Ask people to name a luxury material and they’ll tell you cashmere. This fine wool has been coveted for millennia, sourced from its namesake goat and used to make everything from scarves to throw blankets. Cashmere is that soft and warm because the goats themselves spend the winter in subzero temperatures, causing them to produce an extremely soft and fluffy fleece. And this, of course, is why we love cashmere so much.
And yet, cashmere has a rep for being a demanding material. It’s expensive – as it should be, given its scarcity and the exacting process used to refine it. But as with any quality piece you invest in, care is a crucial part of ownership. Cashmere-connoisseurs are more than willing to treat their items with the necessary attention required because they know the pay-off is worth it. It’s not just that if you make it into a sweater, cashmere holds its shape for a decade, or that it drapes like a dream in blanket form, exemplified by Johnstons of Elgin Cashmere Classic Throw.
It’s that cashmere is durable, several times warmer than standard wool and one of the best materials you can wear if you have sensitive skin. And the longer you have it, the softer it gets, whether you prefer it wrapped around your neck or the cocoon of a cashmere robe.
