Cashmere is an animal-hair fiber that forms the soft, downy undercoat of the Kashmir goat, categorized as a specialty hair fiber. While the term “cashmere” is sometimes incorrectly applied to soft wools, only the fiber from the Kashmir goat is true cashmere.
History and Popularity of Cashmere Shawls
In parts of Asia, the fiber is known as pashm or pashmina. Cashmere gained fame for its use in exquisite shawls and other handmade items from Kashmir, India. In the early 19th century, cashmere shawls reached peak popularity, and European nations like England and France, as well as the town of Paisley in Scotland, produced shawls that imitated the original Kashmir products.
The Cashmere Goat and Fiber Extraction
The Kashmir goat has an outer coat of coarse fiber, ranging from 4 to 20 cm (1.5 to 8 inches) long, and a soft undercoat, which is true cashmere, between 2.5 to 9 cm (1 to 3.5 inches). The downy fibers are hand-combed or plucked during molting, though Iranian cashmere is often obtained by shearing. Each goat produces only a small amount of cashmere annually—roughly 0.5 kilograms or less. For example, one sweater requires the fleece of 4 to 6 goats, and an overcoat needs fleece from 30 to 40 goats.
Processing and Quality Control
The fleece undergoes cleaning to remove impurities like grease and plant matter. Coarse hairs are removed using mechanical dehairing, which affects both yield and price. The finest cashmere fabrics contain less than 1% coarse hair, while high-quality coats may have less than 5%.
Physical Characteristics of Cashmere
Cashmere fibers are finer than wool, with diameters ranging from 14.5 to 16.5 micrometers for Chinese and Mongolian goats, and from 17.5 to 19.5 micrometers for Iranian goats. Cashmere fabric is known for its warmth, soft texture, and excellent draping qualities, but it is weaker than wool and highly susceptible to damage from strong alkalies and high temperatures.
Cashmere in Fashion and Industry
Cashmere is primarily used in high-quality fabrics for coats, dresses, suits, knitwear, and hosiery. Due to its rarity and the cost-intensive process of gathering and manufacturing, cashmere is considered a luxury fiber. It is sometimes blended with other materials to reduce costs. The coarser outer hairs of the Kashmir goat are used locally to make grain bags, ropes, and tent curtains.