Materials guide · Cashmere
A cashmere sweater is pure only if the inner label says 100% cashmere. “In cashmere”, “cashmere blend” or “cashmere blend” in the name does not say how much it contains: only the composition, fibre by fibre, does. Hand-wash it in cold or lukewarm water (never above 30 degrees) with a wool detergent, without wringing it, and dry it flat. Use a washing machine only if the care label allows it, and use the wool programme.
To write this guide, we did something simple: we read the compositions, one by one, of the sweaters we sell that mention cashmere. At the beginning of October, there were 189 styles. Those made of 100% cashmere number 12. Most of the others contain 10%.
Pure, blended, “in cashmere”: what each term means
Cashmere is the undercoat of the Hircus goat, combed in spring during moulting. It is a very fine fibre (the most widely used labelling standards require it to average under 19 microns), lightweight and warm for its weight. It is also scarce and expensive, which is why it is almost always blended.
100% cashmere or “pure cashmere” means a single fibre. Cashmere blend means it is present in a proportion ranging from 4 to 95% in our product descriptions. “In cashmere” in a garment's name, by itself, guarantees nothing: we found sweaters called this that declare 10%. The rule we give our staff is always the same: turn the garment over, find the sewn-in label on the side and read the numbers. Marketing chooses the name; the composition does not.
What our labels say, number by number
Of the 189 sweaters that mention cashmere, 121 state the percentage in their product description. Here is the breakdown:
12 are 100%: the men's H953 and Alpha Studio crew-neck sweaters, Marella sweaters, and women's NOTSHY cardigans and poncho sweaters. 10 range from 30 to 45%, such as the Marella sweaters in 70% wool and 30% cashmere. 98 range from 10 to 28%, 74 of them exactly 10%. Just one declares 4%. The other 68 mention cashmere but do not state the percentage: before buying, ask us to read the label for you.
Why 10% isn't a scam (and when the difference matters)
The formula we encounter most often in MC2 Saint Barth sweaters is 40% wool, 25% viscose, 25% polyamide, 10% cashmere, or its 45/30/15/10 variant. Here, cashmere is used for its feel: it makes the surface softer and less rough than wool alone. Viscose provides drape and lustre, while polyamide (that is, nylon) helps retain the shape where a sweater deforms first: at the cuffs, elbows and hem.
The difference is noticeable in two ways. Warmth at the same weight: a thin pure cashmere sweater provides as much warmth as much thicker wool, while a 10% blend provides roughly as much warmth as the wool it contains. And pilling: pure cashmere pills during the first few weeks because the fibre is short and soft; blends with polyamide pill less, but the pills that do form stay attached more firmly.
The boutique's advice. First decide what you need it for. If you are looking for a thin sweater to wear under a jacket, one that keeps you warm without adding bulk, 100% cashmere is worth it. If you are looking for a colourful sweater with embroidery to wear every day and wash often, a 10-20% blend is more durable and better suited to real life. Paying for pure cashmere in a garment that will end up in the laundry basket every week is the quickest way to be disappointed.
Women's and men's cashmere sweaters: where to find pure cashmere
Interestingly, pure cashmere is more common in our women's Knitwear: 8 out of 56 styles, including Marella sweaters and NOTSHY cardigans and ponchos. In the men's Knitwear, more styles mention cashmere - 133 - but only 4 are pure cashmere: three H953 crew-neck sweaters and one basic Alpha Studio crew-neck sweater.
Most of the men's department consists of MC2 Saint Barth sweaters, almost all blended with between 10% and 20% cashmere, featuring the ironic embroidery that people also buy as gifts. Before Christmas, those from the Christmas Vacation and Cortina capsule collection are added, using the same formula. For choosing a sweater by shape, neckline and colour, we have our Knitwear guide; here, we are focusing on the fibre.
Available now
Cashmere Knitwear in the boutique
TwinsetCropped Wool and Cashmere Sweater with Lurex
Mc2 Saint BarthHeron Men's Cashmere Sweater Saint Barth Apres Ski
Mc2 Saint BarthTessa Snoopy cashmere-blend crew-neck sweater
Mc2 Saint BarthHeron Cashmere Men's Sweater Sei un Mito
NOTSHYDilly cashmere sweater with lace trim
Mc2 Saint BarthRegent Merino wool and cashmere sweater
Mc2 Saint BarthNew Queen cashmere-blend sweater with Bag embroidery
Mc2 Saint BarthHeron cashmere-blend sweater with Snoopy embroidery
The cashmere scarf, where the percentage is felt most
Around the neck, the fibre touches the skin for hours, and that is where the difference between pure and blended fibres is felt immediately. The Dondup scarves we stock are 95% cashmere and 5% virgin wool, practically pure. The Pinko Sogliola with the maxi logo is 76% wool, 19% cashmere and 5% nylon: more robust, designed for everyday wear. The others are among the women's scarves and, for those looking for a matching hat, among the men's wool and cashmere hats.
How to hand wash cashmere
Start with the care label: it is the one to follow, because a blend should be washed like its most delicate fibre. On the MC2 Saint Barth product pages that include it, the instruction is «hand wash or dry clean». Unless stated otherwise, this is the method recommended by cashmere manufacturers:
1. A basin of cold or barely lukewarm water, at most 30 degrees, with a wool detergent or cashmere shampoo. No fabric softener, no bleach. 2. Turn the sweater inside out, immerse it and press it gently with your hands for a few minutes, without rubbing. 3. Rinse at the same temperature: the change from hot to cold is what causes felting. 4. Never wring it out: roll it up inside a towel and press. 5. Lay it flat on another dry towel, reshape it by hand and leave it to dry away from radiators and direct sunlight.
With viscose blends, the last point matters twice as much: viscose loses strength when wet, and a sweater that is hung up or wrung out stretches and never returns to its original shape.
Can it be machine washed?
Only if the label shows the tub with a hand or the delicate-wash symbol, and never if it indicates dry cleaning only. In that case: use the wool programme, cold or at most 30 degrees, with the lowest spin setting, turning the sweater inside out and placing it in a mesh bag. Even when the label allows it, we always choose hand washing for 100% cashmere: the risk is not worth the ten minutes saved.
Pilling, moths and changing over your wardrobe
Pilling is normal, especially during the first month for pure cashmere. Do not pull the pills with your fingers, as this tears the underlying fibers: remove them with a cashmere comb or fabric shaver, with the garment laid flat, always moving in the same direction. They decrease after a few washes.
To store it at the end of the season: clean (moths seek dirt and sweat more than the fiber), folded and never hung, as its weight will stretch the shoulders. In a cotton bag, not plastic, with a piece of cedar wood or a lavender sachet beside it.
Before buying, the most useful thing is still to know what you are buying. We sell only from an authorized retailer: the composition shown on the product page is the one declared by the brand, and if it is not there, write to us and we will read it from the label.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if a sweater is pure cashmere?
Read the composition label sewn inside, usually on the side: it should say 100% cashmere. The garment description ("in cashmere," "cashmere blend") is not enough, because many garments described this way contain 10%. If you buy online and the product page does not state the percentage, ask the store before purchasing.
Is a sweater with 10% cashmere worth it?
Yes, if you know what you are buying. 10% makes the knit softer to the touch than wool alone, while wool, viscose and polyamide make it more durable and easier to care for. It provides roughly as much warmth as the wool it contains: for lightweight, thin warmth, choose pure cashmere.
How do you wash cashmere?
By hand, in cold or lukewarm water up to 30 degrees, with a wool detergent, without rubbing or wringing. Remove the water by rolling it in a towel and dry it flat, away from radiators and sunlight. The garment's care label always takes precedence.
Can cashmere be machine-washed?
Only if the care label allows it, using the cold or 30-degree wool cycle, a minimal spin cycle and the garment turned inside out in a mesh bag. If the label says dry clean only, do not machine wash it.
Why does a cashmere sweater pill?
Because the fiber is short and soft, and friction lifts it. This happens especially during the first few weeks. Remove the pills with a cashmere comb or fabric shaver, never by pulling them with your fingers, and they will decrease with wear and washing.
How should cashmere be stored in summer?
Clean, folded and not hung, in a breathable cotton bag. Place a piece of cedar wood or a lavender sachet beside it to deter moths, which are especially attracted to garments stored while dirty.
Vittorio Citro Boutique editorial team, Roccapiemonte. We have been selling fashion since 1917.
0 comments