here.
Cashmere can also be bought in pure form, or in blends with silk. The pure form is more expensive, not only because of the cashmere content, but because it is slower and more difficult to weave than thread blended with silk. In Torana we have both pure cashmere shawls and 70%cashmere/30% silk shawls, the pure shawls being about twice the price of the blends. Both are attractive and woven and designed to the same standard so this is a matter of choice and budget.
Aside from considerations of fiber content, weave quality is also critical with cashmere. A very light touch is needed to bring out the best in the fiber, and good cashmere should have a "floaty" feel as well as being soft.
Finally, as with any luxury item, design is just as important as materials. Good quality cashmere is usually synonymous with good color and design, since it is worthwhile to employ a good designer to make the most of the best material.
There are some pictures of (some of) our new designs on this page of our website.
Cashmere is a very fine, soft material that is neither wool nor hair. It comes from the Pashmina goats (hence it's alternative name) that live at high altitudes. In the case of our cashmere, that means Tibet.
The altitude is important, because the purpose of the downy cashmere is to keep the goat warm in winter. Many animals living at high elevations grow cashmere coats under their outer fur or hair, even yaks (the yak version of cashmere is called kulu), but the type from the pashmina goat is the whitest and softest available. Pashmina goats live very happily at lower altitudes, but they don't produce good cashmere if the weather is too warm.
The material got its name "Cashmere" because it became popular in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries and the country doing most of the weaving of Tibetan cashmere in those days was Kashmir. In those days most shawls were woven with traditional paisley designs from the Kashmiri weaver's traditional repertoire. Today shawl designs are a great deal more varied and they are made in several locations around the Himalayas.
These days a great many shawls and scarves are on sale in China and elsewhere that are called "Cashmere" or "Pashmina". The problem for the buyer is that these include a range of materials from Tibetan cashmere (best, because of the altitude) through Mongolian cashmere (lesser quality) to New Zealand wool (artificially fluffed to make it seem like cashmere). Until you are familiar with the real thing these materials can be difficult to tell apart. Most of the inexpensive "Cashmere" that I have seen on sale in Beijing is not cashmere at all. This includes the countless shawls in shades of chemical pink and blue that are sold in the markets here.
Cashmere can also be bought in pure form, or in blends with silk. The pure form is more expensive, not only because of the cashmere content, but because it is slower and more difficult to weave than thread blended with silk. In Torana we have both pure cashmere shawls and 70%cashmere/30% silk shawls, the pure shawls being about twice the price of the blends. Both are attractive and woven and designed to the same standard so this is a matter of choice and budget.
Aside from considerations of fiber content, weave quality is also critical with cashmere. A very light touch is needed to bring out the best in the fiber, and good cashmere should have a "floaty" feel as well as being soft.
Finally, as with any luxury item, design is just as important as materials. Good quality cashmere is usually synonymous with good color and design, since it is worthwhile to employ a good designer to make the most of the best material.
There are some pictures of (some of) our new designs on this page of our website.
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