For those of you who haven’t thought of what to get for your special someone’s gift yet and diamonds is out of the question due to budget constraints, you still have some time to buy the perfect gift: cashmere! What better way to give your loved one a warm embrace even if you are not with him/her? I have one cashmere sweater that my husband gave me last 2005 and I would wear it everyday if I could. It’s so soft on the bare skin. It’s amazing how it can make the temperature just right. It simply retains the right amount of body heat making you feel comfy unlike Acrylic sweaters that can make you feel too hot and uncomfortable. My best gauge? My underarms, if they perspire at room temperature then I shouldn’t be wearing it. I would take natural fibers anytime and cashmere is a treat.
Different brands have made cashmere more affordable these days, so it will fit any budget. You don’t have to buy an expensive sweater because cashmere comes in many forms that are more affordable like hat, gloves and scarves. I bought a Pashmina scarf from Ebay for $15 and it has been my security blanket ever since.
What is cashmere anyway?
“Cashmere fiber is a fiber obtained from the Cashmere goat and is also known as Pashmina. The changthangi or pashmina goat is a breed of goat from Ladakh. The name derives from an archaic spelling of Kashmir. It is sometimes incorrectly applied to any extremely soft wool regardless of origin. It is noted as providing a natural light-weight insulation without bulk. Fibers are highly adaptable and are easily constructed into fine or thick yarns, and light to heavy-weight fabrics.” Read more about cashmere from Wikipedia.
Only the fine and soft downy undercoat of the goat is used that’s why it commands a higher price due to the law of supply and demand. Don’t feel bad for the Pashmina goat for loosing their undercoat because they only loose their warm cashmere coats in the Spring time when they naturally shed them.
How can you tell the quality?
When you are buying 100% cashmere products look at how many “ply”s it is made of. The higher the number the better, the number tells how many strands of yarn was used in the product. I can tell if a sweater/scarf is worth buying when I raise it up against the light and don’t see the light streaming through. If you are paying for an expensive product, you have to Beware of Counterfeit Cashmere.
I just make life simple by buying from trusted brand names if I am spending $40 and above for a cashmere sweater, scarves or coats. Of course my sweater comes from Costco.
Here are some cashmere products that you might be interested in:
The red sweater: Old Navy for $40(discounted from $69, you got to hurry though because they are running out!), I saw this one in the store when it was still $69 and the quality is good.
By: Jcrew
Sweater shown: $99(discounted from $169), they have a great selection that are being marked down. I really like the pattern on this one. No wonder they ran out of it!
LLBean’s cashmere selection has sold very well, most of the styles that I liked have sold out! Landsend also has a great selection of cashmere. Overstock.com has a wide selection and they are discounted at 50% or more, they are giving away free express shipping right now. They have a great feedback/review system and you can base your decision on how other buyers feel about their purchase. If you are a more adventurous shopper, you will find many pashmina scarves on Ebay. I would recommend that you only buy from a seller who has a 99%+ rating. Just expect the fiber to have a 70% pashmina/30% silk combination.
So whatever your price range might be, you can give the gift of luxurious cashmere embrace.
Photo credit: red sweater: Old Navy, pattern sweater: Jcrew
