About Cashmere

Cashmere is the glamorous and luxuriant wool that every fashion-conscious woman dreams of wearing, with its silken feel and its feather-light weight. It is combed from the wool of the underbellies of Kashmir goats in the frigid high deserts of Mongolia, when the seasons change warmer. At least 4 Kashmir goats will have happily shed their spare winter down for the warmth and comfort of a pure cashmere jumper, which is why cashmere is such a prized and precious natural fabric, and so wonderful to wear.

VIVIANE CHANTALE uses pure Mongolian cashmere. The quality and feel of pure cashmere clothes will leave you longing for more. Owning a garment made of cashmere is a fashion treat to be truly treasured - after all, it takes one little goat four years to produce enough wool to make just one cashmere sweater.

Cashmere cloth is prized for its softness, warmth and long life. Pure cashmere clothes become increasingly soft with wearing and cashmere is referred to as the Fibre of Kings. In addition to its softness and flexibility, cashmere wool, the experts claim, is eight times warmer than sheep's wool, and provides the necessary warmth for the Himalayan climate from which the Kashmiri goat originates.

Cashmere wool is the downy undercoat that grows from midsummer to winter. Long guard hair protects the cashmere undercoat from the elements, and is removed in spring by shearing or gradually combing the hair to remove the down.

Mongolia's climate and geography is suited for herding cashmere goats, who thrive in the harsh mountainous climates and produce the highest quality wool. In moderate climates, the goats lose the ability to grow the downy coats that produce quality cashmere for garments.

The finer the cashmere, the more expensive it becomes, and the variations in the fineness of the cashmere depend on its origins. Cashmere fibre is also priced by its length and longer fibres make stronger yarn that pill less. A top quality fibre will require less dye, and so remain soft even in dark colours. Of all these variables of pure cashmere, usually you get what you pay for.

A good pure cashmere jumper or sweater must feel soft, smooth and luxurious. Don't buy just for density/weight. Pull the sides of the sweater apart and then let them go and the sweater should snap back to its original shape. Loosely knit, limp fabric is the hallmark of a cheaply made sweater. A good sweater should feel hefty and substantial even if it is lightweight.