The Ultimate Guide of Cashmere Scarf

When the weather turns all chilly, there is always a need to have a soft and cozy remedy for yourself. That being the case, one of the greatest pleasures that we have is picking a pair of gloves, a really soft and warm cashmere scarf and knitwear that will support us through the freezing cold days. The cashmere scarf happens to be one of the most coveted essential for the cold winter months.

However, shopping for the right cashmere scarf is never a walk in the park. Besides anything of cashmere makes being expensive, it can be quite hard to spot the 100% cashmere scarf with just one glance. This means that if you are not careful enough when shopping for your cashmere scarf and other goods you might end up with counterfeits.

More to that, cashmere scarf requires some maintenance. This means that the soft, luxurious and delicate fabric needs more attention as compared to scarves made of other materials. But this should not scare you from upgrading your wardrobe with a few cashmere scarves. The best part is that this article will highlight everything you’d want to know about cashmere scarf.

What Really is Cashmere?

The fact that you are here means that you’ve probably heard of cashmere before. But the big question is; do you really know what cashmere is? Well, cashmere is a type of luxurious and soft wool that is produced from the fine undercoat of the Cashmere goat. These goats originate from a location that gets to -40 degrees Celsius in winter.

The cashmere goats tend to produce a thick downy fleece that consists of two layers. The outer layer of the goat’s coat features coarser hairs that are great at providing a water repellent layer for the delicate undercoat. The undercoat is soft and has ultra-fine insulating hairs that make the cashmere wool. 

What Makes Cashmere Scarf so Costly?

When you first see the price tag on cashmere scarves and cashmere wraps your reaction is to probably raise your eyebrows. I’m no exception either. But when you understand everything about cashmere scarf, you will know that getting quality cashmere pieces is actually an investment. That is because your cashmere scarf will not only last you for decades but also get even softer as it ages.

More to that, you’d be surprised to learn that for a cashmere goat to produce enough wool for a single cashmere wrap, it could take at least 4 years. And that’s not all. There is also the involvement of labor-intensive processes in the cultivation, processing, and gathering of the raw materials needed for making 100% cashmere scarf.

The fine cashmere hairs are harvested when the goats begin to shed their winter coats in spring. But that’s not all. There is a need to sort out the fibers in order to remove the coarse fibers that are found in the outer fleece. That’s because these coarse fibers are not necessary for the production process of cashmere scarf.

The quality grades of cashmere tend to vary depending on where the fibers were harvested from on the cashmere goat. The parts that yield the softest wool is the underbelly and throat. This means that cashmere scarves made from the fibers collected in these parts will be of premium quality and with high price tags.

How to Identify Quality Cashmere Scarf?

Shopping for the best quality cashmere scarf is arguably one of the toughest tasks. But there is no need to worry as in this section we will highlight a few things that you need to pay attention to.

• Feel the Cashmere Scarf with your fingers                                             

 This is also known as the crinkle test where you crinkle the fabric of the item you would like to purchase between your forefinger and thumb then watch its reaction. Quality cashmere scarf doesn’t wrinkle or pill immediately when pinched. Instead, when released it bounces back to its initial smooth form.

• Inspect the Labels

When buying a cashmere scarf, the best option is always to opt for 100% pure cashmere. If not that, you can go for the scarves made of merino blends. However, you should stay away from any scarves that claim to be an acrylic blend. That’s because acrylic fiber is artificial and lacks the breathability and temperature regulation properties present in natural cashmere.

• Brush the material on a highly sensitive area like your cheeks

The cashmere should feel smooth and tender. In addition to that, it should not cause any irritation or itchiness. If you experience any sorts of discomfort, it means that you have sub-par cashmere quality.

• Inspect the thickness of the cashmere scarf

This you can do by placing one hand inside the garment. In a situation where you can see the hand through, it means that the fabric is too thin, probably a single ply. If you are looking for something that will offer you durability and maximum warmth, aim for two-ply or more. However, the featherlight cashmere scarf is the exception because it is woven to be see-through and extra luxurious.

Benefits of 100% Cashmere Scarf

As discussed earlier, there are different grades of cashmere fabric. This means that the benefits of fabrics tend to vary. Here are some of the benefits that you will exclusively get with 100% cashmere scarf:

• Ultimate warmth

One of the main reasons why people prefer 100% cashmere scarf during winter is because it offers superb insulation. Actually, there are some grades of premium cashmere that are warmer than regular sheep’s wool by eight times or more.

Cashmere is able to maintain such a high level of body temperature due to the structure of its fabric. The fact that it has an ultra-fine structure, it's able to trap a great number of air particles. This provides you with an exceptional insulation layer.

• High-end Softness

Our skin is a very sensitive part of the body and is very quick to react to what we are wearing. If you have worn a woolen scarf made from coarse sheep wool, you can attest to the fact that it can be very uncomfortable.

You experience a certain itch that goes away as soon as you take it off. However, this is something of the past with premium cashmere scarf fibre. That’s because it is itch-free and offers the ultimate softness. All thanks to ultra-fine fibre density, cashmere is not rough and scratchy like the sheep wool.

• Resilience

100% cashmere scarf is designed to withstand washing without shrinkage. That’s unlike sheep wool which tends to shrink as soon as you wash it. All in all, you need to follow the correct care instructions for a cashmere scarf. This will help maintain the shape and vibrancy of your cashmere scarf as compared to other wool types.

How to Care for Your Cashmere Scarf?

The good thing with investing in a 100% cashmere scarf, wrap or any piece you’d like is that you will still have it decades to come. However, you can only achieve this by looking after your cashmere scarf in the right way. The cashmere scarf is made of highly durable material that will stay in better shape than wool by far if treated in the right way.

Cashmere scarf should also be hand washed with warm water of precisely 30 degrees Celsius. This means that you should never wash cashmere scarf in a washing machine in a regular way or dry clean it. Refer here for instructions on how to machine wash your cashmere scarf. That could lead to risks of shrinkage of your cashmere fabric.

In addition to that, it is recommended that you submerge the cashmere scarf in water and detergent rather than rubbing it vigorously. When cleaned, the best way to dry cashmere scarves especially is laying them on a clean towel flat. Hanging may end up affecting the shape of your cashmere scarf.

And unlike other fibers like wool, cashmere tends to improve its softness and material quality when you wash it often. Also, you need to know that piling is bound to happen especially in areas where the garment receives extreme friction. All in all, you can use a cashmere comb to remove the bobbles hence giving the cashmere scarf a smooth brand new look.

The Best Way to Store your Cashmere Scarf

For most cashmere scarves, there are best stored when folded in flat drawers. This help to prevent mishaps. However, the cashmere coats could be hung using padded hangers. When the winter finally passes and you need to store your cashmere scarf away there are a few things you need to observe.

First, you need to store the cashmere scarf in a breathable cotton storage bag to keep them safe. In addition to that, you can pop a few cedar wool balls that could help to deter the hungry moths. When it’s ready, tuck it away in a cool, dark and dry place until the next season.

Final Verdict

Now that you have everything you need to know about cashmere scarf, don’t shy away from stocking up this fine fabric for the cold days. However, you need to be careful not to excessively wear your cashmere scarf. You need to at least let it sit before you wear it next.

This resting period helps the cashmere scarf to pull back together to their initial position. Hence, it helps to improve the durability of your cashmere scarf. Investing in 100% cashmere scarf will offer you luxury and longevity that you desire. At the end of the day, you will not only look good but also feel confident in whatever you are wearing.